In the current market with many design agencies, selection of the best one to work for your business can be very vital. You need to know some of the factors that set good agencies apart from bad ones. This article is the endeavor to equip you with useful information and tips so that you may make a wise decision.
Contents
Evaluating Agency Credibility
The first step that you should take in your selection process is to establish the authenticity of the agency. A good design agency should have an official website that presents the company’s portfolio. Do not trust agencies that have only links to Behance, or Dribbble, as their main portfolio. These platforms are quite useful for each designer, however, a legitimate agency should have the official website.
Moreover, it is necessary to pay attention to the physical location of the agency. Google My Business listing can be useful for the company which tells about the location of the company and its office, photos and reviews of the clients. This free promotional tool is seldom left out by established agencies, therefore, its absence should raise the alarm.
Assessing Organizational Capacity
The structure and capacity of the design agency are also important when one is assessing this kind of agency. An ideal agency should be able to undertake any project without any restrictions on resources, skills, or technology.
For example, if your project entails designing for responsivity across different devices, then the agency should have multiple devices to enable them to test the site and make adjustments. Such willingness to satisfy different demands can be regarded as the evidence of competence and availability of resources of the agency.
Moreover, one should take into account the number of employees of the agency and the space that they occupy. It is self-explanatory that a team with enough staff and suitable tools will be in a better place to produce quality work within a short span of time. Although this might be a bit expensive, the profits in the form of early delivery and better quality are often worth the price.
In this list of companies, Linkup Studio wrote the best UI/UX companies to work with.
Verifying Reliability and Reputation
Of all the criteria used in selecting the design agency, one of the most important is the reliability of the agency. Online feedback, which includes testaments from clients, online reviews, and referrals, is one of the ways that can be used to measure an agency’s performance and the satisfaction of its clients.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to check the credibility of these testimonials. It is better to search for reviews on official platforms or on sites that connect feedback with particular projects. This is also applicable when verifying the legitimacy of the testimonials since comparing them with the agency’s portfolio may be useful.
For instance, if Linkup Studio done work for, say, ‘YachtWay’ in the portfolio section and a testimonial from the founder of YachtWay, it adds more credibility to the work done and the testimonial.
Examining the Portfolio
A good portfolio is one sign of a design agency’s competence and experience. Although some projects might still be under the non-disclosure agreement (NDA), the agency should still be able to show many projects.
It is recommended that the portfolio should be diverse with references to the type of projects worked on, industries and the style of designs used. This variety shows that the agency has versatility and is capable of a lot more than what is seen here. Search for examples that will be relevant to your project type if it is web design, UX research, usability testing, or any other specific services you offer.
Do not work with agencies that have very few samples or those that host their samples on other platforms. A well-established agency should have a collection of projects on their own website, usually, it includes their most successful projects and the ones that are most relevant to the current conditions.
Understanding Agency Expertise
However, one has to go beyond the number of attractive websites in an agency’s portfolio and consider the actual extent of its experience. Search for signs that the offered services are not limited to mere design. An ideal partner should be able to discuss with you about UX, accessibility, marketing, SEO and possibly growth hacking.
This extent of understanding shows that the agency is not only concerned with the look of the site but also with its usability, appeal, and usefulness to the business. This is a more effective approach to achieving aesthetically pleasing designs that also meet users’ needs and contribute positively to organizational goals.
Evaluating Communication and Collaboration
Communication is essential for the achievement of any design project. When talking to potential agencies you should focus on how quickly they answer, how clearly they explain things, and how eager they are to get your requirements.
A professional agency must be in a position to explain the procedure they are going to take, the expectations they have, and the interest they have in the business. They should listen to what you have to say while at the same time giving you advice from what they have learned in the field.
Search for agencies that are open to cooperation and have a clear protocol for the client’s feedback and amendments. It also prevents you from deviating from your vision while at the same time leveraging on the agency’s experience.
Considering Long-Term Partnership Potential
It is always good to consider the long-term relationship, even if you are only interested in a particular project at the moment. An agency that knows your brand and what you are aiming at in your business can be of great help in future projects. You can find it out if you hire product designers at Linkup Studio.
Determine if the agency cares about your big-picture approach to your business and how their designs will help you achieve your goals. Such agencies are likely to provide designs that will suffice your current needs in addition to the future needs that you are likely to encounter.
Balancing Cost and Value
Though cost is a factor, it should be considered in terms of the agency’s ability to offer the best value at a reasonable price instead of going with the cheapest agency. Agencies that charge more money will always state that they are more qualified than the cheaper agencies; they work faster and offer more services.
Think about the possible ROI of high-quality design work. A good website or application design can greatly enhance the level of user engagement, conversion rates, and, consequently, your profits. In this regard, it can be argued that investing in a more experienced and capable agency is a good business strategy.
Conclusions
The decision of choosing a design agency to work with is very important, and it can affect your business. To sum up, we can say that you can be in a better position if you analyze an agency’s credibility and ability to organize processes. You can also investigate the specific projects they have handled in the past, their primary area of specialization, and other parameters valuable to you.
