Choosing the right web design agency can feel like a big decision, and honestly, it is. Your website is often the first impression people get of your business. It needs to look good, work seamlessly and truly reflect who you are. Whether you’re starting from scratch or planning a redesign, the agency you pick will shape your online presence for years to come.
So, how do you make sure you choose the right one? Below are eight points to look at when you’re considering working with a web design agency.
1. A portfolio that speaks your language
Start by checking out their portfolio – any reputable agency should display at least some of their work online. Look at the industries they’ve built sites for and whether they have experience in yours. Are they sites they build easy to navigate, clean and mobile friendly? Do they look professional? Are they all a standard, cookie-cutter template layout or are they unique and creative? They don’t need to have done your exact project before, but you should feel confident they’ll “get” your vision.
2. Goals first
A great website isn’t just pretty, it has a specific purpose, to bring you business. The right agency will dig into your goals and audience before talking colours and fonts. Pay close attention to whether they ask about your business objectives early on in the process and understand why you need a website and what you want out of it.
3. A transparent, collaborative process
You want an agency that works with you, not just for you. Find out how they communicate during the project, whether you’ll have a dedicated contact/project manager, how feedback is addressed, how many rounds of amends are included, preferred communication methods and estimated timescales. A good agency should be happy to provide these, will keep you in the loop and make communication as easy as possible.
4. Technical know-how
Design and development go hand-in-hand, and many people don’t realise that there’s a difference between a web designer and a web developer. A good agency will either have ‘full stack’ developers, who are skilled at both, or will have dedicated designers and developers on hand to manage each aspect of the project. Ultimately, you want to make sure they have the skills to actually build what they design. Check out whether they have experience with platforms like WordPress and Shopify, and that they can create bespoke designs and don’t just work off templates.
Make sure they don’t bamboozle you with techy jargon and buzzwords too, which could be thrown in to mislead or confuse you. Everything should be communicated in plain English, with any jargon on a need-to-know basis and clearly explained.
5. SEO and performance
You may have a stunning site designed, but if no one can find it, it’ll be useless. A quality agency should lay the SEO foundations from the start, including alt text for images, meta titles and descriptions and mobile responsiveness, as well as optimising the page speed.
However, remember that a new website doesn’t guarantee you’ll rank for the keywords you want to target in search engines – that’s where a full SEO campaign comes in. Be VERY wary of any web design agency that promises rankings or full SEO within the website package, as this is likely to be too good to be true.
6. Happy clients and long-term relationships
Check out their testimonials and case studies. Do past clients rave about communication and reliability? Do they stick around for ongoing support? Do they have past results on their site? These are all promising signs.
7. Post-launch support
Your website isn’t “done” when it goes live, it should grow and evolve with your business. Make sure you find out what, if any, sort of aftercare or support they offer. Is hosting included? Are regular backups taken? Do they look after the plugin and software updates? What happens if the site breaks or gets hacked? What about if you need text or images changing?
A quality agency will be in it for the long haul and able to assist with all of the above.
8. A team you actually like
Last but not least – do you enjoy talking to them? You’ll be working closely together, so choose a team that listens, communicates well and gets excited about your ideas.
All in all, hiring a web design agency isn’t just about getting a website, it’s about finding a partner to help you succeed online, allowing you to do what you do best: focus on growing your business.
Ready to take your website to the next level? Get in touch with our team at Engage Web. We build bespoke WordPress websites designed for exceptional user experience and SEO friendliness.
- Will a new website actually generate leads or sales? - January 2, 2026
- How much should my SEO cost? - December 19, 2025
- What to look for in a web design agency - December 18, 2025
