If you search online for a design agency, the one thing you can be sure of is that you’ll be spoilt for choice. How do you decide between so many agencies, most of whom look promising? There are several things to look for.
The agency’s record
The length of time the agency has been established is significant, obviously, but more important is to find out what experience its key individuals have. An agency whose website gives you no information about the people who’d be working with you is probably best avoided. The look of a design agency’s website, of course, is far more significant than the look of a plumber’s, but that doesn’t tell you whether the agency can create the right design for your company. Make sure you examine their portfolio, both for any client similar to yourself and to see how flexible they are. It’s also worth checking how successful their clients have been. Graphic design isn’t the only thing that makes or breaks a company, but a pattern of success or failure might tell you a lot about the agency.
Services offered
What do you want from the agency? It’s likely that you’ll need web design, as well as graphic design for a logo or business cards, but do you want these in isolation or a comprehensive branding project? Do you need them to provide content marketing or a social media campaign? Before you even start your search, it’s as well to make a list of what you’re looking for. When you’re examining agencies’ sites, mark off whether each one offers your various needs and what experience they have at it.
Timelines
An agency might be brilliant at what it does, but is your project going to take back seat to bigger clients? Find out whether the agency offers deadline guarantees, and what they are.
Price
The bottom line is always crucial, especially for a small company or a start-up, but low cost isn’t everything — sometimes the cheapest option is cheap for a good reason. Even if you’re on a tight budget, balance price and quality to make sure you get the best value for money. You should be able to get most of this information from the agency’s website, but ask for clarification if necessary. An agency that won’t answer your questions either doesn’t want your custom or has something to hide. Either way, move on to one that’s passionate about doing a great job for you. With this in mind get in touch with us at Create and Deploy if you have any questions regarding this, we’d be happy to help out and get rid of any agency woes.
