So, in your best interest, we thought we would share some of the most critical questions you should be asking your website redesign company.

1. Do you have a well-defined website design process?

Apart from designing attractive websites, selecting a web design company that has a well defined process, is one of the most crucial components to ensuring your project is successful. Without a well defined website development process, the project quickly becomes chaotic, because neither you nor the website redesign company have a clear understanding of the execution of task, timing, and ownership.

Ask your website design company to show you their development process and explain in detail how it works. This will give the potential website designer the opportunity to demonstrate their expertise, and you the opportunity to discover how much thought they’ve put into their business.

2. Do you consider my target audience?

Some website design companies focus on design, some focus on marketing, but a good website design company focuses on both design and marketing. Before the design process begins, a content strategy session should be held to discuss your target audience. This involves uncovering your customers’ fears, desires, and how your product/service solves their problems.

Designing a website around your target audience’s needs rather than yours should be the starting point for any website design project. In addition, the content strategy session will uncover a lot of useful information that will become the basis for content used throughout the website. This can also include any industry keywords that can help drive more unique traffic to your website – thus more sales.

3. Do you offer website maintenance and support?

After you’ve launched your website it’s inevitable that you will require maintenance and support. Ask your website redesign company if they have a system for processing change requests or if they have a direct number to contact a support specialist. Nothing will create more frustration for you than having to call different companies for website support. Remember, if your website is down even for a short period of time, it means money lost..

4. What other services do you provide that may help me achieve my goals?

Chances are you’re not only looking for a website redesign, but you likely require additional services that will help get you found by your prospects. Ask your website redesign company if they provide internet marketing services such as: search engine optimization, social media marketing, email campaigns and lead nurturing, just to name a few. These services will be instrumental to lead generation and it’s easier to deal with the company that developed your website — for a more seamless marketing strategy.

5. Do you provide written contracts?

Written estimates are great, but having a written contract is better. A reputable website redesign company should be able to provide you with a written contract that clearly spells out the terms of engagement, who owns the website upon completion, and payment schedule. The purpose of the contract is to protect the interest of both parties and set the tone of engagement. You want to minimize and or eliminate assumptions before a single penny has been paid to your website redesign company.

6. Why should we hire your website design company vs. the competition?

When Jango Studios works with clients on a new website, we kick it off with a content strategy session. One of the questions we ask clients right away is, “ why should someone hire you versus. your competition?” This is an important question because we want to establish your uniqueness on the web. However, more often than not, the answer we receive is good customer service.

Unfortunately, that’s an expectation not an exception. That said, you should ask your website redesign company the same question and don’t settle for a mere “we provide good customer service”. Good customer service, along with a host of other things, is important, but you want to know what really sets them apart from their competition.

7. Can you provide me with at least three references?

Once you’ve narrowed your selection down to a couple of website redesign companies, it’s time to check their client references. Most respective web design companies will be more than happy to provide references because they understand that they are helping you make an informed decision. Some of the questions you might ask include: Are they punctual? Were they polite on the phone? Did they complete task on time? Do they provide on-going support? What’s your overall level of satisfaction? Remember, you’re going to be working with this company for a long time so it’s important for you to understand who you’re hiring.

It’s worth the effort!

While this may seem like a lot of work, it’s worth the effort to ask the above important questions because when you’re investing thousands of dollars on your website, you want to maximize your chance for success.