Neworld, Great relationships build great brands

The process of selecting an agency to work on your website can be challenging. There are many web agencies out there, how do you choose a good one? More importantly, how do you guarantee that the agency you select is the best fit for your company?

Here are five questions your organisation should be asking when investigating prospective web agencies to work on your website:

Q1. How long has your web agency been in business?

Experience counts. Expertise is more than just knowing how to do a job. Organisations that have been around the block can quickly find a solution because they’ve already worked through it many times before. They understand how to take care of problems as they’ve already solved them at least once already. When something goes wrong, they know what to do because they’ve worked this through with previous clients. If something unexpected occurs, your chosen web agency should be ready and prepared to tackle it head-on.

Q2. Have you done previous work for organisations like mine?

This answer may not be what you are expecting. Of course you want to make sure a potential web agency knows how to meet your organisation’s unique needs and while some agencies do specialise in a single industry or vertical market, an experienced web agency will have the expertise to apply their learnings from different areas in ways that fit a specific client’s requirements. You don’t want to focus exclusively on what makes you similar to other organisations within your industry, you want to create a website that draws out what makes your business different. An agency with a broad base of experience is more likely to help you achieve this.

Q3. What is the process and estimated timeline?

Knowing from the start when you will see a first draft of a visual or a working demo of a website can be invaluable when it comes to your own planning. There may be milestones by which assets should be delivered or signoffs are expected to be given and having a realistic understanding of the steps involved alongside a calendar of dates and deadlines can ensure the project progresses smoothly.

Q4. How well does your web agency stay up to date with emerging technologies?

Web years are a little like dog years. A website that is more than a few years old might be considered long in the tooth. The design of a website can start to look dated. Under the hood, the technology powering the site also needs to be kept up to date or you may face security implications. The web agency you pick should be aware of and up to date with the latest emerging design trends as well as development and security advances.

Q5. Do you offer website maintenance and support?

Launch day for your website might feel like the end of the process but you will get the full benefit from your new site through ongoing maintenance and upkeep. Even the most future-proofed website will require a refresh eventually. Keeping your website fresh and current will also help to keep your site visitors informed and engaged.

Picking a web agency can feel overwhelming but asking these types of questions will help you to get a clear picture and make the best choice for your organisation. An agency that is capable, professional and open will welcome your questions and will have clear answers to them.

Caitriona Butler, Web Developer.
Caitriona can usually be found crafting robust and effective responsive websites across a range of programming languages & technologies at Neworld; a branding, creative and web design & development agency based in Dublin.