DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED A WEB AGENCY?
Before picking up the phone to an agency, think about what you want your website to achieve for your business. If you simply want to have a presence on the internet and you’re not relying on your website to generate sales for you, then you might just need a one-page site, almost a place holder. In which case, you might not need a web agency at all.
Today there are a number of very reasonably-priced website builders online, which enable you to create a professional looking site yourself, even if you have no experience of doing so. You just pick a template which works best for your business and, within very little time, you’ll have created a website.
You might find that contacts will recommend local people who might be able to create a bespoke website for you at what seems like a fairly reasonable cost. However, think very carefully about how a site like this will be maintained over time. If you’ve signed-up to one of the well-known site builders online, then your site will receive regular security updates and patches etc, so you’ll know it’s secure. In addition, any bugs will have been dealt with. A one-man-band outfit might just design your site and not offer an ongoing support; a CMS which is not maintained can offer a security risk.
If you are running a medium to large enterprise, then your brand is likely to be more developed and won’t be slotted easily into a template, as you need something more bespoke. The chances are that you will also need some specific functionality.
LONGEVITY AND SCALABILITY
You need to consider how long you expect your website to perform for. It could be that you are running a one-off event and really only need a website for little more than a few months. In which case, you just need something which works for this particular campaign and you will probably cope with the CMS being a bit clunky. In which case longevity and quality will not be top of your list. However, don’t skimp on security or GDPR requirements.
If you foresee your business growing and expanding in the future, then you need to think about whether your web agency can handle these needs. It might be the right agency for now but can they grow with you and offer the additional functionality you might require in the future? You should look at the relationship with your web agency as less of a supplier and more of a partnership.
TECHNOLOGY
As a business, the technology your website is based on can be key, particularly if you need it to fit in with existing technology in your business. If your IT is centred around Microsoft technology, for instance, it makes sense for your website to be Microsoft too, as it fits with your corporate landscape and your team will understand how to secure it, for instance.
If the technology matters to your business, then ask lots of questions; try to establish if the agency can support you with your technical requirements.
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
If you have any specific requirements, such as technology, then make this clear in your brief or tender document, so any web agencies pitching for your business can take this onboard in their quote. If your brief is scant, then the proposal you receive back will be scant.
If you don’t make your requirements clear at the outset, then what seemed like a good price at the beginning will keep edging up as the agency finds out about your additional requirements.
Don’t necessarily go for the cheapest proposal on the table – value those agencies which give you an honest answer to your questions and actually challenge you on some of the points you are making. As with any relationship, honesty is key. If you build a relationship with an agency at the start which is built on solid foundations of openness and honesty, it is much more likely to survive over the long term.
RFP DOCUMENT HELP
Here at Lake Solutions, we recognise that you might not actually know what questions to ask an agency, so we can help you with your RFP (request for proposal) document. Think of your web project as a new house. Would you go straight to a builder and ask them to erect your dream home? No, you wouldn’t. You’d get in touch with an architect, who would find out what sort of home your family is looking for and if you have any specific requirements.
Just like an architect, we can help you to develop a tender document to share with potential web agencies. You might then find that some agencies rule themselves out straightaway, as they know they can’t deliver on your requirements. This will save you time and potential aggravation in the long run.
LOCALITY
Does it matter where your web agency is based? This really depends on the value you place on face-to-face meetings. Today, we are much more used to catching up on Teams or Zoom, then it’s worth seeking out an agency which fits your criteria, wherever they might be based. If you do want to meet regularly, then there will potentially be a cost to this, as you are expecting your web team to give up additional time to your business. It might be though that you choose an agency which isn’t based close to you, but you agree on a face-to-face catch-up every few months.
BUILD V DESIGN
Very often, a project will be won or lost on its design. However, it’s important not to get too wooed by the visuals.
It might be that the agency you are looking at is really fantastic at design but falls short on technical expertise – or vice versa. In which case, you might want to consider working with two different firms.
Going back to our analogy of building a dream home. While you need an architect and a builder, you wouldn’t then expect either of them to turn up to paint your house or advise on its interior design.
Working in this way isn’t unusual for a large corporate, particularly one which already works with branding or creative agencies. One company might create the design and then a technical web agency, like Lake Solutions, will be brought in to deliver it.
BUDGET
While budget is an important consideration, avoid making it the sole determining factor. As we discussed, a lower-priced quote might not provide the quality or services you need. In addition, consider all the other factors which go alongside a new website project, such as the costs of hosting your site and any ongoing support and maintenance, as well as the cost of training your team in any new technology.
RESEARCH
It’s worth doing some background research – look at the website of the agency you are considering and also read reviews and testimonials. You might find that there are agencies which have expertise in your particular industry – then ask around if you have friendly contacts.
As we mentioned above, don’t be afraid to ask questions and be challenging in your approach. Importantly, value honestly and integrity. Hopefully this will be a long-term relationship and if there are cracks at the beginning, then it’s not built to last, which brings us back to the building analogy. You need a firm foundation in the first place. If the agency you select to work with is in for the long run, then those foundations will need to hold up a number of storeys, even if you start with a bungalow.
If you want to find out more choosing the right web agency or learning more about how we can help you with your RFP, do get in touch on tel: 020 3397 3222.