Planning a website redesign is no small task, but being well-informed can help you avoid surprises after you have signed the contract to redesign your website. While evaluating website redesign companies to choose to work with, there are several questions that you should ask to make sure that your needs are met and, in the end, you are happy with the results.
Here are 5 questions that you should ask when gathering information for a website redesign
Will this be a custom design?
To ensure that your website will be customized to meet your needs, that it will be consistent with your existing brand and match the vision that you have for your new design; you need to ensure that it will not just be a template format, but a fully custom design that allows you to have approval of each aspect of the design every step of the way.
Will I lose my existing search engine rankings?
Not all website redesign companies specialize in search engine optimization and design. Therefore, if you choose to work with a company that does not specialize in SEO, you may run the risk of losing your existing rankings because they may not know the necessary steps that they need to take to preserve your existing rankings and your existing assets, or the steps needed to fix what was wrong with your SEO in the first place.
Will I have the ability to update the website on my own?
If you do not already have control of making changes to your existing website on your own and you don’t want to be at the mercy of your web designer any longer, be sure to find out if you will have the ability to update your website on your own and if this feature is a part of the quote or if you would need to pay an additional charge for this capability. It is also important to ask for a demo of the content management system to determine how user-friendly it will be for you to make changes on your own.
Am I required to host with you?
Some web design companies make it mandatory that if they build your website, then you have to host with them. Suppose you already have a host that you are happy with, and you would like to stay with your existing host. In that case, it is important to bring this up during your conversation so you are not surprised at the end of the design you have to host with the company you designed your new website with.
Is content creation or editing included in the price?
Content creation can be challenging for many, and for a website to be effective, the content must be edited or updated to match the new strategy and direction of the website. However, many web design companies either require the client to provide the content or charge a separate fee to edit or produce new content. Therefore, if you are expecting to get new content created, be sure to find out if it is included in the price so that you are not surprised when it isn’t or if there is an additional charge for it.