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How do I choose a good Web Design company?
It can be difficult to sort through the different available options when you are considering a web design company to create a website for your business. What makes one company ‘better’ than another, or the ‘best’ amongst several similar companies? If you need an e-Commerce website for your business, how can you tell if the web developer has experience with creating these types of sites? Read below to learn what you should look for when selecting a web design company.
Selecting a web design company is similar to the process of building a house. You want a house that is cosmetically satisfying and attractive, but it also needs to be reliable and serve the purpose for which it was built. For instance – if you were building a house on coastline, you might want to build it on stilts in case of flooding or extreme weather.
One of the most important things to look for when selecting a web design company is one with team experience. Find out how long the company has been in business, and that the people working there have the necessary experience to give you a satisfactory product. You also want to find out who is on the development team, and make sure that all the work is not being done by one person. A well-designed website is not built by just one person. Most websites have a team of at least three people: a graphic designer, a website programmer, and a search engine optimization manager. This encourages collaboration and provides a certain amount of internal oversight during the development of your website.
Portfolio – browsing a company’s web design portfolio is one of the easiest ways to determine if they can provide the kind of website that you want for your business. Although the majority of web design companies may not have a website exactly like the one you want, checking their portfolio can let you see the different options and customizations that they can make in order to create the perfect website for your business. If you want a site that allows customers to shop online, make sure that they have experience with creating and maintaining different types of e-Commerce websites in the past and present. Check their design portfolio and see if they are the right fit for the type of website you want.
Office – make sure that the company has a ‘brick and mortar’ location and is available to meet with you in person if needed. This ensures a more personal approach and also can help to prevent fraud, which can occur with a ‘company’ that is just a single person working on their own.
Customer Service – a web design company’s relationship with clients is another indication of the quality of service that they provide. Try to choose a company that responds to your calls and questions in a reasonable timeframe and can make changes and updates to your website in a timely, professional manner. A good indicator of this is how quickly and accurately they return a request for an estimate. But remember, thorough estimates can take some time to be put together. This shows that the company has taken time to consider all the aspects and details involved in your website project, and that they are creating a strategy for success.
Testimonials and References – strong feedback from past and present customers can be one of the best ways to choose a website design company. Ask for testimonials and references as part of your initial estimate request. This provides credibility for their work and track record, and can give you confidence that you are choosing the right company.
Cost – this can be the hardest factor to analyze when choosing a website design company. When looking at different prices, the important question to ask is ‘What return will I get from this investment?’ Many companies can provide a website that works, but how successful is it? Better long-term results may require a larger investment, but having a redesign a failed website and start from scratch can be much more costly and harmful to your business in the long run. Make sure that the company you are considering can show you results from other businesses that they have worked with in the past. To find out if the websites are effective, ask how the websites that they have produced are marketed. Ask for examples of websites that have developed strong search engine rankings. If a website they have produced has high search engine rankings based on keywords and relevant content, then it’s likely that they are acquiring new customers and establishing a strong web presence for their business.
For more information and a free quote, contact Dreamscape Marketing today!
What do I need to do to prepare for a new website?
There are several aspects to be considered when developing a new website for your business. Some of these considerations will be handled by your website, and some will be handled by the company designing your website.
Below is a short outline that can help keep the project in perspective and ensure that the finished product is effective and successful.
The typical cause for delay during a website development project is acquiring necessary content from the client in a reasonable timeframe. Having the following things ready will expedite the process:
1 Logo – If your already has a logo that you are satisfied with and want to continue using to maintain your branding, have it ready to provide to your design team. The logo should be in a high-resolution format such as .ai, .eps, or .psd.
2 Content – This is critical! Since you know your business better than the development company, and unless they have been hired to also write content, you need to put together written content for sections such as the ‘About Us’ page, company policies/procedures, and any other content relevant to your business.
3 Example Websites – Examples of websites that appeal to you are very helpful during the design process. This allows the designers and programmers to understand various elements of the website and figure out impresses you.
4 Managing Content – Tell your developer what content you want access to and be able to manage yourself. This allows the design team to create a website around the functions most important to your business.
5 Product Database (for eCommerce only) – If you are developing an eCommerce website you will need to create a database for your product and customer information. Determine who will be completing this task, either you or the web design company. An eCommerce website should have an administration function that enables the client to make changes and add information without knowing HTML.
6 Make Suggestions – a well-designed website is the product of collaboration and feedback between the client and the developer. Your feedback and critique is important and needed, but also be willing to accept input and ideas from your development team.
Why do I need Website Hosting and what company should I use?
After a website is created for your company or business, the files that comprise the website must be stored and made available on a computer server. There is no ‘storage space’ on the Internet – any page that you view or information you read is sent to your computer from an online computer. A website host, also called your website hosting company, provides this service. The files are housed in a server for access, and are transmitted when someone types in your website address.
Choosing the right hosting company for your website is an important step in the development and success of your e-Commerce or informational website. If the host server goes down, your website is unavailable and cannot be accessed. A down server can also affect your company email if the email accounts are hosted on the same server. Obviously, choosing a reputable web hosting service is important for all aspects of your business.
Dreamscape Marketing can recommend several different web hosting companies, depending on the needs of your website and business. We have experience with several different companies and can recommend the perfect package to compliment your website and help your business create a strong web presence. If you already have a web hosting company, Dreamscape Marketing can work with your existing contract and provide the same great service. If you want to maintain databases or manage an online store, you may need your website hosting company to provide specific configurations and options as part of your web hosting needs. Contact us today and we will help you find the perfect web hosting solution for your business and website.
How does website marketing and web promotion work?
Out of the entire website design process, the marketing of the website is the most important aspect relative to its success. A well-designed, appealing website that is not marketed properly will not produce enough traffic to be successful. Using various search engine optimization methods can raise your search engine rankings, which will produce greater visibility and produce more traffic. Visibility and high traffic are two key components of having a successful website.
One of the easiest ways to rank consistently at the top of search engine results is to pay for sponsored listings on various search engines. Paying for your website to appear in these listings can make your page appear as high as the first search results page and begins immediately. Buying advertisement within search engines in this manner is referred to as purchasing a ‘sponsored listing.’ Competing companies often bid against each other for certain keywords, with the highest bidders appearing in the coveted ‘number one’ spot in the search engine result listing. Words and phrases that are searched more frequently typically cost more money. These advertisements are known as ‘Pay-Per-Click” ads because you only pay when someone actually clicks on the link and goes to your site. Each click can cost anywhere between 10 cents to several dollars, with an average cost of 60 to 80 cents per click.
All of our e-commerce websites are designed to optimize your ranking in search engine result listings. One of the newest techniques used to achieve this is based on a feature known as ‘dynamic titling’. Dynamic titles use information and terms in your database to change the title of your web site to match input from visitors to your site. Each time you add a new product, the title is changed on the corresponding page. Search engines look for variations in page titles. More variations in page titles produce better search results. When your site has more page titles, the search engines assume that your site is bigger and has more content. Sites with more content related to the searched keyword will appear above other similar sites.