Everyone wants to get their hands on something new and trendy, and what better place to look than online?
Modern day consumers are always looking for the next best thing in the digital sphere. People want to shop in the comfort of their own home with the product easily delivered to their doorstep. Everything needs to be accessible online for the modern day consumer.
As a business owner, the best way to be a part of this online consumer phenomena is to have a website for your company. It’s your business’s home online – it’s central, has everything customers could want to know about your business, and it’s a kind of advertisement in itself. A well-designed website, just like an attractive store, says a lot about who you are as a company.
Having a website is not just an advantage, it’s a must.
If you still don’t have a website or you want to grow your online presence with a new one, then a professional web design agency can help.
If you’re still debating on the matter, let us help you. Keep reading and learn more about the pros and cons of hiring a web design agency.
CONS OF HIRING A WEB DESIGN AGENCY
Working with a web design agency means that you will have to go through the iterative process of communicating back and forth. You have to be able to communicate what you want, and the design and development process will consist of a lot of back and forth via email, phone, and in-person or video meetings.
When you take into account all the talking that has to be done, you can probably assume that at some point, there will be miscommunication.
Part of the challenge is that design is a difficult thing to capture with words, so the agency won’t always know first try what you’re looking for. If you hire a good one, however, they’ll work hard to remedy the situation as soon as possible and deliver a website you love.
A web design agency will initially cost more
As you already know, when it comes to goods and services, you get what you pay for.
If you want to hire a web design agency, you have to know that it will initially cost you more. An agency employs professionals who are skilled at what they do and need to be compensated accordingly. Figure out your budget and talk to the agency about what it will get you.
If you choose to go a cheaper route, that might mean hiring a freelancer (or yourself!). Keep in mind that if you go with a freelancer who gives you a low quote because he’s trying to build up his portfolio, you’re risking not getting much in return. An inexperienced person might not know how to handle slightly more complicated projects, and you could end up with a glitchy site that doesn’t help your business at all. Not to mention that if things go wrong, a single person is much more likely to just “disappear” than an established agency.
Getting your own website is going to be an investment either way. Hiring a web design agency will likely get you your money’s worth.
Time will not be on your side
Creating a custom website will take some time, even for a professional web design agency. To build a website from scratch, you will have to work through the design phase, copywriting, development, and testing before launch. There is no way to do that instantly. The average web design project takes about 6–8 weeks.
Fortunately, an agency will do what they can to take everything off your plate. Instead of being busy for weeks trying to get a website together yourself, you can focus on your business while the agency gets your site up and running.
PROS OF HIRING A WEB DESIGN AGENCY
Experience & expertise
Web designers are professionals.
Just like it’s your job to know your business, it’s their job to know the business of design, how to fix glitches, improve SEO, maximize user experience, and lower bounce rate.
If you don’t want to learn those things yourself and spend hours upon hours testing and optimizing, it’s best to hire someone else to do it. Eliminate the learning curve and get back to what you actually like to do.
Professional web designers have been in the business of building websites longer than you think. Web design is their repertoire. They have the experience, expertise and the set of skills under their belt. Working with different clients mean they can see patterns and common issues that various businesses have to deal with.
Aside from their expertise, you also benefit from their resources. An agency will have the best software and resources to build the best website for you.
A design that doesn’t scare people away
Remember how we said a website says a lot about your company?
Potential customers will judge your business based on what they see online. Your website is a huge part of that.
If it’s outdated and badly designed, then people will likely hit “BACK” and keep browsing. After all, there are websites out there that are easy to navigate and easy on the eyes – why stay on an ugly one?
In fact, you probably only have between 10 and 15 seconds to make a good impression on an internet user, because that’s how much time the average person will spend on your site.
If you hire a web design agency, it is their job to make sure your company looks incredible by creating a beautiful, user-friendly website. Hiring an agency ensures that those all-important first few seconds on your website result in a great first impression.
A strategy that gets you where you want to go
It’s not actually all about having a good design.
Is the point of your website to drive people into your brick and mortar store, or purchase online? Are you looking to increase brand awareness or simply offer the information users are looking for? Do you want to book appointments or gain quality leads you can follow up with?
Whatever your strategy, a web design agency will help you define it, set a goal, and then reach it. All of this is taken into account before the designer ever puts pen to paper, so to speak.
Hiring a web design agency means gaining the brainpower of a team of professionals who do this every day. The results will reflect their unique perspectives and combined years of experience – something that is not easily replicated.
In conclusion…
In the end, the decision of whether or not to hire an agency is up to you. Think about the factors we’ve mentioned and weigh out the good and bad for your business.
If you decide that the pros outweigh the cons, then schedule an appointment with us and we’ll help you create the website you want and need.