Searching for the perfect website company in Overland Park? There is no shortage of them from which to choose. But your perfect fit may be just outside your geographical borders. With the nature of website development services, you should be able to find and work with a company located anywhere in the world, not just in your neighborhood, whether you’re in Overland Park, Lenexa, Kansas City or New York City.
With geography taken out of the equation for finding the best website company for your business, what are the things on which you should base your choice? Psst… if you really want to work with a local website design company, the same Top 10 things apply.
- When you buy a car you talk to a salesperson, not the assembly line worker. You don’t buy website services the same way. If you are looking at website design companies in Overland Park, Kansas City or halfway around the world, speak with a designer, developer or project manager. Better yet, talk to all of them. Come to think of it, wouldn’t it be nice to talk to the person who put your car together a certain way and ask questions about the process?
- Buying ‘local’ supports your community, but when it comes to your website, it shouldn’t limit your choices. You should only have to meet with your website design company a few times – to kick off the project, approve initial concepts, and sign off on completion before launch, plus perhaps a few check-ins here and there. You can “meet” with a conference call, Skype or other virtual meeting choices. However, if a local web company is what you want, you also gain the choice of meeting in person, phone, online or all of the above.
- When it comes to selecting a website company, full-service and holistic is better. Some web agencies only offer developers or programmers. The burden to provide the website content and strategic direction is on your shoulders. That just doesn’t work when you have no time or no background in user experience, SEO and dozens of other website design nuances. Definitely search for a web development company offering comprehensive services including, copywriting, design, development, search marketing, hosting, maintenance and strategic counsel.
- Don’t bother to research the difference between web design and web development. With the perfect website company, it shouldn’t matter to you, the customer. Web design and web development are pieces and parts of the same end result – a well-crafted website for your small business. Don’t let the website company you select confuse you with industry jargon that shouldn’t have to matter to you.
- Question everything you read on the internet. One web development company in Overland Park makes outlandish claims regarding search marketing results. It’s not only misleading, but downright irresponsible. A website is just a website until you put strategic marketing power behind it.
- Ask about all fees and charges upfront. You don’t want surprises on your final invoice. Do you pay for photos and images and will you own them? Who provides and monitors website hosting? When do I pay for upkeep and maintenance and when is it covered by hosting service fees? How exact is the estimate that has been provided? What are the cost variables? These are the questions to ask before making a final decision on any website company.
- You can spend too much or too little on a business website. At EAG, we’ve literally seen estimates for website design from several web companies in the Kansas City area with more than $100,000 difference in cost. A website should cost what is appropriate for the business to create a return on investment.
- Don’t rely on website calculators to determine your total website cost before ever speaking to a real, living, breathing provider. Some website agencies use online cost calculators to lure you into providing contact information. There is absolutely no way to accurately estimate the cost of a website without in-depth discovery, even if you’re considering a website company that is your Overland Park neighbor.
- Sustainable websites come with a marketing plan. “If you build it, they will come” is a movie line and myth. If you build it without marketing strategies, it will get lost in or ignored by search engines. Yet, many website development companies build websites with no consideration for how you will market it in the future. Search optimization tactics must be considered at the time the site is designed and created for it to be noticed.
- Already know exactly what you want in a website? So, you’re thinking a developer can design it in his basement? Don’t scrimp on your biggest, most important marketing tool. Your business deserves better. When it comes to website coding, two heads are better than one. Just in case one head goes away (or gets a job outside the basement), the knowledge of your site and its architecture is not lost.
A final piece of advice… if you’re looking for a website design company in Overland Park, check the rest of Kansas City as well as other metro communities. Don’t limit your options by searching only in your own backyard, meaning Google beyond “Overland Park website company”. Kansas City has one of the most capable and growing creative communities in the country. Why not pick the perfect partner? Your business deserves it, and now you have a list of useful guidelines to help you choose one.
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