Having an online presence is essentially mandatory now; the right choice of provider is extremely important.

Social media profiles are also useful tools for increasing brand awareness and interacting directly with your audience, but they're no substitute for a full website designed by a professional.

Here's how to choose a website developer who can deliver the best results for your business website.

Understand their value

Before you start looking for a professional website developer to work with, make sure you understand why they are worth spending money on.

There are plenty of platforms that enable users to build websites that look professional and support all the most important features and functions.

In addition, some of these platforms are further augmented by user-created plugins that expand the functionality of their web building tools even further. So, why should you pay a professional website developer?

There are several reasons why a bespoke website developed professionally is better than something you put together yourself. For one thing, a professional developer isn't constrained by the limitations of a platform.

They have total control over the look and functionality of your website and can tailor it to your brand. The result will be a completely unique website built just for you, rather than the best site you can make using preset assets.


Define your budget

You shouldn't begin your search until you know exactly how much you want to spend on your website. Like anything else, you get what you pay for. Remember, a professional website will help grow your brand and generate new leads and can provide an additional revenue stream. This isn't just the purchase of a service; it's an investment in your business.

However, some developers will adjust their rates depending on the specifics of each project. It's, therefore, a good idea to at least have a rough outline of what features you want your website to include.

Freelancer or agency?

Conventional wisdom says that freelancers are better for small businesses and individuals, while agencies are better for bigger businesses with bigger budgets. However, it's not that simple. For one thing, this overlooks the fact that there are plenty of small to mid-sized agencies that work with clients of a similar size.

Clickingmad offers website development in the West Midlands for SME clients (and larger organisations) across a range of industries. Not only can we handle website design and development, but we also offer SEO and hosting services. For SMEs in need of website design in the Shropshire area and beyond, our holistic service enables them to get everything they need in one place. Our local presence gives us an edge in providing local SEO for Shropshire and the West Midlands. We understand the needs of SMEs because we are one.

Hiring an agency like Clickingmad is going to be more expensive than hiring a freelancer, but you do get your money's worth.

With the right strategy, any business website can generate an income proportional to the volume of traffic it receives and you should exepct it to pay for itself many times over.

That income is in addition to any income generated through direct sales. The combination of services our agency provides can help you reach that point as quickly as possible. Contact us today to discuss your needs and find out how we can help.

Whether you decide to go with an agency or a freelancer, be sure to check their existing portfolio to get an idea of where their expertise lies. If they've developed websites for similar businesses to yours in the past, you know they already have some relevant experience.

On going support is important

You should also enquire about what level of ongoing support they can offer. Another advantage of working with an agency is that they're more likely to have the resources to help you swiftly should you have any trouble with your website. You dont want the phone to go unanswered or emails ignored!

How to choose a website developer when your budget is tight

For startups and sole traders, in particular, the costs of hiring a full-time web developer can be prohibitively expensive. Money spent on developing your business website is money worth spending, but you can only spend as much as your budget will allow. If you can't afford to hire your ideal web developer full-time, you might have to get creative. One option is to ask developers if they are willing to work on the website part-time. This might enable you to spread out the cost of developing your site in a way that makes it affordable on your budget.

Another option is to look for developers who have recently started freelancing. Even relatively experienced developers will often lower their rates when they first move to freelance work so they can build their client base and portfolio more quickly. Similarly, you will occasionally run into a very talented web developer who doesn't have much experience but is highly skilled. If you can find one of these unicorns, you can get a professional website at a bargain price.

If all else fails, ask friends, family, business associates, and anyone else you can think of if they know any web developers who can help you out. Of course, you can always use a platform like Wix or WordPress to build a website yourself that you can use until you can afford to hire a professional web developer.

  • Bear in mind that how your website looks is not as important as how it works.
  • Your website should be looked at as a business investment - and not an afterthought.
  • When budgeting, think how much you want back from the website - then invest accordingly.
  • An experienced Website design agency can help you avoid making common mistakes about what you should put on your website as well as how it looks.

Hopefully, these tips help you understand how to choose a website developer who can build a website worthy of your business.
Don't rush into making your decision; you don't want to sink money into building a website only to discover that the developer isn't right for the job halfway through its development. Talk to several website developers - get to know them and frankly decide if they are the right fit for you and for your business.

You will be working with your provider for a long time to come - so choose wisely!

The clearer your vision for your website, the easier it will be for any developer to help you realise it. If you don't have a clear vision, be prepared for the initial stages of the process to mostly consist of talking with your developer. The more a website developer and a website design agency understands about you and your business, the better the result will be.

At Clickingmad we take a lot of time to understand not only your business but also you as people. That way we can hit the mark for the right tone much more easily.

Clickingmad is used to helping clients define their vision, we always begin with an initial chat about your business, audience, and ideas and then work closely with you to ensure the final website meets your standards.

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