Hiring the wrong web development agency means disaster. Make the wrong choice and you not only pay for bad work but you get bad results, multiplying the cost of the error.
It can affect your search rankings, reputation, sales… everything.
In fact, you’re better off without your web project than having the wrong company do it.
What gets the best web development company that is ideal for you is knowing exactly what you want and what to look for.
Not sure where to start? Read on for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to hiring the best web development company in Saudi Arabia and MENA.
1. Define Your Project Requirements
Before you look for the best web development company, you need to know your own requirements.
Let’s say you’re hiring an employee. You don’t jump straight into interviews. First, you create a job description with what the employee is required to do, what you intend to pay, who they’ll work with.
And all the other important details. The same applies when hiring a web development company: your project requirements have to be clear.
Here’s what you need to be aware of:
Scope
Web development is a really broad term and encompasses many different services such as designing websites from scratch, redesigning websites, creating web and mobile apps.
And building custom e-commerce stores, blog creation, management, and others.
So your first step should be defining what service or services you need.
If you want a website, do you need one created from scratch or do you want the web development company to redesign your existing site?
Or maybe you want a mobile app for your website; what are the features you’re looking for?
Being clear on what you need will give you a clear idea of what you’re hiring for and will be instrumental in helping you narrow down prospective web development companies.
Talent needed
Once you have defined what service(s) you want, you’ll need to define the kind of talent you want to work on your project.
For example, if you want a website and corresponding app then – at the very least – you need a project manager, a web designer, and an app developer.
Why is it important to know what talent you need before you hire a company? Can’t you just let the development company decide who to bring into the project?
Instead of talking to whether web or app development companies and accepting whatever they say, go in with an idea, a plan, and something that shows you’ve done your research.
They may change your mind about your requirements but at least they’ll see that you’ve come prepared and know what you want.
Project budget
How much are you willing to spend on this project?
There is no standard charge for web development. Different companies will charge different rates depending on the scope of your project.
Have a budget in mind so that you can shortlist affordable companies.
Also, when creating your budget, decide whether you could stretch a little further if you find an exceptional company that’s not within your original range.
Now that you are fully aware of what you want, whom you want to do it, and how much you want to spend on it, let’s find you the ideal web development company.
2. Consider Relevant Technical Skills
You most certainly do not want to hire a company whose staff doesn’t have any relevant qualifications.
Why would you hire someone with, for instance, writing skills to do web development work? You’ll just be shooting yourself in the foot.
The number one measure of an ideal web development agency is its technical skills.
Look for an agency that has a mix of qualified staff such as developers, designers, and marketers. This way, you don’t have to spend more time sourcing and hiring several people separately.
These kinds of professionals will work together to deliver a project that will take your business to the next level.
3. Check Their Portfolio
Push each web development company to walk the walk.
It’s one thing to say that they have the technical skills required but it’s another to show proof of their skills at work.
Ask each of your options to send samples appropriate to your requirements, and to make those samples as specific as possible to your business.
So if you need a website, ask them to send you samples of the sites they’ve created – in your business niche if possible – and not for unrelated projects such as mobile apps.
If you like what you see, chances are you will like what they do for you.
You can also quickly take a look at their portfolio on their websites. Here’s an example of how that might look:
Better still, ask them if they have any case studies. Case studies are very important for a business because they show the process and not just the final deliverables.
Case studies show that the company understands its clients’ needs. They’re particularly useful if you’re non-technical because they show that the developers can understand what’s being asked.
And tailor the result, rather than just supplying a boring template with a few simple changes.
Looking at a web development company’s case studies will clearly show the process that the agency went through in creating a similar project.
This gives you a clear picture of how the company works, so you can tell if it’s what you want or not.
4. Check Out Their Website
A web development company’s website is the biggest indicator of its value.
If their site is crap, then you can be damned sure you’ll get a crappy site too. Ideally, you should hire a company whose website makes you sit up and go “Wow!”
Check that their website is functional, user-friendly, visually appealing, and up-to-date because those are the things that they must achieve with your website.
These same design principles apply to apps and most other web development projects.
Above all, you want a site that lets your visitors do what brought them to you as fast as possible.
If it takes you more than two or three clicks to do something on their site, it’s not simple enough.
5. Talk About Their Communication Process
Communication is paramount in any successful web development project. A breakdown in communication will result in wasted time, unprofessional work, unnecessary delays, bad coding, and so on.
Imagine you contract a company, agree on your requirements, and give them the go-ahead to work on your project.
Then they go quiet. Well, that’s no problem; they’re just busy working on your project.
But then the project comes back totally wrong.
They didn’t understand the project requirements, they didn’t ask for clarifications, and they never looped you into the process.
