How to choose a web design agency in 8 simple steps.

So you’ve decided you want to work with a web design agency. You need a new or revamped website, and you want a pro team to put it together for you.

Now…where to start? When there are tons of web design agencies out there for you to choose from, how do you decide who to work with?

Before you begin your search, read this post. Here, we cover the eight steps you need to take to find and choose the right web design agency for your project.

How to choose a web design agency

Step 1: Get clear on what you’re looking for

Different web design agencies have different abilities and specialisms. So before you start your search, it’s worth gaining a clear understanding of what you want in a website.

Writing a website brief can prove useful. It helps you to gather your thoughts, and think about things like website goals, audience and competitors. You can reference some website designs you like. And you can decide on a website budget.

Other considerations to bear in mind?

• Do you need a brochure website or a full e-commerce build? Brochure websites are simpler to design and code than websites with e-commerce capabilities. If you want to create an online store, you need an agency with e-commerce experience.
• Do you have a preferred CMS? Got your heart set on a Shopify, Squarespace, Wix or WordPress website? Then it’s worth finding a web design agency that specialises in your chosen platform.
• What are your non-negotiables? Your website has to be responsive and accessible — and it should be designed with UX principles as a priority. But, beyond that, do you want a sustainable website? A website that incorporates the latest design trends? One that supports an advanced marketing strategy?

When you get clear on the kind of website you want, it’s easier to choose the right web design agency for the job.

Step 2: Draw up a web design agency longlist

Next, with your website priorities in mind, you need a list of web design agencies to research. So where should you be looking?

Search Google

Sure, you’ll get an overwhelming number of results, but a Google search for “web design agency” should be your first port of call.

Include a location if you’d rather work with someone local. And try to add search specifics that will narrow down the selection. For example, “e-commerce web design agency” or “travel agency web design”.

Scour business directories

Want a shortcut to some of the top web design agencies in your area? Then you might like to check out online business directories.

Some sites provide a simple list of companies in a particular sector. But sites like Master Manchester go one step further, providing listings and reviews of Manchester-based products and services.

Business directories are a great way to find a curated selection of web design agencies in a particular region.

Get word-of-mouth recommendations

A word of mouth recommendation from someone you trust just can’t be beat. So reach out to other business owners and marketers — be they friends, family members or social media acquaintances — and ask them if there’s a web design company they rate highly.

Step 3: Separate the great web design agencies from the not-so-great

Longlist in place, it’s time to weed out any web design companies that aren’t right for your business. Here’s what you need to do.

Visit web design agency websites

With all of that in-house expertise, any good web design agency is sure to have an impressive company website.

Pages should load quickly. The site should be easy to navigate. And — while it doesn’t have to look exactly like the website you have in mind for your business — it should be visually appealing too.

While you’re browsing, take a closer look at the services each agency offers. Then discount any that don’t meet your requirements and don’t wow you with their website.

Look at their portfolios

An experienced web design agency has a portfolio packed full of previous client projects. So that’s where you need to head next.

Decide whether you like the look and feel of the websites an agency has created. Is there good design variety? Or do things tend towards the repetitive?

Try to work out whether a company has experience with websites in your industry. And whether they work with businesses of a similar size to yours. This isn’t a deal-breaker but it can give you confidence that an agency will understand your audience and competitors.

Then visit an agency’s portfolio websites for yourself, ideally on a variety of different devices. Judge their design, functionality and user experience, and rule out any agencies that have created clunky or unresponsive websites.

Read testimonials

Time to find out what past clients have to say about each of the web design agencies on your list. You should be able to find at least a couple of testimonials from previous clients on the agency website.

But don’t stop there. Search for independent reviews too — on sites like Google and Trustpilot. Here, you’re much more likely to find honest and unbiased opinions.

Want to know what our clients are saying about us? Here’s a snippet from one of our Google reviews:

“Working with Radical Design has been an absolute pleasure. Their team of UI/UX and web design experts not only exceeded our expectations but also brought our vision to life in ways we couldn’t have imagined. From the initial concept to the final product, their attention to detail and dedication to creating a seamless user experience was evident every step of the way.”

Step 4: Get the big questions out of the way

Having discounted obviously unsuitable candidates from your list, it’s time to hop on a call and chat with the people behind the web design agency shortlist you now have in place.

Here are some of the questions you should be asking.

1. How much will my website cost?

If you’re able to describe the number of pages and the functionality you want from your website, your agency should be able to give you a rough idea of costs.

2. How long would it take to build my website?

How long it takes to build a website depends on its complexity and an agency’s current workload.

Find out whether an agency’s timescales fit with your business needs. But be wary of anyone claiming they can have a website up and running in just a couple of weeks.

A professional website, designed around the needs of your business, will take between six and eight weeks to build.

3. Do you work from templates or design from scratch?

While websites built from templates often look good, they don’t have the same level of functionality or scalability as a bespoke website design.

If you want a website that can grow with your business, one with distinctive branding and more-than-basic functionality, bespoke is the way to go.

4. What additional website services do you offer?

Web design is just one element of a website. Depending on your in-house expertise and website requirements, you should find out whether an agency offers:

• Website branding
• Animation and video production
• SEO support
• Copywriting and website content
• Hosting
• Ongoing maintenance and security

If an agency doesn’t provide these services, can they point you in the direction of partners or freelancers who can?

