When it comes to web design services for small businesses, budgeting almost always becomes a factor. If you’re a small business owner and looking at web design and development companies, you’re probably looking at how to get a good return on your investment while also keeping that initial investment relatively low. But there are some things that you simply can’t afford to cut corners on, even if that means dedicating your resources to doing fewer things but doing them well. Here are three things you absolutely must demand from a website design team:
- A Fully Customized Web Design
All too many of the “web design” services out there are actually doing nothing but pumping out semi-customized templates. These sites may or may not look acceptable, but they’ll almost certainly have underlying functionality and security issues. Hackers often target these basic sites because of their lax security, which can be a major problem for your business — both because your customers won’t feel comfortable doing business with a company that can’t protect their information and because you’ll end up spending more in the long run trying to constantly patch security loopholes.
- Responsive or Mobile Design
It’s been said many times by now, but this is so important it bears repeating: If your website doesn’t work on mobile devices, then it doesn’t work period. Mobile optimized websites are absolutely crucial to online success these days, playing into everything from search engine optimization to user experience.
- Some Level of Ongoing Support
Many low-cost web developers will build you a website and then leave you completely on your own to manage it. Depending on what kind of website you have, you may not need a full-time web team. However, you will want to make sure you have someone to call when bugs pop up (and they will, even on well-designed sites). Ask if you can keep the web design company in question on call for a modest monthly fee. This will also avoid your having to pay additional fees for small updates and other maintenance tasks.
Do you have any other thoughts to share on web design services for small businesses? Join the discussion in the comments.
