Growing a business has long since extended far beyond the walls of a brick-and-mortar store or office. A business’s online presence can often be the key to unlocking an entirely new customer base that is interested in your products and services. But how can you attract those new customers and convert their attention into sales?
The answer usually lies in the creation of a good web design that helps promote your business while also creating a pathway for customers and clients to begin working directly with you. The creation of a website is an art in its own right and for you to be successful from the start you need to know how to choose the best web designer for your business.
If you are new to this you might be wondering what it will take to find the right web design company. This is why we have created this full-proof guide to help you find the most suitable web designer in London.
- Business Web Design Requirements
The first thing to remember in your search for a web designer is that your requirements are the key to understanding what you should be looking for. For example, the needs of a store that wants to sell its catalogue online are entirely different from the needs of a consulting agency or start-up that wants to promote its service. Therefore, the design language used in these cases will also be decidedly different as what makes a nice website for service might not act as a functional website for a store. - An early Google Search
Once you become fully aware of all of your requirements you can start a more targeted Google search. This means that instead of just googling “Top Web Designers in London” you can actually specify the type of designs you are looking for. By adding further keywords such as e-commerce, freelancer, or services, you can actually get a more curated list of potential options to choose from. - Shortlist your options
During this first search, it will be up to you to shortlist potential candidates that will work for you. To shortlist web designers in London efficiently, you should start by skimming through their websites and portfolio. Reading a bit about the company, and its pricing and quickly looking through its portfolio will help you decide whether they are worth looking further into.
All the web designers that might suit your needs should go into a basic list. You will then have the chance to more extensively look at their material more. - Look at their portfolio
At this stage, you should have decided on your shortlist and should be looking at making final choices. Naturally, this means looking at your candidates ’portfolios a lot more intensely and scrutinising each detail in order to find the best fit. The following are a few of the most important aspects you should consider:
a. Experience
A web design company’s portfolio should have examples of some of its best work. If for example you specialise in e-commerce but the portfolio you are looking at mostly has samples for service websites or blogs, then it will be safe for you to assume that they are not the right fit for your company. If, however, they have a lot of samples in your personal niche, then you should feel more comfortable proceeding with them.
b. Design language
As you are looking through the portfolio, you might want to consider whether there is a common design language both within their different samples and throughout them. Are there any similar styles or symbols repeated? Is there cohesion in the fonds and colours used? Are there any other visual elements that help create a coherent design system?
These are all questions you should be asking yourself as you are looking through the portfolio. Remember that while having one pretty page is important, if that page does not fit with your overall website design, then the effect on the audience will be a negative one rather than a positive one.
c. Style
Finally, check the style that the web designer tends to go for. Not only will you want to find someone whose material seems visually pretty but, you should also choose someone whose designs align with your company’s branding and aesthetics. Remember that your brand has an audience that was originally attracted to your products and services because of your branding and sense of style. Therefore, trust your gut and choose a web designer that matches your style. - Value-Content
Pricing can also be an important factor in choosing the right web designer in London. Knowing your budget ahead of time can help you eliminate options that are far outside it faster. This can make the overall process of finding a web design company a lot easier. - Company Culture and Work Structure
Your web designer and you should be able to form a good collaboration for things to go according to your plans. If your business is in London then choosing a web designer in London could mean that you could have in-person meetings to discuss your projects and you might be able to get support more easily. But, how can you know that the collaboration you are entering is going to work?
Normally, web designers will have information on their website about their company structure and procedures. These will help you form an idea of how the company’s culture works and how their collaborations normally go. Some web designers are stricter and impersonal while others might prefer more discussions and active fluid collaborations. There is no right or wrong option here so long as you choose a web designer whose work structure and culture match your own.
Conclusion
When choosing the best web design companies, you will actually need to spend your time focusing on your exact needs, requirements, and collaboration style. By finding the right fit for your company you match more likely to end up with a website that matches both your brand and its audience. Remember that at the end of the day finding the right web designer in London is about finding someone who can help you grow your business further naturally through a good collaboration and website.
