Whether it is for a website redesign, a microsite, or a fresh new website for a brand new business –if you are looking for a creative spin on web design there are a few things you really need to understand first.

Common Mistakes When Seeking a Creative Web Design Company

There are a number of really simple ways to botch a website design procurement process, and they aren’t all that obvious. Read on to understand some of the most common mistakes people make when they are looking for a creative web design company.

1. Fashion, First

So you might have taken a look at the awwwards.com top 95 creative websites design agencies and thought you’d begin your search for the best creative web design company there; bad idea.

One of the foremost biggest mistakes a person can make when seeking a creative web design company during the procurement process is to seek one based on creativity alone.

It is, after all, a business website, correct? While shiny bells and whistles are definitely in fashion, they may lack in function and substance. A website that balances your business objectives with creative design is probably the most important factor to consider before you pick up the phone or write an email to a prospective vendor.

Solution:

In order to ensure you find a creative web design company that fits your business requirements while satiating your desire for creativity, ask yourself the following questions:

• Has this creative web design company worked with a client in my niche or industry before?
• Do I get a sense that they understand the challenges of my industry or do they glaze over the technical aspects of my requirements?
• Are they glory-seeking award-mongers? Is an award more important than my business requirements? Do they wear suspenders because they look good or because they don’t like belts? What is more important to them?

2. The Technical Aspects of the Job

The internet is a magical place full of obfuscated walls and rules one cannot see, touch, or feel. Sort of like the Transpacific Partnership –website code is a need-to-know-basis sort of thing; if you don’t know what you’re looking at, you can get taken advantage of.

That’s why it is important to be able to see case studies and have a deeper understanding of what your creative web design agency is capable of. Read about a guide to black hat and white hat SEO as it may help in formulating an efficient web design.

Ask yourself:

• Beyond creativity, are they able to integrate my website with the other third-party systems I need to push and pull data to and from my website? Are they technical at all? Are their technical resources in-house or do they outsource that part of the job?
• Are they using a kind of website development code that is current or are they using archaic programming languages that haven’t been used much since Internet Explorer 6 was thrust upon workplace computers around the globe?
• Are they going to shoehorn me into a solution they suggest because they’re good at it instead of hearing each of my concerns and answering them logically without five cent words and language I don’t understand in an attempt to snow me over?

Simply put; if your creative web design company in Australia cannot explain it simply enough for a normal person like us, then they don’t know the subject matter well enough. That was Einstein who I am paraphrasing; can’t really go wrong on that one.

3. Do Their Fuzzy Bunnies and Unicorns Comply with Standards?

Creativity is an unbounded force, but you do not want your website to be unhinged from current standards; they are there for a reason.

If you are going to use a website design company that prides itself on its creativity, make sure they understand the importance of HTML5 (and know the difference between “HTML5” and “HTML 5”). Extra points if they have the wherewithal to become influencers in the industry, even on a small scale. It means they’re not afraid of their peers –who would likely destroy them if they were posing.

In Conclusion

You may like shiny things in your personal life, but choosing a website design vendor on abject creativity alone is like trying to pick up a glimmering nickel on a busy freeway. It’s irresponsible, so do your homework. It’s food on your table.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments.