Need to Hire a Web Design Agency? Read This Guide to Hiring a Web Designer

Hire a web design agency right now!

Did you know that WebFX has created over 1,600 websites for clients for over two decades? We work in industries across the board, including heavy equipment, healthcare, and food services — and that’s hardly scraping the surface.

When you hire a web design agency like WebFX, you know your website is in the best hands.

You’ll work with a talented team that’s won over 50 prestigious web design awards, and the list continues to grow! Our web designers are all located in-house and work closely with our project managers to ensure your project runs smoothly from start to finish.

Interested in starting your partnership with WebFX? Contact us online or call us at 888-601-5359!

We don’t want to tell you about the work we do, we want to SHOW you.

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We’ve built over

1,100

Websites

in a variety of industries.

Why should I hire a website designer?

When you run a business, you wear a lot of hats to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Just like you have different departments that take care of different jobs, it only makes sense that you should find a website designer take care of your website as well.

Read on to learn a few of the biggest reasons it’s beneficial to hire a web design agency.

1. Your website is a virtual business card

These days, people don’t check the newspaper to find the latest and greatest businesses. More than likely, they’ll perform a Google search related to the product or service they’re looking for in hopes of finding the perfect business that provides it.

After your website is designed, you should consider additional services like:

1. Search engine optimization (SEO)
2. Pay-per-click advertising
3. Content marketing
4. Social media marketing
5. Email marketing

These services help your new website gain exposure online.

If you want to show up in search results when shoppers search for the products and services you offer, it’s crucial that you have a fantastic website for Google to rank. Did you know that 75 percent of users typically don’t go past the first page of search results? This means it’s critical to rank on the first page if you want users to find your website.

Your ranking depends on a lot of things besides your site’s design, like the quality of your content, the keywords you target, and whether or not you have a search engine optimization (SEO) campaign in place (hint, you should!).

However, aside from content, targeting, and SEO, your website is extremely important.

After all, if you don’t have a website, Google won’t have anything to rank in the first place!

Your website is a virtual representation of your business, and it should have all the qualities of a well-put-together storefront.

1. Clean and organized
2. Aesthetically pleasing
3. Easy to navigate
4. Provide answers to questions
5. Offer contact options
6. Show off products and services
7. Inform users about your brand
8. Be a reflection of your brand

2. Web designers are experts in their craft

When you hire a professional web designer, you can rest assured that your website is in the best of hands. Web designers in agency settings know the ins and outs of website design, from what makes them effective to what encourages users to buy.

Not only that, but they know the numbers behind the design. For example, as a web designer, they know that green buttons convert better than red. They also know exactly what changes a page needs to increase time on page, boost page speed, and more.

If you choose to work on your website yourself with little to no web design training, you’ll likely miss on out tons of opportunities that could help you reach your business goals.

Even if you opt for one of the simpler pre-build options like WordPress or Wix, you’re not guaranteed a strong website that will convert.

3. They have lots of resources

Web design agencies have tons of resources that allow them to make amazing websites for their clients. They utilize paid software that allows them to craft custom website elements, come up with amazing color schemes, and have access to custom fonts for your site.

Not only that, but as an agency, they also have access to various training programs that teach them different and new web design techniques, which keeps you ahead of competitor websites and them at the forefront of industry standards.

They also feature a team of web designers that they can brainstorm with, bounce ideas off of, and get advice from when it comes to their designs.

That means when you hire a web design agency, you’ll have a whole team behind your website.

4. They have the time to put into your website

Great results don’t happen overnight and rushing a project can lead to lower quality results.

One of the biggest benefits of hiring a web design agency is the fact that they live and breathe websites, and they have the time necessary to dedicate to yours.

A professional web designer will work to meet all of your deadlines but will always be methodical about your design and design components.

You might feel rushed if you take on your web design alone, but when you hire a web design agency, they’ll be able to craft your perfect website — because it’s their job.

How to hire a web designer in 6 steps

The term “web designer” receives somewhere around 49,500 searches per month in Google.

