3 Red Flags When Choosing a Web Design Company

Choosing the right web design company to partner with is a very important decision for your business. I’ve had two companies in my time at The Squad who have chosen to go with another website designer and neither of their websites have launched yet. Both of these companies started the website design process 5-7 months ago. That’s half a year. Half a year has gone by where they are not benefiting from the time and money that they invested in the most important marketing tool that lays the foundation for lead generation. It should only take 2-3 months, maybe 4 if the website is extremely robust and has high-level features. I’m not saying I told them so, but I totally am. They should probably have taken my advice. So, now I’m giving you my advice in hopes that you’ll know the signs of a headache waiting to happen.

3 things you should keep in mind when choosing a web design company:

1. Beware of Mockups

If a company offers to create a website mockup for you before you’ve paid them a dime, it means they aren’t getting enough work, and they’re desperate to get clients in the door. If they’re desperate, there’s a reason. 90% of web design companies will not commit to anything before they know you are committed too, because they could lose valuable time and money. I know it can be nerve-wracking to place your trust in a company when you don’t know if you’ll like their designs, but a good company will allow you to make changes, tweaks, and even scrap the whole thing if you truly hate it. You still get to approve the mockup before the designers start coding, so don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith when you can’t see what your website will look like.

2. Beware of the Over-Promiser

I’ve heard from so many people about how they were promised that they would get A and instead they got G. If a salesman is telling you about how they know the psychology of the human brain and that they can guarantee that they’ll build you the perfect website to generate thousands of leads... run. Lead generation comes from ongoing marketing. Your website is the foundation, but true lead generation comes from marketing strategies put into practice. No one can guarantee that you’ll get on the first page of Google; flee from anyone who tries to tell you that they can. Use your gut. If what they’re telling you sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

3. Beware of a Bad Reputation

Talk to people who have used web design companies and ask about their experiences. Keep in mind that not everyone is going to have the perfect experience with a company, and odds are, at least one person will have something to complain about. If you find that multiple people have had a terrible experience, however, you should probably listen and save yourself from a major disappointment and waste of time.

In my time as a Solutions Consultant at The Squad, these three red flags have been major indicators of an inevitable bad experience. Save yourself some trouble and beware of these markers so you don’t end up with nothing 6 months from now.