A quick search for “Orlando web design” in Google brings up more than 78 million results. It’s a lot to sift through if you’re looking for a quality web designer in The City Beautiful.
And how exactly are you supposed to find the one that’s right for you? Do you have to sign a contract, make the first payment, and just hope for the best?
Clarity Creative Group doesn’t think so.
As long as you know what you want for your business, it should be no trouble at all to find an Orlando web design company that will be an excellent fit for you.
Just Say ‘No’ to Set Packages
We’ve seen plenty of Orlando SEO & web design companies offer a selection of “packages” for their clients. These packages might be given glitzy names like “Silver,” “Gold,” and “Platinum” and each of them provides a different range of services depending on the clients’ potential needs.
While it can be tempting for a business owner to know exactly what they’re getting into and what they can expect to pay, these package templates are more convenient for the designer than they are for the client. What if you don’t need (or can’t afford) logo design right now, but need everything else the package entails? What if your project takes longer than the recommended amount of hours allotted?
In our mind, it’s far better to tell the web designer exactly what you want, listen to their suggestions, and have them build a custom-designed website that’s uniquely suited to your needs.
If a company wants to give a price range on their website as an estimate, that’s fine. You’ll likely need to know whether you’ll be spending $5,000 or $50,000. But your Orlando web design company should make sure their services are built around your needs, not the other way around.
Check Out Their Portfolio
So you’ve found a great-looking web design company that says all the right buzz words and appear to be right up your alley. Not only that, but their own website looks great. They really know what they’re doing, right?
Not so fast.
Before you get all excited, take a look through their portfolio (it might also be labeled “Projects” or “Our Work”). Do all the websites they’ve designed look pretty much the same? (That might be a clue that they design how they want, not how the client wants.) Are the sites they built catchy, easy to navigate, and nice to look at? Or are they dull, complicated, and confusing?
Another clue will be if the web design company has a great design for themselves (you don’t want to even bother with a company if you don’t even like how they built their own website). But if that creative eye doesn’t transfer over into their portfolio, it could be a tip-off that they care more about their own reputation than they do about yours. And isn’t that why you’re paying them, after all?
What Other Services Do They Offer?
You’ve found an intriguing web design company that offers everything from website design to social media strategies. Even though you’re only in the market for a web redesign, is it irresponsible to let yourself be swayed by all the other services the company offers? Well, yes and no.
While you don’t want to select a web design company that’s too big or too small for your needs (more about that in a bit), it makes sense to choose one that can grow with you, even if just for a while.
You may only be interested in a website right now (or it’s all you can afford), but who’s to say your needs won’t change in a few months? (In fact, if your designer is doing their job right, you’ll see a bigger influx of funds soon enough.)
By the time you’re ready to start thinking about redesigning your logo, setting up a blog, and adding a quote form to your home page, you’ll already have established a relationship with your web designer. They’ll be familiar with how you fit into the Orlando marketplace and what you hope to accomplish. And oftentimes, it’ll be cheaper than having these upgrades performed by a different company.
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Do You Need a Large or Small Company?
There really is no one right or wrong answer when it comes to how large your Orlando web design company should be. It’s just what happens to be right or wrong for your business at the time.
Before you even get into research mode, think about how far of a reach you want for your business. Is this a national campaign, just for your neighborhood, or somewhere in-between? How many customers are you currently able to handle at a time? It may be a waste to hire a large firm for the start-up you run out of your garage if you aren’t equipped to handle the hundreds of leads you’ll get a day.
If you expect your audience to be small, maybe having your nephew or neighbor put up a quick site is your best option for right now. You can always upgrade to a more experienced company after you’ve established your business’s reputation.
If you’re looking for a larger reach in the Central FL area (but not a national audience), a company that specializes in small- to mid-sized businesses will be your best bet. They’ll have the basics down, but will still be able to assist you with more complex needs.
How Do They Treat You as a Potential Client?
Think of selecting a potential Orlando web designer like selecting a potential mate. First, you’ll learn everything you possibly can about them from copious Google searches and their Facebook profile (678 pictures? Don’t mind if I do!). But you won’t let that information speak for itself. You’ll go on the first date with open eyes to make sure that all that profile padding and social media bragging was actually true.
You can start by looking at how quickly and professionally the company responds to your request for information. Now, I can’t tell you every red flag to look out for (your preferences—whether for a date or a web design company—are different from mine), but there are certain things that should be universally avoided.
Like taking too long to respond to you (and not apologizing). Not answering your direct questions. Steamrolling your requests and driving the conversation.
After all, like a future spouse, you’ll be spending a lot of time talking to and working with this company, so if you can’t stand your first “date,” you probably won’t be able to handle them over the long-term.
Choosing the right web design company should be based on more than just price. You and your business fill a unique void in Orlando, so you need a web design company that views you the same way. If you’re in the market for a website design, logo design, or any other web-based solution, start by contacting Clarity Creative Group for a free website consultation.
Clarity Creative Group is a web design & internet marketing company located in beautiful Orlando, Florida. We month-to-month contracts, have our services and portfolio clearly listed on our website, and are poised to handle small- to mid-sized businesses in the Orlando area.
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