Nowadays, a business, whether it caters to other companies or to the general public, simply can't make it (or hardly) without an online presence. The number of business websites on the internet is growing rapidly. In some cases, the competition is so fierce that those firms who stay offline simply get eaten away by the iron teeth of time, slowly losing clients in the process.
That said, the first essential step in carving out a chunk of digital authority starts with getting a well-designed and optimized website. On that note, it’s always better to get professional help, especially if you don’t have an in-house team of designers and developers who understand the complex processes behind internet trends and different platforms, frameworks, and so on.
Still, finding the perfect match can be a bit confusing and complicated, especially if you are a B2B company. This article will discuss the key factors that you should consider when choosing a web design agency for your company website. With the help of these guidelines, you will be able to make a more informed decision, helping you maximize the potential of your online efforts right from the start.
B2B Web Design: A Different Animal to Tame
Before getting started with our essential tips, it’s crucial to understand that B2B web design requires a different approach from typical web design strategies that cater to those companies which offer their products and services to the public. And these differences should be reflected in all good B2B designs.
The number of B2B companies appearing online is also on the rise, and standing out from the rest of the crowd can be increasingly challenging. That also makes finding a good B2B design agency even that much more important.
So, without further ado, let’s find out more.
Look At The Agency’s Experience
The first thing you need to take into account right off the bat is the actual experience of the agency and the team behind the company. Choosing a B2B Website Design Services with a team of seasoned experts immediately ups your chances to achieve your overall marketing goals in a more streamlined process. And also, these experts will be able to help you with keeping a constant upward trajectory regarding your marketing efforts.
At first, you might feel tempted to choose an agency that offers inexpensive and affordable services, but the amount of money you might be saving might not be worth the frustration and the disappointment.
That said, your best bet is to look for an agency that has been active for a while and has managed to build a solid reputation as a reliable company to partner with. On that note, you can always get a better feel of their professionalism if you reach out to them personally to get an idea of how they treat their potential clients and, possibly, long-term partners.
On the other hand, you can always take a closer look at their professional portfolio. A good web design agency, whether solely B2B or not, will be flexible. Adaptability is the name of the game in web design, as most technical and visual trends change constantly, and different clients will look for different concepts and design ideas. If the company has been successful with different project types and trends, then chances are they have the experience and the know-how to create a website that will help you achieve your digital goals.
Assess The Design Process Itself
Taking a closer look at how the design agency sets up the design process, from planning to execution, is also a crucial element. Don’t be afraid to ask the experts about their approach to website design. Be meticulous – this should include every single step, from the basic visual design, through service pages and user interface design.
On the other hand, it’s not a bad thing if you get a little technical. Understanding your own needs regarding web design and development can also help you tell if the agency is a good fit for you or not. Ask about the platforms they are using. Are they a WordPress-only agency? While this might be a good option for some B2B companies, you might be in a niche that would profit more from a customized solution.
In most cases, a fully custom solution will enable you to tackle more specific needs, cater to a larger number of clients in your industry, and can generally create a website that will meet your every demand.
Lastly, a professional B2B design agency will also be able to provide you with a detailed and precise description of their processes down to the tiniest detail and will be able to lay out the entire design process for your company’s website as well.
Don’t Forget About Your Content Management Needs
Chances are, like most companies on the internet, yours will use a CMS or content management system to create, modify, and update content on your site as well. Using a CMS simply makes managing your content easier, more streamlined, and more efficient.
Assessing your content-related needs becomes especially crucial if you have already been using a content management system in the past and you are satisfied and familiar with its features and processes. In such a case, the B2B design agency should be able to implement the CMS or duplicate its features in your new website.
In some cases, you might need to switch to another content management system, as the design agency only operates with that one. This can lead to some degree of dissatisfaction within your teams and may lead to a few hiccups at the very beginning.
Still, this won’t cause much of a problem if it’s your first website.