Now they have to redo the project. Who’s paying for that? How does it affect your deadlines, release schedules, and other projects?
The time that could have been put to better use is now lost, simply because of poor communication.
Or – worse still – they send you a shoddy first draft and, when you request changes, you get crickets. Not cool at all.
The best development company will have a communication process in place to ensure your project runs smoothly.
They will also assign a project manager who should be in constant communication with you and keep you updated on progress.
During the interview process, look out for how prompt they are in replying to your emails and messages.
Find out if they are also reachable via online chat. This will give you an idea of their communication and soft skills.
6. Look for Client Reviews and Ratings
When you buy something, you’ll normally go to a seller referred to you by a friend or family, or to one that has rave reviews. In fact, statistics show that 92% of consumers trust referrals from people they know.
This is because you are assured of good quality products and services.
When it comes to hiring a web development company, especially for the first time, you want to go with one that’s tried and tested.
Read past clients’ reviews and ratings before you make up your mind. But don’t go with the testimonials on the company’s website. No one ever puts a bad review on their own site.
Check out review sites such as Better Business Bureau, Yelp, Yellowpages, Manta, and Angies List.
The company’s Facebook business page is also a good source of honest reviews and ratings.
It’s also worth asking each company if they have reference clients that you can talk to.
These are previous (happy) clients who agree to be used as a reference and talk to other potential clients – ideally honestly – about their experience.
7. Discuss Their Niche Expertise
Some niches, such as e-commerce, are complex and need specific expertise.
If your business has specific functional, legal, or regulatory requirements, make sure that you look for a developer familiar with your niche and industry.
Hiring a web developer with industry-specific expertise will bring you better success because they are likely to be familiar with the requirements and design challenges of your industry.
It also means that they are familiar with your target customers and are capable of creating products that will be useful to that segment.
Another advantage of an agency with industry-specific expertise is that they work with businesses in your niche and are more likely to give you expert advice if you need it.
For example, they may be able to offer insight into tried-and-tested strategies that can drive your success.
Find out what experience they have in creating projects in your industry and niche. Get samples, if possible. If they have awards, certifications, and reviews, even better.
8. Digital Marketing Experience is Important, Too
Digital marketing has become very important for any business. It’s no longer enough to only have a website or a Facebook account.
A web development company that’s familiar with digital marketing will not only design a website for you but will also provide SEO and marketing guidance.
A beautiful website is not enough to help you meet your business goals. It has to rank well in search engines and this is where SEO and marketing come in handy.
Most web development companies have specialists with advanced SEO skills.
They can advise you on how to run a blog that generates traffic, build a site the search engines love.
Create content that converts readers into customers, market your brand online, and run PPC ads, among other things.
And designing a website with digital marketing in mind will give you an edge once you’re ready to launch your digital marketing strategy.
While finding a great company that focuses purely on design and development is good for your business, getting one that can deliver additional services such as digital marketing is even better.
Interested in having us do digital marketing for you? Contact us now.
9. Ask for Local Referrals
If you are targeting a local market, it’s best to work with a company that knows local markets and has local referrals/references you can check.
For example, a site specifically for a Saudi audience, catering to Saudi needs, would be very different to one for a Chinese, European, or American audience.
10. Compare Pricing and Rates
Last but not least, consider pricing. Remember how you started by defining the budget for your project? Now you have to consider if your shortlisted companies suit your bank account.
You may find an otherwise perfect web development company that passes all the other requirements but whose pricing is way above your budget.
In that case, look into their different price points. Generally, the more technology used and the more experienced their developers are, the more you’ll pay.
If your budget can stretch, don’t compromise on skills and expertise for a lower price.
If not, consider reducing your requirements or splitting the project into stages, spread across future budget periods.
Questions to ask Prospective Web Development Companies
You’re now very close to hiring the best web development company. One last thing to help you find the one.
Ask them these 10 questions:
- Will I own full rights to everything you deliver – code, frameworks, content, images, and everything else?
- Could I give the final deliverables to another development company if I need future edits and expansion?
- Do you have coding guidelines and conventions in place and can I see them?
- Do you use a structured web application framework? What’s your framework?
- Do you document your code to ease migration and scalability?
- How do you avoid copyright issues?
- What type of quality assurance testing do you have in place?
- What bug testing and fixing methods do you use?
- What type of security testing and methods do you use to find and fix vulnerabilities?
- What type of stress testing and methods do you use to check the site’s scalability and tolerance for large traffic growth?
Final Words
So there you have it: everything you need to hire the best web development company in Saudi Arabia and MENA.
With this guide, you can be sure to find the ideal agency for your next project. Start your search now!
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