Having a strong online brand presence is essential to the success of any business. And the competition is becoming more fierce — especially in the Bay Area. Silicon Valley experienced record sales last year, and growth in the region continues to get stronger. Now more than ever, Santa Cruz businesses need to take action to differentiate themselves from competition over the hill.
To ensure your company stands out from the crowd, it’s important to have a well-designed website that successfully represents your brand and business. But with so many Santa Cruz web design agencies in the area, finding the right one that can effectively design (or redesign) your website can be a bit of a challenge. Here are some considerations to help you in your search:
Define Your Goals
Think about why you want to invest in a new website for your company. Are your goals to improve brand awareness? To generate more online leads? Knowing what you want your website to do for you – and, conversely, what you don’t want it to do – will guide the design and development process and set the right focus for your project.
Define Your Budget
How much are you willing to spend on your website? Define your budget ahead of time. Keep in mind that the costs of a well-designed, professional website seem high, but it is an investment that will benefit your company’s bottom line for years to come.
Consider Style & Other Design Elements
How do you envision your ideal website? Is it colorful? Is it glamorous and elegant? Playful and interactive? Always keep in mind your target customers, and settle on a style that would appeal most to them.
Define How Much Control You Want
After your website has been built, do you want to manage it yourself, or do you want to pass on that responsibility to an agency? If you want as much control over your website as possible, consider working with a Bay Area web design firm that specializes in WordPress-based website development. At Launch Brigade, we want to give our customers the power to edit their own website, which is why we believe WordPress is an ideal content management platform CMS).
Check Their Portfolio & Previous Work
Professional agencies will always have portfolios to showcase their previous work. Browse through each portfolio to get a feel for each agency’s particular style. Have they ever worked with clients in your industry? Do a quick reputation check by browsing through review sites to learn about what their previous clients have said.
Organize Your Search
A great way to organize your research efforts is to create a simple comparison chart in Excel or Word. Consider factors such as services offered, rates, credentials/qualifications, and anything else that’s important to you.
Give Them a Call
Even if you’ve thoroughly researched the agencies you’re thinking of doing business with, it could still be difficult to make a final decision. In this case, your best bet is to pick up the phone and talk to someone at the agency. This will not only help you collect more information, you will also have a feel for the agency and see if you feel comfortable with them. Don’t ignore your gut feeling. You’ll be in a business relationship with this company, and you’ll need to work well together. Prepare a list of questions and don’t hesitate to go into details about your project. Most agencies offer free consultations and are readily available to answer any questions you may have.
Schedule a Face to Face Meeting
If possible, visit the agency’s office and meet their staff. How friendly are they? Are they professional? Are they experts at what they do? Would you entrust your business to them?
Finding a Santa Cruz or Bay Area web design firm for your project can be difficult. At Launch Brigade, we really care to know our customers. We are people’s people, because we know that being good at what we do is not enough. People connect with people, not with content management systems, not with computers or corporations. Your business, our business – it’s all about collaborating, caring and doing the very best work possible.
Go ahead and give us a call. We would love to learn about your goals and see if we’re the right fit for your project.