That means there are a lot of people searching for web design agencies to hire, and they likely all have the same question: “How do I find the right web design agency to hire for my company?”

Although that’s a loaded question, it all boils down to a few main actions, including these six:

1. Start with a Google search

Google’s goal is to provide the best possible results for users. That means you can start your hunt for the perfect web design agency by performing a Google search that includes everything you’re looking for.

For example, if you’re looking for a custom website built with a specific CMS, you should use that in your search query.

The more detailed your search, the more likely you’ll be to find exactly what you’re looking for. When you use a search query like “WordPress web design agencies,” you’ll likely get results that offer a list of the best WordPress web design agencies.

This list can help you at the beginning of your search.

2. Look at each web design agency’s reviews

Although you can’t trust every review you read, 92 percent of users trust a recommendation over the brand itself. This figure shows that online reviews matter, and you should take them into consideration when looking to hire a web design agency.

Do your research to find out if the agencies you’re interested in have more positive reviews or more negative reviews. Chances are if they have negative reviews, you’ll want to keep looking. However, bear in mind that if a web design agency has a few negative reviews, that shouldn’t disqualify them from your search.

Every agency has its critics, so it’s important to determine if the negative reviews outweigh the positive ones.

You should strive to find an agency that has a high rating on third-party ranking sites like Yelp or Clutch.

3. Take detailed notes

As you research different web design agencies, you’ll want to take notes of things like:

1. How long they’ve been in business. Ensure that the web design agency you hire has been in business for five to 10 years. This means their agency has stood the test of time and that they produce high-quality work.
2. How many employees they have. If you’re looking at an agency that only has two or three designers, they’re not really an agency. You’ll want to make sure that the agency you hire has a full team of designers.
3. If they’ve won any web design awards. Although awards aren’t everything, they do count for something — and it’s a huge benefit to find a web design agency that has won their fair share of web design awards.
4. What services they offer. Make sure the web design agency you’re interested in offers all the web design services you’re looking for — like 508 compliance, ecommerce design, or CMS integration. You’ll also want to see if the agency provides other services like SEO and PPC. You’ll likely be interested in these services after your website is up and running, and it’s extremely beneficial to work with a web design agency that does it all. You’ll want to be sure that the agency you choose provides other services like SEO and PPC since a great website is essentially useless without the proper promotion.
5. How much their services cost. One of the most important things to determine is how much you’re willing to spend on a website, and then take note of how much each agency charges. The sentiment holds true that you typically get what you pay for — if a web design agency is charging dirt cheap for a design, you probably won’t be happy with the results. There is definitely room to have a budget, but keep in mind what you’ll generally need to pay for a high-quality website.
6. If their website is effective and beautiful. The best web design agencies practice what they preach, so if an agency doesn’t have a beautiful website, they probably can’t create one.

Each point is important in its own way, and it’s important to take notes on them all.

4. Prune your list of web design agencies

After you’ve compiled a list of potential web design agencies for hiring, it’s time to prune your list.

It’s helpful to highlight agencies that make it past your first round of screening, and cross off ones that don’t. You should start by removing agencies outside your price range since spending too much on a website could get your business into financial trouble.

Next, you’ll want to determine whether you enjoy being on their website. Does it look aesthetically pleasing? Do all the buttons and functionalities work as they should? If not, it’s time to cross them off the list.

You’ll also want to take a gander at their portfolio to determine whether or not you like their style. Have they worked with clients in your industry? Are their designs unique and original?

You can continue working down your list of notes until you find a web design agency that offers everything you need, fits your budget, and has earned recognition from previous clients.

Note-taking is key during the hiring process.

Consider making a “pros” and “cons” list for each of the agencies you speak with to keep track of what you liked and didn’t like about each agency.

5. Make some phone calls

When you’re down to your last few options, start making some phone calls. You’ll never be able to determine if a web design agency is right for you if you don’t speak with them on the phone.

