10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Web Development Company

Choosing the right web development company to work with can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t know where to begin or what questions to ask to determine which companies are best suited to your specific needs. That’s why we put together this list of the 10 most important questions you should ask before choosing a web development company, all starting with this one: Are they responsive?

1) What sets you apart from your competitors?

It’s one thing to say that you want your website visitors to stay on your site longer, but it’s another thing entirely to actually make that happen. If you can find out what makes your site stand out from others (or at least how other companies have managed to accomplish that feat), you’ll be able to figure out what needs improving on your site—and then address those issues.

So when speaking with web developers, don’t just focus on getting answers about their process or portfolio of work; instead, dig deeper and ask them about their strategies for maximizing a site’s time-on-site and conversion rates. That will help you identify their thought processes behind making every decision they make when building sites.

2) How will you produce results?

This is important, as it lets you know how you’ll be able to get in touch with your developer. A good choice would be that they offer phone and email support, as well as live chat through their website. If they don’t respond promptly to emails or if you can’t reach them directly via phone or live chat, then that might be an issue for you. If so, find someone else to work with who will keep lines of communication open and respond quickly when you have questions or need changes made.

3) Will I be in direct contact with you?

Most people like to feel that they have some control over their project, and keeping a solid line of communication open is vital for that. When you choose a web development company in India, you’ll likely be working with an account manager or project manager who can serve as your primary point of contact. If not, consider looking elsewhere. Asking them about their process for reviewing work and communicating with clients will also provide some insight into what kind of experience you can expect.

4) What can you tell me about your experience working in my industry?

Before making a final decision, it’s important to make sure that you’re comfortable with your potential partner. Ask about their experience working in your industry and with clients like yours. If you’re planning on outsourcing your entire project, it may be worthwhile to ask about their experience working within different time zones. In either case, there are few things more valuable than an experienced team who has worked on projects like yours in the past.

5) What do your past clients say about you?

It is important that you are satisfied with our work, but it is also crucial for us. We take pride in being transparent, so we encourage you to talk to our past clients. Of course, when choosing a web development company, you should do your due diligence and research any firms carefully.

But if one firm has worked with hundreds of businesses like yours and another has only worked with five clients, that should certainly be something you pay attention to. A consistent track record of providing top-notch service will mean greater stability for your project and faster implementation times.

6) What type of documentation is available after the project is finished?

Choosing a web development company is an important decision for any business and it’s something that should be taken seriously. A good web developer should be able to create great documentation, walk through your website at different stages of construction, and offer feedback on how things are progressing and what changes can be made. If you don’t get these types of interactions with your potential provider, that’s probably not a good sign.

Good Read: Top 3 Recommended Content Management Systems for a Business Website

7) Can I see samples of your previous work?

Before you commit your website’s future to someone else’s hands, take time to see examples of their work. If possible, look at sites they’ve created that are similar to what you’re looking for. What do you like and dislike about these sites? How close is it to what you want? Communication is important, so make sure that whoever ends up creating your site (or rebuilding your existing one) is responsive and easy to work with.

If someone can’t spend time answering questions or showing examples of previous work, move on. After all, how much time do you really want to waste if things don’t go as planned? You don’t want someone who’ll disappear once they have your money!

8) What if I need revisions or am unhappy with my new website?

While it’s difficult for developers to guarantee that you’ll love your website, they should be able to provide examples of clients who were happy with their work. If they can’t do that, find someone else.

Also, make sure you and your developer have a list of what could be called cancel-the-contract escape clauses: instances where you can terminate early or receive a refund of on-site development costs in case something goes wrong.

There is always risk involved in working with new companies—you might not know them well enough, there could be communication breakdowns in explaining what you want, or they may just go out of business. Make sure any agreement between you and your chosen developer has provisions that protect you from those risks.

9) How will you optimize my web app for search engines and page speed?

Web app optimization (or, often just SEO) is an important component of internet marketing. It ensures that your website can be found by people who are searching for products or services similar to yours.

If you’re planning on launching a new e-commerce business, SEO will be an essential component of your marketing strategy and any developer you choose should have experience in search engine optimization and at least some expertise in JavaScript development.

This is also important if you plan on creating any sort of public website or web application (such as an intranet). Top developers are able to create websites that load quickly and don’t become too bogged down under heavy traffic; they know how to make their websites fit comfortably into search engines’ algorithms.

10) How will you handle security, hosting, and maintenance?

When you’re choosing a web development company, it’s important to know how your team will handle security, hosting, and maintenance. When considering companies for your project, try to meet with at least two different teams; both will have very different strategies about these issues.

One key aspect you should pay attention to is how each team implements code that is secure and safe from outside attacks.

What sorts of controls does their software include? How quickly can they respond when something goes wrong? And how are updates handled? If you choose a vendor based on price alone (in other words, they were the cheapest), don’t be surprised if your site comes under attack—and then left unattended for weeks as people take time off in August.

Conclusion

Choosing a web development company is an important decision. When you are deciding which firm will create your new website, or update your current one, you need to know that they can provide consistent results and continue to satisfy your needs even as your business grows.

A good rule of thumb is to choose a company with at least three years of experience in creating websites for clients like yours. This way, they should have plenty of experience and case studies from their previous work.

Also, look for firms that specialize in your industry—this will help ensure that they understand what you need from them. Make sure to choose a team whose style matches up with yours—whether it’s during initial meetings or later on when you’re discussing specific features for your site.