10 Tips on Choosing Web Development Services in Austin

If you’re a business owner in Austin, we’re sure you’ve had an interesting year. We’ve all faced challenges in 2020, and a lot of business owners have had to find a way to keep their heads above water.

People that didn’t believe having a solid website was important for business owners have changed their minds after changing to a digital-first environment. Now a well-built and functional website is worth its weight in gold.

Nobody expects you to build a website from scratch. That’s why it’s important to find solid web development services in Austin. The company you trust with your website is a company you’re ultimately trusting the success of your business to. 

Here’s our guide on how to find the best web development services in Austin.

Essential Tips for Finding the Best Web Development Services 

There are plenty of developers, UX designers, copywriters, and graphic artists in Austin. Finding the right professionals in a sea of talent can be hard. That’s why it’s important to ask the right questions and look for important skills when you’re searching for the right company to handle your website.

It’s important to figure out your budget and invest time in comparing developer fees, but the price isn’t the only thing that matters when you’re looking for a stellar web development experience. A lot of things need to come together in a development team to create a good website.

If you want to find the best web development business to handle your company’s website, make sure you remember these tips when you’re on your search:

1. Understand Your Needs

Talented web development companies are great at what they do, but they aren’t staffed with psychics. If you want to ensure that you get a great website, go into developer search knowing what you need.

We don’t expect a business owner to have a high level of understanding of every web development need they’ll have. Simply take the time to think about what your website is missing and what you want to see in its next phase. 

Does your website currently lack solid e-commerce capabilities? Do you need to have a database where people can easily access big PDFs or other files? Are you interested in making your website a lot more visual? 

Once you know your “big asks” for the project, a development team can work on finding the best solutions to meet your needs. 

2. Think About Specific Expertise

This ties into understanding your core needs, but this takes it to a new level. 

Website development is a very nuanced field. Every company has their own specialties, and you may need to find a company that can help fit a certain need you have. 

If your main concern is having a usable and attractive website, you’ll want to find a company that has a lot of UX experts on staff. Companies that need a mobile-friendly website will want to find a company that understands how to build mobile-first interfaces.

This is why it’s so important for business owners to have a basic understanding of what they’re looking for. If you go into your website development services search blind you could miss out on finding someone that can build you the website your business needs.

3. Request an RFP

It may seem like overkill when you just want a website for your business, but starting off with an RFP can save you and the company you work with a lot of trouble in the future. 

An RFP will clearly outline a lot of important things about your website project. Potential companies will have to figure out things like the scope of work, cost analysis, and come up with a rough timeline of the project. 

This makes it much easier for business owners to choose the company they want to work with. When the big parts of the project are clearly outlined you can compare and contrast RFPs from different companies and quickly see what’s best for you.

4. Always Ask Friends

Word of mouth can be your best friend when you’re looking for development services. Now is the perfect time to tap into your business network to see if anyone knows good developers in the area. 

You don’t have to make things complicated by sending out long emails or individual outreach. Sometimes simply posting about your web development needs on LinkedIn or even Facebook can give you the answers you need. 

Remember to follow up with friends that reply to your post. Ask them specific questions about their experience with the company and why they feel safe recommending them. 

5. Think About Additional Services

You’re concerned about building your website today, but what digital needs could your company have tomorrow?

It never hurts to look for a company that can do more than just build your website. Some companies may have additional expertise that can help you in the future.

Have you ever thought about creating an app for your business? Consider going with a website developer that can also build apps. Some companies may be able to offer you SEO or digital marketing services as well as web development services.

6. Learn About Their Process

Every website development company has a certain way they like handling projects and clients. When you’re searching for the right company to work with be sure to ask about their work style to see if they’re compatible with what you need. 

Are there any collaboration tools they like to use with their clients? Do they expect to have quick daily meetings to touch base or do they prefer to catch up at longer weekly meetings? How do they prefer to get feedback from their clients?

Knowing about their workstyle ahead of time can help determine if they’re the right company for you. You may find that you’ll need someone that can work with tools you already know or that you prefer a different work style. 

7. Ask About Your Team 

In the past, it may have been possible for one person to build an entire website from scratch. However, most well-built websites will require a team of experts to create it. 

Don’t make the mistake of just talking to a salesperson when you’re looking for a development company. Ask about the individuals that will be working on your site and if you can meet them. 

Knowing your team ahead of time can help you figure out the best way to work together throughout the project. It can also give you peace of mind knowing that your website is in the right hands. 

8. Carefully Read Reviews

Client references and reviews can tell you a lot about the company you’re thinking of working with. Take the time to read reviews and testimonials from the client and do a little review research on your own. 

Many reputable companies will have in-depth reviews from clients that shows off the best of their work. Ask to read a few, and if you can see any reviews from clients that have similar needs to yours. 

Websites like Yelp or even Google can show you reviews, but you’re going to want to dig a little deeper for developers. Go to industry-specific review sites like Clutch to learn more about what people have to say about companies.

9. View Their Portfolio 

If you want to understand the work a web development company may do for you, dive into their portfolios. A solid web development portfolio should have multiple projects that showcase the company’s best work. 

Looking at a portfolio is helpful, but experiencing a website they’ve built is even more useful. Ask them if they have any current examples of their work so you can see the web experiences they’ve built first hand. 

Case studies aren’t a part of most portfolios, but they can still be helpful in your search. They’ll showcase some of the work companies have done and also show concrete results their sites have gotten for their clients. 

10. Judge Their Website

You wouldn’t get your haircut by a barber that has bad hair, and you don’t want to work with a web development company with a bad website. 

Before you decide to reach out to a company spend time on their own website to see what they can do first hand. 

Did everything on the site work the way you expected it to? Does the design look great, or do you think it’s a bit dull? Was everything laid out in a way that made sense to you?

Ready to Meet Your Development Team?

Finding the right web development services in Austin doesn’t have to be difficult. When you focus on their past work, technological expertise, and work style, it gets much easier to find a company that can meet your website needs.

Whether you need a complete website redesign or just want to add certain features to your current site, we’re here to help. Be sure to contact us for a consultation so we can start thinking of the best way to transform your website.