It isn’t difficult to decide to select WordPress for your business website. About one-quarter of all businesses and organizations have chosen WordPress for their websites. The many advantages of a WordPress website have been tested and proven. The most difficult decision is selecting the best WordPress agency to turn your vision into a beautiful and productive reality.
A business website’s importance can’t be overestimated. The website represents your brand online. It will be the initial point of contact for potential customers, and they will form an initial, and perhaps permanent, opinion of the business based on the website’s appearance and functionality.
Define Your Goals
Simply saying you want a WordPress website would be like walking into a real estate agency and saying that you want a house. A lot more information is needed before it’s time to actually look at any properties. An experienced WordPress agency will need to understand your goals and how a website should help to achieve those goals. After all, if the website doesn’t fulfill its purpose, it has failed.
Some of the possible goals for a WordPress website could include:
Increased organic traffic- A higher conversion ratio
- An automated user management process
- More information gathered from subscribers
- Increased product sales
- A more professional image for the brand and the business
Once the goals for the website have been clearly defined, they will guide the development of the structure of the website, the design of the landing pages, and other aspects of a successful, revenue-producing website.
There Must be a Clear Exchange of Ideas
You are the ultimate expert on your business. If the WordPress agency doesn’t listen, the website won’t satisfy the requirements of your business. The job of the developers is to turn your ideas into a fully functioning website.
The web developers and designers are experts in their business and a resource to be utilized. If they sit there nodding and taking notes but not contributing their own ideas, then they aren’t doing their job. An experienced designer will know of options that you’ve never considered and the best way to achieve your goal.
A Great WordPress Agency Will Have a Marketing Department
One of the problems that can arise when dealing with a freelance web designer instead of an agency is that freelancers tend to be technically proficient but are not marketers. If the agency doesn’t have marketing experience, the finished website may be beautiful but it won’t be designed to convert users into customers. Looking good won’t generate conversions. It takes the right layout, intuitive navigation, and calls to action. Many marketing factors, such as the target demographic, will greatly influence the website’s design.
The Agency Uses WordPress for Their Own Professional, Fully Functional Website
This may seem obvious, but if the agency doesn’t use WordPress themselves, then you shouldn’t use the agency. If they don’t believe that WordPress is the best content manage
ment system for their own website, they lack credibility in recommending it for you. The agency’s website should be responsive and function seamlessly. Test the website on two or three devices of different sizes to see how it looks and functions. It should be state-of-the-art and optimized for the search engines.
Clients are Kept Informed About Their Projects
It’s very likely that a good agency is very busy and will not be able to start on your project tomorrow. However, they should be able to provide a reasonable time-frame for the website’s completion. When you’re at the agency, take a look around and see if it appears organized or as if your project would be lost in the chaos. Ask who would be your primary point of contact and if that person is the project manager. What is the established system for keeping clients informed about the state of their projects? What sort of decisions are clients involved in?
Examine Their Portfolio of Live Websites
An established WordPress agency should have an online portfolio of live websites. If you were the owner of one of those websites, would you be proud to have your brand displayed on every page? If you were a visitor, would you have a positive impression and linger or want to abandon the website? The average visitor decides in 10 seconds or less whether to stay or leave, so first impressions are critical.
Are the websites in the portfolio from different industries? A web designer who has successfully created websites for clients in different industries is more likely to be able to create the unique website you’re looking for. Also look for an agency that has worked with both local and national clients. The more different audiences that the designer is familiar with, the better the chance your website will produce for you.
Keeps Up With the Latest Design Trends
Does the web designer keep up with the latest trends and technologies? Customers don’t trust websites that appear outdated and stale. However, good judgment must be considered. Web design fads come and go. Everything on a website must have a purpose. Incorporating something into the website simply because it’s new is pointless. There needs to be a balance between proven and modern.
Continuing Support
Successful websites are not static. As the business grows, the website will need to keep up. Will the agency provide technical support and content management as needed? What additional services are provided, such as SEO services, keyword research, video production and social media marketing? Are you interested in a long-term relationship or will the website be a one-time project? Also consider how long the agency has been in business. An agency with a track record is much more likely to be there for you in the future.
It will take some work to find the best WordPress agency to build your new website, but it will definitely be worth the effort. The completed website will be a beautiful investment you’ll be proud of and will add to the bottom line.