7 Things to Check Before Choosing a Web Agency

Have you ever experienced this... investing hundreds of thousands in hiring a web design agency, hoping to build upon your business, but what you get in return is a slow-loading website that doesn't rank on the first page of Google, and when there's an issue with the site, you can't contact anyone at all? The cause of this usually stems from choosing the wrong partner right from the start.

When looking for someone to build a website, we often make decisions based on a beautiful portfolio, which in reality, might not be enough. In this article, I have summarized an in-depth checklist to scan web design agencies, so that you can get a team that works systematically and a website that is truly worth the money you pay.

7 Things to Look for Before Hiring a Web Design Agency

1. Look Deeper into the Portfolio Than Just Screenshots

A beautiful portfolio on a web design agency's website does not guarantee that the site is actually functional. What you need to do is open the actual websites in their portfolio and try using them. Do they load fast? Do they display well on mobile devices? And most importantly, try searching for the company names from the portfolio on Google to see if they rank on the first page.

A website that is beautiful but has ruined SEO and doesn't rank on the first page of Google is merely a site meant to look pretty; it doesn't generate leads for your business.

2. Ask for a Clear Workflow

A good web design agency must have a clear workflow, not just "take the brief and build it." There must be steps for business analysis, planning the website structure, UX/UI design, development, testing, and delivery.

If a web design agency says, "It will be done in 2 weeks" without any analysis process at all, that might be a warning sign that they are likely using a pre-made template and just changing the colors and logo.

3. Check if They Have a Comprehensive Team

Building a good website requires a multidisciplinary team, not just one person doing everything. A web design agency with a team of UX/UI Designers, Developers, Business Analysts, and QA Testing will deliver a higher quality website than a small team where one person does it all.

A team with more than 10 years of experience in large-scale enterprise projects will understand the complexity of the systems and can solve immediate problems much better.

4. Ask About SEO from Day One

Many businesses hire someone to build a website and then do SEO later, which is a wrong idea. A good website must have an SEO foundation right from the development phase. Ask the web design agency if the website they build will have Schema Markup, whether the Heading structure is systematic, and how fast the website will load.

Read more about the differences between Custom Code vs. Template Website and why they impact SEO.

5. Look at the After-Sales Support Plan

A website is not a gift that you unwrap and throw away; it is a tool that requires continuous maintenance. Ask the web design agency if they provide after-sales service. If the website has problems, who do you contact, and within how many hours will they respond?

A good web design agency will have a clear maintenance plan and won't just disappear after delivery.

6. Ask if They Use Templates or Custom Code

This is an important question that many people forget to ask. A template might make the website finish quickly and be cheap, but it comes with many limitations. The website might look like your competitors, load slowly due to bloated excess code, and cannot be fully customized.

100% Custom Code is designed specifically for your business. It loads faster because there is no excess code, and it can be customized according to your business growth in the future.

7. Consult Before Actually Hiring

A web design agency that is confident in its quality is usually willing to provide a free consultation before you make a decision. The first consultation will help you know whether the web design agency truly understands your business, asks the right questions, and gives useful advice, or if they are just trying to close the sale.

If you feel during the first consultation that they understand your pain points and provide useful advice, that is a good sign.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring

Before contacting a web design agency, try to answer these questions first:

• What does my business need a website for? To display information, sell products, or generate leads?

• Who is my target audience, and what are they searching for on Google?

• Do I want a website that I can edit myself, or do I want the web design agency to manage everything?

• Is the allocated budget aligned with the goals?

• Am I ready to invest for the long term, or am I just looking for the lowest price?

If you can answer these questions clearly, choosing a web design agency will become much easier.

Why Choosing a Custom Web is More Important Than a Cheap Price

Many SME businesses are attracted by the cheap price of template websites but forget to consider the hidden costs. A cheaper website that needs to be rebuilt within 1 to 2 years, or a website with no traffic because it doesn't rank for SEO, has a higher total cost than a website that is invested in correctly from the very beginning.

The better question than "How much does it cost?" is "In how many months will this website provide a return on investment?" and "How will this website help my business grow?"

Read more on How to Choose a Website Partner for SMEs in this article.

Conclusion

Reviewing what to look for before hiring a web design agency is not complicated, but it is a step that helps you choose the right partner and build a practically functional website. The 7 things you should check are: looking deeper into the portfolio, asking about the workflow, checking for a comprehensive team, asking about SEO, reviewing the after-sales support plan, asking about template vs. custom code, and consulting before making a decision.

A website is not just a one-time expense, but a long-term investment that helps your business grow. Choosing a web design agency that understands your business and works professionally will help you save time and money in the long run.

If you are looking for a team with more than 10 years of experience in large-scale enterprise projects and want to consult about building a website for an SME business, get a free consultation via LINE @tumwebsme or call 088-983-9386. We will help analyze what elements your business website needs to meet customer demands and generate the best business results.

View more service details at Business Website Packages and Our Portfolio.