The 15 Key Essentials to Hiring the Right Dallas Web Design Company
We know it can be difficult finding a Dallas web design company that can act as a true partner. Many claim they can help you out no matter what their specific focus is. They all have case studies and recommendations. So, how do you choose the right Dallas website company for your needs? If you’re thinking about hiring a digital agency for the first time or about to switch to a new one, below are 15 key essentials you should look for in web designers in Dallas.
1. Does the Dallas web design company claim ownership on the work they do for you?
This is a major red flag. The only reason an agency would want to retain ownership of the work they’ve done is that they’re afraid you’ll leave, and they want to maintain leverage. This does not inspire confidence in their abilities. If the agency is as good as they say they are, then they’ll have no problem handing everything off to you. If the Dallas web design companies don’t easily deliver everything to you, then imagine what it would be like if you decide to stop working with them.
2. Roadmaps
Before you start the website design process, your agency should develop a roadmap. This roadmap should be a game plan of tactics, action items, deliverables, costs and success measurements. The Dallas website design company should be strategy-driven, and every single item should have a purpose.
If your Dallas web design company isn’t providing you with a roadmap, then they’re leaving you in the dark. They could be doing all the right things and making all the right moves, but if you’re often wondering what they’re up to, this leaves room for all sorts of potential issues. It’s a matter of accountability.
3. Clear communication & accessibility
The most important aspect of partnering with top web design companies in Dallas is how well you communicate together. They could be brilliant marketers, but if you can’t reach them or they can’t talk to you the way you need, it’s worthless.
You’d think accessibility would be a basic standard for any agency, but we‘re shocked by how many times we hear a client talk about how another Dallas web design companies hasn’t responded to phone calls or emails after a few days. If your website design company does not get back to you within 24 hours on all emails or calls, it’s time for a new one. Call Factory Creative – we’ll response the same day.
4. Expectation management
Your Dallas website design company might get back to you quickly and seem attentive, but often you’re feeling like things are late or information is missing. This is probably because they’re not managing your expectations. Sometimes issues pop up or things don’t go exactly as planned. However, if your Dallas web designers are not getting out in front of it and letting you know why and what that means for the big picture, it means disorganization.
5. Does the Dallas Web Design Company know the difference between tactics and strategy?
Tactics mean nothing without a strategy to drive them. One of the surefire signs that the Dallas website design company you may be considering is not the right fit is when they rely on tactics without giving you the strategy for those tactics. Sure, keyword analysis is fine, but why? What will this get you? Don’t be intimidated by your Dallas web design company, and always feel free to ask why. If they can’t answer this easily and clearly, then they don’t know why either.
6. Brand knowledge
Most Dallas website design companies may never know the ins and outs of your product or service as well as you do, but they should be able to talk about all the aspects of it in great detail. If they can’t deliver your value proposition as well as you do, how can they sell it? If they can’t talk about your customer like it’s their own, how can they market it?
More importantly, your Dallas website design company must have experience in building and maintain a strong brand as well – not just specializing in online marketing or social media. Take into consideration, you will also need important services like: Brand Strategy, Written Content, Logo Design, Photography, Illustration, Photography, Digital Marketing and Catalog Design services, especially if you’re selling merchandise goods online, as well as offline.
7. Making mistakes
Dallas website design company are made up of humans and humans make mistakes – there’s no way around that. As much as we like to think we know everything, we can’t possibly predict the future or guarantee our work will affect the positive change we plan for. The key is how your Dallas web designers respond when a ball is dropped.
Does your current Dallas website design company tiptoe around it and make excuses that don’t quite feel right? Or do they own it, fix this issue, and use it as a learning experience to improve their work moving forward? Hopefully, it’s the latter, and it’s a form of optimization. If they seem to be hiding something, then you can’t be sure they’re helping your business.
8. Goals and KPIs
Does your Dallas web design company collaborate with you to develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and goals for your engagement? If not, then they’re not holding themselves accountable. Your digital marketing agency should document clear KPIs with quantifiable goals that align with your overall business objectives. If they depend on you for all their goals and KPIs, then they’re likely focused solely on tactics and not enough about results.
9. Team mentality
The Dallas website design company you select should be a good partner for you. This means they should not only do the work you’ve asked them to do, but they should feel like part of your team. You should never feel like they’re just hired marketing mercenaries. At Factory Creative, we work seamlessly with our clients to deliver digital marketing programs that are strong on strategy, leverage the right tactics, and drive results.
10. Transparency and accountability
Some of the most important things to consider in a Dallas website design company are transparency and accountability. This builds trust and is the backbone of any long-term relationship. Why not hold your Dallas web design company to the same standard?
11. Are Dallas Web Design Companies honest?
Do you feel like your website design challenges you? Do they push back on occasion? Another telltale sign that your Dallas website design company isn’t trying hard enough is that they do whatever you say without any pushback or questions. At Factory Creative, our best clients are the ones that we are able to openly disagree and debate with. We can do this because they trust us and respect what we have to say. As a client partner, the worst thing we can do is not vocalize potential pitfalls. Expressing these dangers shows Factory Creative cares. Your agency should care, too.
12. Strategy-driven
We’ve covered all the things that make a Dallas Web Design Company a solid partner, but what about the substance in what they do? At the end of the day, no matter how well they communicate and how accountable they are, your digital marketing agency partner needs to be a master of digital strategy. How do you know if an agency is as good as they say they are?
13. Educators
Does your Dallas Website Design Company take the time to teach you things? One of the aspects our clients love most about Factory Creative is that we love to teach them about what we do. If there’s a new Google algorithm update that may not affect them, we still like to let them know about it and what it means. If we’ve read any good articles on something about their industry, we’ll share those with them, too.
14. Adventurous
Dallas web design company shouldn’t be timid about new opportunities. They should vet them out properly but be excited to explore with you. If you’ve ever come to them with a new idea and they dismiss it without a solid reason, then you certainly won’t be able to grow with them. There is a fine line between being cautious and being stubborn.
15. Business reviews and post-mortems
Dallas Website Design Company should push for business reviews on a regular basis. The agenda should look at the performance of the previous quarter and outline a roadmap for the upcoming quarter. This will give everyone a chance to see the big picture and not get bogged down in small tactics and deliverables.
The bottom line is that if you feel like your Dallas Web Design Company isn’t working with you, then they’re probably not doing a great job of working for you. Hold them to extremely high standards. Challenge them, and let them challenge you back. You’ll end up getting much more bang for your buck and hopefully have a long-term partner to help you get where you want to go.
Want more information on choosing the right Digital Marketing Agency? Then checkout Forbes® article on “How To Choose The Right Digital Agency For Your Business”.
If you’d like to get more information on how a results-driven website design company can advance your online presence, digital marketing, SEO, and social media goals, contact Factory Creative today.