5. What happens post-launch?

The best web design companies offer ongoing website support and maintenance. They help you get the most from your website going forward, usually for a predictable monthly fee.

While there are other agencies out there who could provide this support, working with a company that already understands your business and website makes the process much easier.

We’ve written an in-depth article on this topic. Check it out: 26 questions to ask a web design company before working with them.

Step 5: Assess their strategy

A website should do more than just look good. If it’s going to work hard for your business, there should be a solid strategy behind every design decision. Here are a few things your chosen web agency should be considering.

SEO. A good agency builds websites with search visibility in mind from the start — with clean code, logical URL structures and fast load times.

Customer journeys. How will a visitor move from a landing page to the action you want them to take? How will the website reassure website visitors and counter objections?

Information architecture. Finding a good web designer means finding someone who can organise content into a clear, logical structure — so users can move through the site intuitively.

Results. The best agencies will ask about the goals you want your website to achieve — and come up with a plan for reaching them.

Marketing. Your website should act as a central hub for all business marketing activity. So a good web agency will talk about how the site can support your marketing strategy.

The best agencies will chat through all these things before they even start on the design of your website. That’s because these are the foundations that will make your site effective.

Step 6: Learn about their process

Onto the practicalities. What will the web design and development process look like? Who within the team will be responsible for what?

When asking about a web agency’s process, get to know what happens when. And look out for these red flags.

• No discovery phase. A website will only get results for your business when it’s been built with your customers, competitors and goals in mind. A good web design agency will schedule time at the start of the project for discovery. That means they’ll ask you a ton of questions to really understand what your business website needs to achieve.
• No discussion of website assets. A web design agency may be able to support you in the creation of website assets, like copy, video and images. Or they may have freelancers they can recommend. If an agency fails to talk about these things — or leaves them all to you — your project is unlikely to progress smoothly.
• No testing phase. Quality assurance is a really important part of the web design and development process. It ensures your site goes live without a hitch. A web agency should have a clear plan for testing your website ahead of launch.

Step 7: Get a sense of their communication style

The best agencies know what makes a great website. But they’re also excellent at client-agency communication.

They’re used to guiding clients through the process. So they’re willing to answer any and all questions. They assign a clear point of contact. And they skip the complicated web design terminology, explaining everything in terms you can understand.

Ultimately, you’ll be spending a fair bit of time with these people. So feeling like you get each other — and actually get on — is important, too.

Step 8: Pick the best of the bunch

Now it’s time to choose a website design company — a team you’re excited to work with and that you’re confident can handle the scale of your project.

Want a quick summary? Here are the key factors to take into account:

Their past projects and experience. Does their work show the website functionality, design creativity and user experience you’re looking for?

Client reviews. What are other people saying about this company on third-party review sites like Google and Trustpilot?

The range of services they’re able to offer. Can they take care of web design, development, branding, SEO, copywriting, hosting and maintenance?

Their process. The best web design agencies spend a lot of time asking questions, getting to know your business and developing a website strategy before they start designing or coding.

Pricing and timescales. Important practicalities. And remember — if a proposal seems too good to be true, it usually is.

Searching for the right web design agency? Think Radical.

Choosing a web design agency is a big decision.

The right agency will take the time to understand your business. They’ll have the technical and strategic expertise to build something that actually performs. And they’ll also be genuinely lovely humans to work with.

We’re probably a bit biased. But we’re confident that our web design agency ticks all the boxes.

Radical is a web design and development agency in Manchester. We build bespoke WordPress websites — everything from small-but-mighty brochure sites to huge e-commerce stores.

We’ve got a long and strong track record of creating websites that look great and work hard for the businesses behind them.

Want to discuss your website project? Or learn more about our team? Just drop us a line and we’ll hop on a call.

FAQs

How can I find a good web design company?

Start with a website brief. Then head to Google, local directories and your network.

Happy with what you see? Arrange a call with your favourites. Ask them about their process, their expertise, their communication style, prices and timescales.

Using all the information you’ve gathered, you should then be able to make a decision and choose the right web design company for your website project.

How much does a web design agency charge?

Web design costs vary significantly depending on the size and complexity of your project, the agency’s experience and whether you need a simple brochure site or a full e-commerce build.

As a rough guide, a professionally-built bespoke website from an experienced UK agency typically costs several thousand pounds at a minimum. Be cautious of very low quotes — they usually mean templates or shortcuts.

What’s the difference between a web design agency and a freelancer?

A freelancer is a single person. An agency is a team.

For very small, simple projects, a good freelancer can be a cost-effective option. But for anything more complex — or if you want a broader range of expertise under one roof (design, development, SEO, copywriting, ongoing support) — an agency is usually the safer bet.

There’s also the issue of continuity. If a freelancer gets ill or rearranges priorities, your project can stall. A good agency has the headcount to cover those eventualities without them affecting your website timeline.

How involved will I need to be in the web design process?

More than you might expect — and that’s a good thing. A web design agency needs your input on goals, audience, content, feedback and approvals throughout the project.

The clients who get the best results are usually the ones who engage at each stage. If an agency asks very few questions and seems happy to just get on with it, that’s a big red flag.

What should I prepare before approaching a web design agency?

You need a rough idea of what you want the website to achieve, who your audience is, any examples of websites you like and a realistic budget range. A written brief is even better — it focuses your thinking and gives agencies something concrete to respond to.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before the first conversation, but the clearer you are, the more useful that conversation will be.