Look At Their Lead Generation and Digital Marketing
Chances are, when you are looking for help from a B2B design agency, getting a website isn’t the only thing you have in mind. You should always look for the whole package, not just development and design. A seasoned agency should be capable of helping you both with generating more leads and digital marketing.
For starters, a great design in a website will be able to generate organic traffic thanks to the design alone. While this may come as a surprise for some, it’s a well-documented fact that web design actually plays a crucial role in keeping users engaged with your site and ultimately converting them into customers.
However, this will mean that you also will have to have a general idea of your digital marketing goals and whether those align with the marketing tactics of the design agency. Chances are, if they don’t have a data-driven approach, they might not be able to keep your visitors on your site right off the bat.
The same approach should be applied when you are closely examining their lead generation tactics. Leads can help you get more clients for your newly launched website. Qualified leads can be a challenge to generate, especially organically. That said, you will need to take a closer look at the overall effectiveness of their lead-generation strategies. The best way you can do this is to look at their social proof and ask around other B2B site owners who’ve worked with the agency previously.
What About Content Marketing and SEO?
As indicated above, you should look for a design agency that offers the whole package. Apart from that, another sign of a reliable and expert B2B website design agency is the fact that they will create websites that are already optimized for search engines, enabling you to rank higher right from the start.
Still, to maximize your SEO (search engine optimization), you will also need a solid content strategy that caters to your target audience. This means that when your site goes live, you will be able to gain more traffic and conversions. The agency you’ve chosen to partner with should be able to help you create such content, or if nothing else, might give you orientational tips on producing content that will be able to sell.
Experienced B2B design companies know how to set up a winning content strategy and valid SEO market research while building your new website. They should have access to the best SEO tools the industry offers, which allow them to create a content strategy that will be able to drive qualified leads and organic traffic.
That said, to get the most out of your B2B website design, look for an agency that employs expert content writers who can help you create site content that will drive your traffic, conversions, and sales.
And while you’re here, see whether you can establish a long-term partnership with the agency. Do they offer other services that might help you with your digital efforts? Do you need social media marketing? Video production? Newsletters?
On that note, SEO and content marketing alone require consistency to be effective. If the agency has professional teams that handle writing and optimization, see whether you can work with them in the long run. A good design agency should be able to help you get constant results and will be able to keep your site well-optimized even when SEO and content principles take a new direction.
Lastly, look if they offer website maintenance. Your site needs to be taken care of, and a good design agency will also be capable of addressing maintenance tasks as well.
Look At Overall Cost and Value
Pricing is also a crucial factor when choosing the right design company for your business. As pointed out above, going with the least expensive option might not be the best option, but you don’t have to opt for the most expensive services to get a tailored solution.
Always do your research and compare the price with the value you’re getting. If you get offered extra services together with the website design (like lead generation, advertising, content marketing, and SEO), it’s normal to expect a slightly higher price, but you should take a closer look at the market to ensure you’re not paying neither too much or too little. You should always pay for what you are getting and for nothing more.
Ask Around Previous Clients and Look for Reviews
When you’ve evaluated your options and assessed every potential agency by the factors highlighted above, it’s a good idea to look for online reviews and feedback from old customers.
Did the agency manage to deliver what they’ve promised? Is the website user-friendly, with quality content and relevant info? Is the design perfect and intuitive for every device? Were the criteria of the older clients met? Were the sites able to generate the leads and the traffic previously promised?
These are all valid questions you will want answered before you make your final decisions. You don’t want to work with a company that delivers subpar products, and you definitely don’t want to work with a firm that simply does not match your business style.
It’s All About Research and Patience
To get the best deal, you need to put in the right amount of research, and sometimes, that will also mean that you will need to wait for the perfect candidate to show up. Finding an excellent and reliable agency is worth the wait because you won’t have to deal with any frustration, disappointment, and delays during or after the entire design process and further cooperation.
On the other hand, if you’ve found out that you’ve teamed up with the wrong agency, it’s not the end of the world. You can always pause your project or take your business elsewhere. After all, it’s your website and digital presence we’re talking about.
