Web Development Agency Checklist: Before You Choose

#1 Think About Your Goals

Before writing an RFP, asking for recommendations, or searching online for potential web firms, think about what you want to achieve. It's a good idea to set clear goals for your new web application—for example, increasing sales by a certain percentage or boosting brand awareness. Setting clear goals will help determine which features to implement on the site and which web developers to hire to work on it. It will also help assess what you already have and what you will need (e.g., content) from your web partner.

It's important that your goals are as precise and realistic as possible. Writing goals like "I want more customers" or "I want to be #1 in search engines" may sound good on paper, but they are not specific enough to determine whether your web application is delivering the desired business results.

#2 Prioritize the Value of a Web Development Agency Over Cost

In the early days of the internet, you could have a simple static web application of just three or so pages, and your visitors would still be impressed. But now, with over 1 billion websites online, if you can't grab visitors' attention, they won't give your page a second look.

A visually appealing, fast-loading, and intuitive web application is what you need for your new business web application to succeed. Plus, the page must work perfectly on a desktop, smartphone, or tablet—according to a GoodFirms survey, 73.1% of web designers believe that non-responsive design is the main reason visitors leave a web application.

But considering the cost of building a custom web application or redesigning an existing one, you might think it's better to choose the cheapest company and hope for the best. However, that strategy almost never ends well.

Remember, a web application is an investment, not an expense, and good web applications don't come cheap. While a well-known web agency may charge more, you also get its experience in building enterprise-level web applications, the latest technologies, and post-launch support. A higher initial cost usually means you'll pay less for maintenance, agency support in case of issues, or updating the web application if initial costs are high, ensuring your site lasts much longer. So, while you shouldn't break the bank to build a modern web application, generally you shouldn't look for the cheapest solution either.

#3 Think About Which Web Applications You Like

Are there any industry web applications you like? That can be a hint for how to design your own web application and who to work with. Usually, at the bottom of the page, there's a link indicating the development company that created it. This is a good way to start your search for a web firm. If that information isn't available, you can contact the company and ask who developed their web application—then you can get contact information and recommendations for a web development agency.

It's often helpful to hire a company that has already built web applications related to your industry and that you like, as it confirms the company's experience in the field and allows you to better explain your vision.

#4 Find Out If Your Web Development Agency Keeps Up with the Times

Technology is a fast-changing industry, with new tools, trends, graphic design methods, responsive design in general, and new techniques emerging every day. If you want your web application to remain relevant amid changing trends, you should pay close attention to whether the agency you plan to hire knows what's popular in the industry now and also follows what's coming in the future.

It's a good idea to ask a potential web development partner how they acquire new industry knowledge, whether they encourage and support continuous education for their employees. Conducting workshops and courses, as well as educating clients about business processes and potential marketing strategies (or other digital marketing services), is also a plus.

#5 Communication is Key

If you don't maintain constant contact with the agency, completing a web application project or development services will be difficult (if not impossible). As the project progresses, situations can change unexpectedly, and the development team may encounter issues. So it's very important that your web partner keeps you informed about the project's progress and that you have a point person you can contact with questions.

A good idea here is to study how and how often the team typically communicates with its clients, for example, by looking at reviews and feedback left by their clients. When communicating with developers, you should also find out in advance whether you will have a dedicated person acting as the "first point of contact" for all project-related matters, and how often you can expect calls from them.

If you outsource the project to a company you will only communicate with online, be careful not to fall into the trap of micromanagement. Lack of communication with the agency can leave you dissatisfied with the product, but insisting on daily calls or meetings is equally harmful. A short weekly meeting followed by a more detailed meeting for each completed project phase should be more than enough for your business's final development.

#6 Does the Web Development Firm Understand Your Needs?

You may not know all the intricacies of the web development process, but you approach a web development company with more or less specific goals. The agency's task, therefore, is to understand your main goals, provide advice on how to work on the project, and connect you with the right developers. However, if they don't listen to what you say about your project and don't try to understand its goals, it may be hard to make the project work. Their job should not be simply to hear your wishes, note which features you want in the web application, and then say you'll get everything you want.

On the contrary, developers should carefully listen to your needs to recommend solutions (e.g., for project management, application development, and digital presence) that will best meet your goals, even if they differ from what you initially wanted.

#7 Check Who Will Own the Code After Completion

You might be surprised to learn that after project completion, your web application may not be entirely "yours" because it depends on who owns the code. Why is this important? If the development company holds the code for your site or custom web application, you'll have to go to them every time you want to change something. What if you want someone else to rework the content management system or update your web application for an online presence? Unless the web developers agree to transfer code rights to you, your options are quite limited.

That's why it's important to check who will own the code after the web application launch—the development company or you. In case you and your web partner part ways, open code preserves your options and allows you to find someone else (even specialized teams) without having to start from scratch.

#8 Do They Offer Integration with Your Tech Stack?

The next point is especially important for those exploring site redesign options, but it can also be useful for those looking to build a web application from scratch. You likely have several tools you use daily—CRM, analytics platform, or any other software that is (or should be) connected to your web application. If you want to use them in your new web application, you should inform the development team and ask them to add integration.

Otherwise, it may happen that because your potential web application development partner likes different tools than you do, they'll want to implement those on your new site instead of adding support for the tools you currently use. Of course, being open to any suggestions from web developers is good. But if you don't make it clear which integrations you may need in your web application, you and your team might have to learn a completely different system—or ask developers to add those integrations later at an extra cost.

#9 Potential Additional Services from Web Development Agencies?

Getting a finished and launched web application doesn't mean the work is over. Regular maintenance and sometimes troubleshooting are necessary to ensure smooth operation. Therefore, when hiring a web development agency, you should look for one willing to work with you on a long-term basis, not just on a single project. But it's not just about having someone capable of providing technical support. Rather, you need to hire someone who will monitor industry trends (e.g., graphic design, other design services, or even mobile apps if needed) and offer suggestions to keep the web resource up to date.

Be sure to ask potential web firms or design companies if they have a service level agreement (SLA) and/or a maintenance/support plan and what it includes. Also, inquire about their vision for the relationship after the site launch. Such questions help clarify what long-term commitments the web company is ready to take on and what support you can expect from them in the future.

Conclusion

Choosing an agency to partner with is not an easy task at any stage of development. To make the right choice, you need to start with a detailed study of web development companies and then carefully evaluate all possible options. You should choose an agency that not only can develop a quality website and web application for your business but also understands why you need them in the first place.

Now more than ever, quality matters—with such stiff competition among design agencies, you can't afford to put a half-baked web application online. However, if you do thorough research, including all the factors we've listed, you'll find it easier to select the right digital marketing agency or custom software partner for successful projects in any industry of your choice.