Finding and using contractors in the digital industry is a task with a lot of unknown variables. Reviews about companies often contradict each other, prices differ several times, while the list of services is approximately the same everywhere.
In this article, we will consider how to choose a web development company in New York so that the work is completed on time, the results meet expectations, and the money is not wasted.
Things to Pay Attention to While Choosing a Web Development Company
The digital market is quite young, and it is not always possible to pre-assess the level of competence of a particular team of a performer. So, there are situations when an agency with a beautiful website turns out to be a team of freelancers of two people who cannot provide services of high quality and on time. In this case, it is possible to recognize unscrupulous contractors only in the middle of the project, for example, at the layout stage. And this means that at least half of the project budget will merge, and in the case of an advance payment, you can lose the entire amount.
Thus, the issue of verifying the expertise of contractors is acute for many companies. Let’s consider five tips that will help you choose a reliable agency for website development.
Request Visual Prototypes at the Project Approval Stage.
At the first stage of site development, the terms of reference are written. For those who do not do web development themselves, reading a multi-page document with a lot of terms is usually difficult.
Ask the agency to visualize key points, such as what the home page, menu, or contact form will look like. These first rendered drafts will help you understand if the agency team has captured the essence of the project correctly and avoid misunderstandings.
This approach will avoid communication difficulties at further stages of development and quickly approve the desired design concept.
Discuss the Range of Services in Advance.
Web development is a complex process that requires the full involvement of the agency. For each specific task, specialists must provide a personalized offer.
If you see unfamiliar words in a service description document, feel free to clarify the meaning of each. It may happen that a short phrase will hide the amount of work worth several thousand dollars. Make sure you understand exactly what you are paying for and how much.
For example, a good company makes a detailed estimate, where the team not only describes the areas of work but also gives detailed information on the employment of each specialist. Thanks to this, it is easier for the customer to assess the real cost of services.
Set Deadlines for Each Block of Work.
In the digital market, there is a common practice to agree only on the general deadline for the completion of all work. But this approach is risky: it is likely that the development will be carried out at the last moment and this will not have the best effect on the quality and, possibly, on the timing of the project.
In reliable agencies, most often the resource development process consists of design, programming, and testing, including commissioning. The timing of the implementation of the stages varies depending on the complexity of the task: design can take from one week to two and a half months, and testing takes at least 10% of the total work time. It is impossible to set the exact time frame for the stages: the duration of the projects varies from one week to two years and depends on the complexity and scale of the project, as well as on the set of necessary tools for implementation.
It is recommended to specify in advance the duration of each stage of website development. In this way, you can track progress, control the activities of the development agency team and avoid situations when everything will be implemented in the last weeks before delivery.
Ask for the Most Accurate Description of the Results.
The client is the customer of the project, who pays for all the work and has the right to request additional information or clarify incomprehensible details. This is especially important when it comes to results.
For example, the concept of an “aesthetic” or “minimalistic” site can be interpreted by the customer and the agency in completely different ways. Therefore, it is better to tell about your wishes in as much detail as possible: prepare visual references or describe the functionality without which the company will not be able to work.
Try to select agencies where you will be provided with preliminary results in the form of layouts at the stage of project approval. So you can be sure that there is a measurable and understandable result for you.
Look for Those Who Speak the Same Language as You.
A business customer must make management decisions, so when choosing an agency, he should not forget that he is not a programmer, not a web developer, not a designer, or a project manager. He does not need to understand the difference between WordPress and Bitrix, React, and Python. Therefore, it is worth taking a closer look at those companies that will be ready to talk openly and in detail about business pains, marketing indicators, profits, and promotion channels.
For example, a good company offers more economical and optimized options so that the client can immediately allocate the current budget for various tasks and invest profits in subsequent stages of work.
Developing or improving an Internet resource is an opportunity to achieve a goal. The task of the client is to identify the desired result and discuss a plan to achieve it, while the work of the digital agency is to select the necessary tools for its implementation.
summary
Before starting the process of searching for a digital agency, the customer should prepare on their own:
- look at references;
- formulate the main wishes;
- determine the desired marketing output indicators.
To select a contractor, we recommend that you follow the following tips:
- request visual prototypes at the project approval stage;
- discuss the range of agency services in advance;
- specify the terms for each stage of work on the development of the site;
- choose a team that is willing to dive deep into the task beyond the technical details.
Inoxoft is a reliable web development company in New York with a team of experienced developers. The company has a great focus on education, healthcare, fintech, logistics, and real estate industries.
