As we continue to roll into 2024, it has become more important than ever for businesses of all sizes to have a professionally-designed, optimized website – indeed, whether customers choose your company or a competitor is determined with just one click, and an effective online presence influences all of it. The key is choosing the right partner amidst countless web design agencies out there, an undertaking that can feel quite overwhelming.
With careful research and subsequent planning, any company can select a web design professional dedicated to long-term success through conversion-focused websites and top-quality digital branding…in 2024 and beyond.
Let’s first define web design in the context of today’s ever-changing media landscape.
Website design describes, as its name suggests, the process of crafting websites that grab attention and just work well, built using “code languages” such as CSS and HTML. Web designers use these codes to determine what the website will look like and how it will function, ultimately rendering the text, video, images and colors that are seen on sites; web designers also help make websites viewed on tablets, phones and computers easy to navigate.
As we alluded to, carefully choosing a web design agency is important for creating an effective online presence, a tactic that’s more valuable than ever given the handheld device-driven world we find ourselves in.
We can’t discuss web design without delving a bit into what a web designer is and what his/her functions are. A web designer can be described as an individual who develops and ultimately creates websites, plain and simple – however, some key elements handled by such folks can vary, and include graphic design, user experience design, the aforementioned coding, content management, cross-browser testing, ongoing support and more.
Let’s now take a brief look at each of these.
- Graphic Design – Skilled in graphical design aspects like images, layouts, colors and more, web designers are responsible for the visual design language of websites.
- Cross-Browser Testing – Web designers test sites on various browsers and devices to ensure everything looks and works well everywhere.
- Content Management – Over time, web designers help clients manage and update website content via content management systems (CMS).
- Coding – Web designers code the visual design into websites using languages such as CSS, HTML (as we covered above) and, at times, JavaScript.
- User Experience Design – This is another way of saying the design is intuitive for customers; in so many other words, designers focus on making websites easy to use and navigate.
- Ongoing Support – Many web designers offer continued support following site launches, assisting with new features, improvements and updates.
A website needs to be viewed as an online storefront…the first impression your business will make on the digital world. Web design, meanwhile, is the magic that makes the website visually arresting and easy to navigate (use), and web designers can be considered the tech-savvy artists who paint the online masterpiece.
And what leads to satisfied clients? Careful consideration when choosing a web design company.
So now that we have some specifics out of the way, let’s answer a burning question: what are the benefits of hiring a web design firm?
There are a myriad of benefits to hiring a professional web design agency instead of attempting to do it yourself or hiring a freelancer.
- Web design agencies boast expert designers who bring impressive portfolios and create high-quality, professional designs.
- Large agencies staff numerous developers, designers and support teams, allowing them to balance more projects simultaneously.
- Full-service agencies offer complete packages under one roof, from design all the way through hosting and maintenance.
- Larger agencies enjoy better access to developer tools, stock images and other resources.
- Most good agencies have the necessary experience designing for a multitude of businesses, and understand what makes conversion-optimizing, compelling websites.
- Hiring an agency saves companies time by eliminating the need to manage freelancers or learning everything themselves.
- Agencies offer long-term savings by managing everything for a business, even though upfront costs may be higher.
- Most agencies provide updates and ongoing support after launch via a content management system.
The bottom line? Web design agencies bring to the table professional, experienced teams, comprehensive services and long-term support for streamlined projects. And, as we said before, careful consideration in choosing a website design company almost always leads to satisfied clients.
Of course, like everything else in life, a host of pros and cons come along with the decision to roll with a web design agency, so let’s take a quick look at those now – choosing an agency can be a daunting task, as there are many factors to consider and for the fact that it can be difficult to determine if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
Pros
- Expertise and experience
- Time and resources savings
- Custom design access
- SEO optimization priority
- Ongoing support
Cons
- Cost
- Loss of control
- Communication challenges
- Finding the perfect agency for your specific needs
Finding the best web design Perth for your business and brand takes time and research – we won’t sugar-coat it for you. But by taking your time and studying the various options – while giving careful consideration before deciding – you will be in a better place in terms of satisfaction of outcome.
