There’s no mystery to it. It’s much like anything else you research when attempting to decide who to give your business to. If your air conditioner breaks down, you probably go online and do a Google search. Take a look at who pops up; see who looks credible and capable. Then maybe you ask around and get a referral from a friend or colleague. Ultimately, you choose one who has a proven track record, customer testimonials and a professional appearance. Same process applies to choosing a web developer.

Here at Atomic, we want you to make an informed decision. We want you to visit with multiple agencies. Investigate their work. Ask for references. See what others have to say on Social media etc.

In fact, we are so confident in how we measure up to the competition, that we took the time to put this document together to assist you in your search. Below are our recommendations on how to select a trusted resource when it comes to a digital media agency. If you follow these guidelines, you should be pleased with the result of your web development project.

Step 1: Seek a developer who has a portfolio of examples to share; exhibiting their expertise within the arena by providing proof of their prior experience. Not just on some generic site, but a portfolio comprised of sites which emulate the feel and functionality you are seeking. Any agency which has been around for a substantial amount of time should have plenty to show off.

Step 2: Inquire about the number of employees they have on staff. Do they offer a dedicated project manager? Do they have a professional designer on staff? Will they be able to keep your project on schedule if one of their employees is required to miss work for any reason?

Step 3: Ask what other services they offer besides development? This is not essential. However, wouldn’t you prefer to work with an agency which has the knowledge of how to market your new web property? Who will optimize your site so it will show up on search engines? Who will set up the hosting of your site and email? Who will consult with you on how to integrate and leverage social media?

Step 4: If you consult with an agency about a web project and they fail to ask how you intend to market the site after it’s completed, do yourself a favor and meet with another agency. How could they possible provide the appropriate solution if they have no understanding of your online business plan moving forward? They can’t.

Step 5: Be sure to work with a developer who speaks on and offers conversion strategy methodology. It’s one thing to build a pretty sight. It’s another to get traffic to the site. Ultimately though, if you don’t convert the traffic into revenue of some type, you’ve missed the boat.

Step 6: Most legitimate web design firms have invested in project management tools. Be sure to select a provider who offers the ability to login to a management software program so you can monitor the progress of your project. Our system allows our clients access 24/7. They can see what was done today, what will be done tomorrow, and what we are waiting on from them!

Step 7: Confirm that the site property they provide will come with 100% ownership. Be sure to read through the fine print on any contract and confirm that once the site is complete, it is under your control and can be managed however you see fit. There is often verbiage which indicates that you are merely leasing the site property and cannot change the hosting or who controls the site.

Step 8: Preferably, the agency should offer some level of training on how to manage the site, or at the very least, offer an ongoing maintenance program. Inevitably, your site will need something new or edited within a few months. In reality, to increase your SEO results, you should be making updates and changes to your site on a very regular basis.

Step 9: Before you even begin consulting with web developers, we would suggest that you invest some time into developing a sitemap and detail the requirements necessary for your new site. This will expedite the entire process and provide the agencies with a more accurate method of assessing your project. Look for our next blog which talks about how to formulate a web development RFQ!

Step 10: Call or write Atomic and get a quote from an agency that has developed hundreds of web sites over the last 10 years. Our clients will tell you why you should choose us.

Should you be interested in obtaining additional information on this topic, feel free to submit an online inquiry today!

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