How to get the best out of your web design agency

When it comes to bringing an external agency in to handle an aspect of your business such as your website, it can go one of two ways. You’ll either have an incredible experience and be thrilled with the work, or you’ll find yourself wishing you’d never agreed to work with them in the first place – you’ve probably heard plenty of horror stories, right?

But it doesn’t have to be that way! If you approach the project in the right way, there’s no reason why you can’t build a positive relationship with your agency and have a stress-free, even enjoyable experience.

As web designers in Leicester, we have plenty of experience when it comes to working alongside clients, and we’d like to think that building strong, positive relationships with them is what we do best!

So, here’s our guide to how to get the best out of your web designers in Leicester and beyond…

 

Know what you want

Having an idea of what you’re looking for will save you (and your web designer) time, money, and frustration. Do some research – what sort of colours do you think work well together? Have you seen any other sites that you really like? The more information you can give your web designer the better.

After all, the options in web design are endless, so if you don’t really know what you want, it could result of weeks, months, even years of tweaks and changes until you are happy. And that’s not productive for anyone!

 

Define your target audience

From the moment you begin your project, make sure the web designers really understand your target audience.

Remember that, if your designers don’t truly understand the target audience, they could quite easily present the site in the wrong way. Just because you are incredibly familiar with who your audience is, doesn’t mean that your web designer will be after you’ve thrown a few key words at them – it’s your job to make sure they understand.

 

Communication

 In any relationship, communication is key. And this is certainly applies to working with your web designers in Leicester!

Being clear and concise with your ideas is absolutely vital. If your web designer is going to stand any chance of interpreting the brief properly, you’ll need to ensure that you articulate your goals and objectives effectively.

Make sure that you check in with them on a regular basis (without seeming like you’re checking up on them, of course!) and make sure that you always respond to their communications. Let’s face it, if they’re asking you for information, it’s probably crucial to the progress of the project and failing to respond will simply hold everything up.

 If you have any concerns or queries, just speak up and raise them, rather than waiting until the end and being disappointed with the end result. If you don’t like something, think about why you don’t like it, and make sure you communicate that clearly. Constant, clear, two-way communication will make the process smooth and stress-free for everyone.

 

 Deadlines

 Deadlines are essential in any web design project and it’s vital that they are adhered to by both sides. So, before you start, agree on a timeline that both parties will stick to.

Whilst many clients think that it’s just the designer that needs to stick to deadlines (they’re the paying customer after all!), if you aren’t able to provide approvals, information, or content by an agreed deadline, you risk holding the project up considerably.

And if something feels like it’s taking too long, ask your web designer why – something that seems simple to you might actually take a lot of time and work!

 

Don’t Rush 

Whilst it’s important that your web designers meet your deadlines, it’s also important, as the client, to remember not to rush them. After all, this can impact on the quality of the finished product.

So, whenever possible, give your web designer as much time to complete your project as possible (within reason, of course!).

 

Build an on-going relationship

 Many business owners hire a web design agency to design or redesign their website, then sign off the job, pay the bill, and walk away.

But to get the best possible results from your site, it’s important that you invest in an on-going programme of development. So stay in touch with your web designer and implement a programme of long term refinement and development that will not only ensure that your site is constantly optimised, but will also mean that you avoid the substantial cost of a complete redesign.