If you are looking to develop a website for your business in
Kenya it is important to start in the right direction. A website can be the
biggest asset for your business if done correctly. On the other hand if not
done correctly you can end up with a PR nightmare. Here are a few tips to help
you choose a web design company.
1. Previous Work
Always make sure you ask for work done previously and check
it out. If you like samples of their work, that is a good sign. If you are able
contact the people who the website was built for and ask for recommendations or
just their general experience. It may be that you like the work but it was not
what the customer wanted. Or it may be
that the website is well done but the customer service or after sales service
is really bad. How about maintenance? Is the website being maintained by the
person whom it was built for or by the person who built it. If it is the
developer then you need to rethink your choice or look elsewhere. Now days with
the emergence of CMS you should not need the services of a web designer or
developer to help you maintain your website.
2. Location
It is advisable to hire a firm or an agency that is located
in Kenya. As they are more likely to understand local website requirements. It
is also easier to get support from someone if you can walk into their office
rather than send tireless emails and get no response. Kenyan web designers may
also be able to translate your website in Kiswahili. Although not entirely
important it is a handy feature to have.
3. Cost
Should probably have been number 1 on the list. If you do
decide to use a CMS it is advisable to use wordpress. To be able to estimate
the cost of the website read this article: Cost of a
WordPress website in 2017 Make sure you are not overcharged and the prices
quoted are within the range of the market. You don’t want to get ripped off
because you have no idea about web design. Freelancers are always cheaper than
web design agencies and usually deliver high quality work just like companies.
Sometimes even better quality because they have a handful of clients and can
concentrate on your project unlike agencies that may be overloaded with work.
4. Time
Always ask how long they will take to build the website. You
want to be up and running in a reasonable amount of time. Not too fast as you
don’t want your website to be done in a rush and not too slow as you probably
need to be online in good time. It is also not a good idea to push your web
designer as he may get pressurized and not deliver quality work.
5. Web Hosting
Make sure you get your website hosted in Kenya as it will be
more beneficial for local customers in terms of faster load times. If your
website is slow people are likely to navigate away from it. Also make sure the
designer understands the requirements of speed. Even google has a tool called
Page speed insights. It may be a good idea to go and check those websites that
have been built earlier by your designer to ascertain they are optimized for
speed.
We hope these tips were helpful for you.
