Top 5 Web Design Agencies in the World — September 2021
By: Nik Sundin
Tags: Web Development, Website Design, Web Design, Web Design Company

5 Most Important Qualities in a Web Design Company

To most people, it’s just common sense, but official data also prove it to be true: the number of internet users worldwide grows exponentially every year. And on top of this dynamic of growth years in the making, the current COVID19 pandemic has helped center the importance of the internet for a growing number of individuals and industries. This situation has also increased the number of companies offering internet-related services. One such central service is web design. Countless web design companies are sprouting up around the world. But this proliferation of web design firms doesn’t necessarily mean all are creating web design of equal quality — quite the contrary. Many are producing subpar web design, while others are consistently creating excellent work.

For this reason, we’ve put together a small list of the five most important qualities of web design companies and what any discerning client should look for. If you keep an eye out for the following five qualities, you’ll surely find a world-class web design firm — not an amateur one.

Quality #1: Depth

Web design may sound like a simple artistic process — picking colors, choosing typography, and arranging media — but nothing could be farther from the truth. Web design is a multifaceted and complex process that includes many different elements and skillsets. Therefore, a good web design company should have depth in terms of skill set, personnel, and/or market knowledge.

A firm that offers a depth of web design services such as UI/UX design, UX research, branding, concept development, and copywriting demonstrates that it has a serious grasp of what it takes to design a professional-grade website. Depth also refers to the level of personnel a larger firm can offer . If a firm has a large team, this indicates not only a revenue and customer stream that shows they’re legitimate but also indicates that more personnel with unique skill sets will be dedicated to your particular project. For smaller web design firms, depth refers to knowledge and understanding of the particular niche of the market in which they function. A smaller design firm may be a better option if their particular skill set and market knowledge are narrow and have depth.

Quality #2: Openness

One quality that separates a professional web design company from an amateur one is openness. Openness is about the firm demonstrating transparency with the project’s process and clear communication. Any web design company you choose to work with should display a high level of openness from the very beginning about the entirety of the project — how they work, who will work on your project, what the work process will be, and more. There should be no sensitivity on the part of the firm about sharing anything and everything with you — the client — whenever you see fit. Communication from beginning to end and at every juncture is crucial to execute a professional project effectively. Openness ensures that the firm understands what you want and therefore produces a better final product and saves time — and, more importantly, money.

Quality #3: Experience

This is a no-brainer. You may find a web design firm offering holistic services at a low price — but if you’re that web design company’s second or third project, then it isn’t worth it. You always want to get the most for your money, even if it means investing a bit more initially. In the long run, a great website with professional web design will pay for itself. A good web design company, therefore, should have adequate experience. This means that before you start designing a professional website, you want to see the firm’s portfolio of projects and contact previous clients. Firms that have been around for longer and boast more impressive portfolios with larger clients tend to be more trustworthy. The experience demonstrates a deep understanding of how web design works and shows that the firm can provide what you’re looking for. It is usually beneficial to look at previous projects that parallel what you’re also looking for in a website.

Quality #4: Precision

While anyone with a bit of know-how (or a few hours to spend watching YouTube videos) can put together a simple website, what you pay for in hiring a professional web design company is their experience, professionalism, and precision. A great web design firm will design and develop your website and design and fine-tune the details of your website. For example, designing your website's user experience (UX) relies on a detail-focused approach to curate how each user experiences your website. This means that color, placement, typography, images, and everything are not merely about what is aesthetically pleasing but is the connection between aesthetics and the audience your site is intended to reach. The same goes for search engine optimization (SEO) — by ensuring that all text on your website is optimized for search engines, your website can appear on search engines at a higher position. But SEO is more than just adding keywords — it requires a holistic approach to textual detail throughout the website. This type of precision is what you want in a web design company.

Quality #5: Flexible

When a website is being developed and designed, a lot can change from start to finish. Minds change, and so do timelines and budgets. Both clients and web design companies do their best to create realistic budgets and timelines before a project starts, but if a client doesn’t approve a design or a web design firm falls behind due to a sick designer, sometimes changes happen. For this reason, it is important to work with a web design firm that is flexible. A firm that, straight off the bat, provides open and clear communication and has experience on a range of projects also promises to be flexible. For example, there should be room for communication on missing deadlines or if a client disproves a piece of the project. Firms that are client-centric and work to ensure that client-firm relationships are central to the web design process tend to prioritize flexibility.