Searched on "Web Design Swindon"? Here's how to find the right web design company for your business.

A search on “Web Design Swindon” in Google shows over 235,000 pages indexed! How do you select the right Swindon Web Design Company from that lot?

Ok – so you need a new website designing and you’re based in Swindon. There are scores of Swindon based web design businesses ready to offer you a solution, but unless you have a recommendation from a trusted source how do you decide on which company to use? 

Well if you are going to get the website you and your business really needs, here are ten key points that you should consider when selecting your Swindon website design company.

1. Is the Swindon website design company well established?

You are making a strategic investment in your business when you invest in a website – even if you are not paying a huge amount for it. The website will be a reflection of you and your business and you’ll want to work with a company that is going to be there for you in the future not one that suddenly leaves you in the lurch! You should be looking for a web design company that can work with you as your business grows and develops.
So check out the web design companies that you are interested in – what is the size of the business? How long has it been going? Is it a one man band or does it have a number of employees? Do they display their client portfolio? This will give you an idea of how well established and productive the company is and will also give you an idea of the quality of their web design work.

2. How does the web design company operate?

Before any web design company (whether they are Swindon based or not) can deliver you an effective website solution, they really have to understand what you are trying to achieve. Be wary of any web design company that comes to you and starts talking immediately about what you should have or what they would build for you. Unless you are very lucky you will not end up with a website that works effectively for your business. Instead you should look for Swindon based web design companies that spend a lot of time initially talking to you about your business and your objectives many of the questions asked may not at first seem to have anything to do with a website;

• What challenges and opportunities is your business facing?
• What are the key goals of the business e.g. win more clients, better customer service, increased workforce productivity, reduced sales costs?
• Who are your main competitors?
• Who is your target audience; who are you trying to reach and what are your key messages to them?
  
  You really need to work with a web design company that invests time and effort in understanding your business and your objectives – you don’t want a web designer who is just focussed on the website technology.

3. Will your web design company produce a proper proposal and a contract?

Make sure that before you agree to work with any Swindon website design company you have a full understanding of what is going to be delivered. The web design company should have produced a detailed proposal spelling out the work that they will be doing. Don’t make assumptions about who will do what;

• Who is going to produce the content for the site?
• Will the web design company populate all the meta tags for you?
• Is the web design company going to be hosting the website for you – is that charge included?

Also is there a contract? If not there should be! A contract should protect you, as well as the web design company. Before you sign anything read the contract and if you have any questions get them answered. The web design company should be very open and honest with you – if they start being vague or evasive then heed the warnings signs and look elsewhere.

4. Are they able to meet all your needs?

These days websites can be anything from a small brochure style site right up to high functionality e-commerce and business processing platforms. It is important to make sure that the web design company you choose is capable of providing you with a complete solution. You should avoid a situation where the web design company is trying to coordinate a host of other suppliers to deliver you a single solution. Also take a long term view – don’t just look at what you need know – think about how you see your business developing over the next 3 years – will your preferred website designer be able to deliver your future requirements as well as your immediate objectives.

5. Are their prices competitive?

Your website is an important investment. You need to get the best value for your money. The keyword here is “value”.

There are scores of web designers in Swindon and their web design quotations will vary widely. Making a decision based on price alone is a poor way to make a strategic investment. You should make the decision based on “value for money”. Going for the cheapest option will most likely mean that you are not going to get the best return on your investment. This is, of course, not to say that the most expensive is the best option either! By the time you come to making your buying decision you should have a very good feel for which proposal will give you the best value.

If the best proposal is over your budget – make sure you negotiate and remember it doesn’t always have to be about price reduction, for example; ask if the web design company will spread the payments over 12 months, or maybe they can take out some of the functionality if it isn’t needed at day one. This is about being creative and working with the design company if they are really interested in building a business relationship with you they should try and find a solution. Don't settle for a cheaper web designer. In this business you really do get what you pay for.

6. Ask for references

Ask your website design company to provide you with reference sites – if they volunteer three names ask them for an extra two or three and call those first! A few minutes on the phone with these reference sites will be time well spent.

7. Can your preferred Swindon web design company also market your website?

You could create THE best website ever seen on the Internet but if nobody visits it - or the wrong people visit it - then your investment has been wasted.

You really should make sure that the web design company will work with your business to build an Internet marketing strategy that will drive your target audience and prospective customers to your website. Online marketing is going to be key to your website's success. Therefore choosing a web design company that can not only build your website but also help you to promote it whether it be through search engine optimisation, pay-per-click marketing, viral marketing or another method would be highly beneficial. Ask your web design company what they feel will work best for your business. You should feel comfortable in their response, if not – look elsewhere.

8. Can they meet your timescales?

You will have a target date for the launch of your new website. Before you sign any agreement make sure that the web design company is able to meet your timescales. It isn’t really possible to give a general guideline for timescales as every website build is individual (unless it’s a very basic template based site) so this is a discussion with the web design company. Are their timescales reasonable? Are they willing to meet your deadlines? If you need your site done by a certain date, can the web design company achieve it? If the web design company can not achieve your timescales and that is going to cause your business a problem you will have to look elsewhere. Just one last thought though – in fairness to the web design company, make sure that your timescale demands are reasonable and realistic!

9. Make sure you ask about these!  W3C (Disability Discrimination Act) Compliance and Mobile Compatibility.

These are two areas that you need to be well advised on. Make sure that your preferred Swindon web designer is able to talk to you in detail about these topics. They are important considerations for your website development and your whole online strategy. If they don’t have knowledge of these subjects you need to consider a different web design company.

10. Do you like the people you are dealing with from the web design company?

This may sound a bit frivolous but actually it’s pretty important. Your preferred web design company should be looking to build a close working relationship with you and one that should last beyond the launch date of the website. Why? Because your website is a strategic investment and should be something that grows and develops with your business and your website design company should be working with you throughout the life of the website.
Also how helpful and pro active is the web design company. Do they make suggestions and recommendations to help shape your thinking regarding the website and your Internet strategy. Are they always helpful and attentive when you require advice or assistance. It is much better to have a collaborative relationship than a very dour service provider / client relationship. Both companies will benefit from the former situation.

You may think that this is all very obvious but you might be surprised at how many companies have real difficulties with their chosen web design companies.
The above list will help you to select the right web design partner for your business. Keep this check list in mind when looking for a Swindon web design company and you should enjoy a smooth, hassle free website launch!