Upon contacting them, they should ask you a lot of questions about your business, industry, current website, and business goals.

These few questions will help the agency determine if you’re a good fit for the services they offer, and they’ll be able to move forward in the process with you, or let you know that you’re not a good match.

In this process, you’ll also be able to determine if an agency is right for you.

Are they engaging on the phone? Do they sound happy to be talking to you? Did they ask a lot of questions to determine if they can help you reach your goals?

In speaking directly, you’ll likely get a feel for whether you’re interested in working with them on a project as big as your company’s website.

6. Narrow your web design agency list down and make the final call

After having phone conversations with your top web design companies, it’s time to narrow your list down. You should continue to take detailed notes about your top web design agencies throughout the phone call process so that you can go back and decide on your final choice.

After you’ve made your decision, it’s time to call and confirm your partnership.

If you’re not sure whether to hire a designer or a developer, we can help you decide!

93% of WebFX customers are extremely satisfied with their digital marketing results.

“Working with WebFX, everything is very organized and strategic. We’re only a year into our partnership, and our expectations have definitely been met.”

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Should I hire a freelance web designer?

The age-old question remains — “Should I hire a freelance web designer?”

If your web design budget isn’t as big as you’d like it to be, you might find yourself considering whether a freelance web designer is the right choice for you.

There are pros and cons to hiring a web designer that works as a freelancer, but one sentiment holds true — you get what you pay for.

Con: There’s a reason they don’t work for an agency

When asking yourself whether your company should go with a freelancer, keep in mind that there might be a reason they’re not working for an agency. Although their work may cost less than an agency, you may find yourself with a site that you didn’t anticipate or don’t approve of.

Con: They can be hard to get ahold of

If you hire a freelancer without the help of a third-party platform, you could pour tons of money into a website design, not approve of the final result, and find that your designer has gone missing.

Not to mention, some freelancers work odd hours. This means that during your workday, when you’re most interested in corresponding about your website, they might not be available. This makes things extremely difficult and could bring the whole process to a screeching halt.

It’s a risky endeavor to hire a freelancer directly, and you should be mindful of how, when, and who you send your money to.

Con: They might not be well-rounded in terms of knowledge

When you hire a freelancer, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be able to implement everything your website needs to be effective. For example, a freelancer might be fantastic at creating a design that speaks to your brand and is attractive, but do the buttons work? Are JavaScript elements implemented properly?

Of course, the aesthetics of the site are important, but if and how the site works is essential.

Pro: You might get a steal

If you find a freelancer that you love by looking through portfolios or using a third-party hiring site like Upwork, you could end up with a gorgeous website for a fraction of the price that you would have paid an agency.

However, that’s an “if.”

There is always a risk when you hire a freelance web designer since you never know if you’ll get a steal.

Pro: You can find great designers on professional hiring sites like Upwork

Upwork is a third-party hiring site that pre-qualifies all the designers on its platform. The site allows you to post specific job specs, look at portfolios, and hire a web designer from the comfort of your own office.

You can even see quality ratings that previous clients gave designers and interact with designers via Upwork’s messaging platform to determine if they offer what you need.

All in all, hiring a freelance web designer isn’t necessarily the best option, but if you’re crunched for cash, or have the time to dedicate to finding freelancers to tie up loose ends, hiring one could be a great option for your business.

In the end, we recommend hiring a web design agency to create the best website for your business.

Hire a web design agency today

If you’ve decided that hiring a web design agency is the way to go, congratulations!

We encourage you to take the time to do your research to find a web design agency that fits your budget and your needs.

WebFX is a full-service digital marketing agency located in Harrisburg, PA, that is always ready to create a new website.

We offer a complete suite of web design services, as well as the services that can help promote your gorgeous website when it’s finished, like SEO, PPC, social media marketing, email marketing, and so much more.

We’re just a phone call away, so if you’re ready to hire a Harrisburg web design agency, give us a call at 888-601-5359! You can also fill out a contact form online and we’ll be in touch with you ASAP!