Your website’s design has a 75% influence on your brand’s credibility. Without brand credibility, consumers could struggle to find your business. You could struggle to generate leads and sales as a result.
Instead of missing opportunities to help your business grow, consider investing in custom web design services this year. With help from an affordable web designer, you can turn your website into a marketing machine.
Not sure how to find a web design agency capable of accomplishing your goals? Read on to discover how to find the best web designer in Chicago today!
Let’s Discuss Your Website Goals
Establish Your Website Goals
First, take the time to outline your marketing and website goals. Outlining your goals can ensure you find a designer capable of accomplishing those goals. Otherwise, your website might fail to benefit your business.
When establishing your goals, make sure they’re Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Driven, and Timely. For example, your goals might involve:
- Generating more website traffic
- Increasing dwell times
- Improving your search engine rankings
- Improving your pay-per-click cost-per-acquisition
- Generating brand awareness and recognition
- Building brand authority and credibility
- Building brand trust and loyalty
- Increasing online leads and sales
- Improving your ROI
As you explore each web design agency’s services, you can determine whether they’re capable of accomplishing your goals.
For example, maybe you want to improve your organic search engine rankings. Look for an agency that will ensure your site is search engine optimized. They should also focus on improving your website’s user experience (UX) and appealing to Google’s Core Web Vitals.
If you want to generate more leads and sales, you’ll need to make sure there are conversion opportunities across your site. You’ll also need to make sure your site is mobile responsive for smartphone users.
When interviewing a web design agency, ask how they intend to accomplish your goals. If they don’t ask about your goals, they could waste your time and money.
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Gather Referrals
You can streamline your search for an affordable web designer by talking to other business owners within your network. Ask if they’ve hired a web design agency recently. If they have, ask about their experience working with the agency.
Draft a list of questions you want to ask, such as:
- Was the agency experienced
- Did they meet your expectations
- How much did their services cost
- Did you encounter any problems
- Would you hire them again
If the client experienced issues while working with the agency, ask if the agency strived to fix the problem. Look for an agency that tries to offer clients the best possible services.
Gathering referrals can help you find a qualified, reliable web design agency. It can also help you discover what to expect from the process.
Look for Experience
Before hiring an affordable web designer, learn more about their professional history. Ask each agency how long they’ve worked in the industry. Determine how many websites they’ve worked on in that time, too.
If they don’t have an expansive portfolio of work, remove them from your list.
Ask if they have experience working with businesses within your industry, too. Their prior experience could indicate they have an understanding of your niche and customers. They might have an easier time creating a site that appeals to your target audience as a result.
Finding an agency with years of hands-on experience in the industry will help you feel confident in your abilities. These agencies have likely learned from their prior projects over time. Chances are, an experienced agency is less likely to make mistakes while working on your website.
UX Design Experience
Make sure the agency you hire has an understanding of user experience (UX) design as well.
Nearly 90% of shoppers won’t return to a website after a bad user experience. In fact, 70% of online businesses fail due to bad usability on their sites. Meanwhile, bad mobile optimization annoys 48% of consumers.
A website with a bad user experience can scare customers away. It can also drive your bounce rate up. A high bounce rate will cause your organic search engine rankings to drop.
Lower rankings could impact your ability to generate web traffic in the future.
Better UX design, on the other hand, can boost your conversion rates by up to 400%. Better user interface (UI) design can increase your conversion rate by 200% as well.
A web design agency that has experience with UX design can help your business experience growth and success. They’ll understand how to appeal to your target audience by offering the best possible online experience.
Discuss Their Design & Development Process
Take the time to ask each agency about their work process.
Instead of rushing to create your site, they should first gather research. Audience research can help them create a site that appeals to your target audience. You could have an easier time generating leads as a result.
Gathering keyword research can ensure your website is search engine optimized using the right target keywords. Then, you can start appearing for searches that are relevant to your business.
Learning about the agency’s work process can help you determine if they’re organized and efficient. If they don’t have a plan in place, they could waste your valuable time.
Consider Their Services
Ask each agency about the different services they offer. For example, you might need:
- Web design
- WordPress development
- Maintenance
You might also need an agency that offers additional digital marketing services. The right services can help you reach more customers online.
For example, you might consider reputation and social media management services. You can also use pay-per-click advertising to reach more customers online. Content marketing and SEO can help you appear for relevant searches as well.
SEO
Nearly 70% of all online experiences begin with an online search. In fact, 53% of all web traffic starts with an organic search. Search engine optimization also drives 1,000% more traffic than organic social media.
Your web design and development can impact your organic search engine rankings.
Look for a web design agency that understands SEO. They can ensure your site appeals to Google Core Web Vitals. These user-centric ranking factors can impact your position on search engine result pages (SERPs).
Higher rankings can help you:
- Generate website traffic
- Gain brand awareness and recognition
- Build brand trust and loyalty
- Establish credibility and authority
- Rank ahead of competitors
- Position you as a thought leader in the industry
- Generate leads and sales
- Improve your ROI
Not every affordable web designer on your list will offer SEO services, though. If they don’t design your site with SEO in mind, it could impact your rankings.
Look for a team that remains up-to-date with new ranking factors to ensure they boost your rankings.
Read Online Reviews
If you want to find the best web design team in Chicago, learn from the business owners who were once in your shoes. Ask each agency for at least three references. If you can, speak with clients who fall within your industry.
Ask each client about their experience working with the web design agency. Review their finished website, too.
Look for an agency that already has a strong reputation in the industry. Their reputation can speak to their abilities to accomplish your goals.
Check online for client reviews as well. You can check their BBB listing, website, and Google Business listing for testimonials.
If the company offers reputation management services, they should generate reviews throughout the year. Generating fresh reviews continuously can benefit your local SEO rankings.
If you find a number of complaints filed against the agency, remove them from your list.
Explore Their Portfolio
Take the time to review each company’s portfolio, too. A web design agency with years of experience has likely worked on a few websites within that time.
Does their work meet your expectations? If the quality seems lacking, take your website design needs elsewhere.
Choose an agency capable of meeting your goals and quality standards.
Compare Prices
Ask at least three different designers on your list for an itemized list of their services. Gathering multiple quotes from Chicago agencies can help you gauge the average price of services. If one team’s prices are higher than the others, question why that is.
Don’t make the mistake of hiring the cheapest team. Chances are, you’ll get what you pay for.
Instead, choose an agency that suits your budget without overpaying for their services.
Consider Their Availability
Ask each agency when they’re available to start working on your project. If they’re juggling too many clients at once, they might fail to meet your deadline.
Instead, determine when each agency can get started and ask how long it will take for them to complete your website. Ask if you’re allowed to make edits as part of the agreement, too.
Select the Best: Find an Affordable Web Designer for Your Site Today
Finding an affordable web designer in Chicago is easier than you might think. Start using these tips to get started. With help, you can discover your new, mobile-responsive, search engine optimized site in no time.
An amazing website can help you achieve your marketing goals for years to come.
Eager to start working on your new, custom website? We’re happy to help!
Review our services today to get started.
