10 Questions You Should Ask Any Website Design and Development Company

MELBOURNE, Australia - April 29, 2015 - PRLog -- Good quality website design and development is an art. Sure, there are plenty of cheap DIY options around such as WIX and those offered by large hosting companies that are sold to you as a website builder tool. But they have a very narrow focus, and only really suit those business owners that are seeking something extremely basic such as a couple of very simple pages with no user engagement, and of course the owner that has the time and interest in spending the hours/days needed to build the site themselves using one of these tools.

Back to good quality website design and development companies. These are a rare breed. We all know there’s a million website design and development companies out there these days, you can hardly walk down Collins Street without bumping into 5 of them in a single block. But the quality web companies are rare. Those are a group of specialists that have process and procedures that ensure success for every project they touch. And those processes don’t just start when the contracts are signed. They start from the very first conversions with prospective buyers. They know what questions to ask, and why type of information they are looking for. They also expect to be able to ask you questions, and seek information that will help them build a great website for you.

Let’s take a look at the questions you should expect from a website design and Development Company, and then also the questions you should ask them.

1. Can you show me 3 websites you like from your industry

A standard question that if often overlooked. If this isn’t asked, then they’re not showing much interest in understanding both your industry and your personal likes.

2. Can you show me 3 websites you like that aren’t from your industry

This begins to drill down into your personal likes and dislikes. It’s crucial for the website design and development company to understand this so they get an idea of what you’re expecting from the look and feel.

3. Do you know what a conversion is and what would you identify these as on your website

A question almost always never asked. But so critical to the success of a website. After all, the website has a purpose beyond just looking great – it needs to do something specific, such as get the prospect to call you, to buy something, to download something, sign up for a trial etc. This is then all transposed into the design, layout, and build of the site to ensure your conversion goals are given priority and focus they deserve.

4. What technical items do we need to be aware of

They need to know if they will be working with a third party, perhaps you have someone in house that will play a role, does the site need to connect with a billing or stock control system, or CRM tool? Where will it be hosted? Not finding this out in advance of quoting will lead to very unpleasant discussions later on.

5. Who will we be working with at your company and what will be your process for approvals

The website design and development company should know who they are dealing with, and how the chain of command and eventual approval works. This needs to be factored into their project plan. They’ll need to ensure they always speak to the right person, so there’s no confusion or approval from the wrong party.

6. Timeframes

Every project is unique. And therefore every timeframe is unique. A good quality website design and development company will be able to provide you with a project plan, and once they have, they will be capable of sticking to it, and reporting often (daily in our case) and warn of any risks that arise that may impact the proposed plan/delivery date.

7. Who will I be working with

Ask to meet them, are they based in their local office, or elsewhere? What is their preferred method of communication? Can you speak to them directly or will it be via an account manager, or project manager?

8. How many revisions do you get on the design work

This is critical. This protects you and the website design development company. A revision is a change to the design before you have approved it and the next stage can begin. Find out if you have 100% say over the design, or if you don’t, then which elements you do have a say on. And also find out how many revisions they will include.

9. What if something is out of scope

You’re mid-way through the project and you just realised you forgot to mention something during scoping. This happens often, especially on larger projects. Good quality website design and development companies will give you a good deal of flexibility and if it isn’t weeks of work, they’ll throw it in. If its big, they’ll be upfront and give you a transparent quote for your consideration, and they’ll work it into the project plan for you. Steer clear of being offered an hourly rate on changes/additional features. Always try to get a fixed price for these items, to manage budget.

10. Do I get a warranty

You’ve approved the website, and are happy with it, and it’s made live. What happens if something goes wrong 3 weeks later? Is there a warranty period? How long? Is anything excluded? How do you log a warranty request, with who, and how fast will they respond, and tackle it?

For more information, please feel free to visit http://www.newpathweb.com.au/