Why look for a local web designer
If you’re searching for a local web design company, you might simply use the Google search term ‘find a website design agency near me’. The search engine will return a list of possibilities. But it won’t tell you why going local is a top idea. First let’s examine the all-important question, why look for a local web designer?
Local web design comes with many benefits. For a start, they’re close to you physically. If you actually talk to someone face-to-face, at their premises or yours. This gives you a really good idea about the feel, the personality and the style of the company. It matters because trust is vital. Working with like-minded people on the same wavelength, who speak the same language literally and figuratively, makes life so much easier.
In a digital world, actually meeting people in real life remains powerful stuff. It’s so much easier to build great relationships when you’ve met. If something goes wrong, like it sometimes can, having a local designer means you can pop in for a chat without flying thousands of miles or being stuck with nothing better than video chat. Ironing problems out becomes a lot more effective.
A local company can more easily keep up with your content management system. The same goes when it comes to redesigning your website so it’s always in top condition, ahead of the curve. It also means a fast response on essential site maintenance jobs like updates, uploads and extra functionality. If your web design company is in a different time zone or on a different continent, and brought up in a different culture, things can easily get complicated. And a tricky language barrier can prove fatal.
Local web design partnerships take care of all this. When your business operates locally, the people at your local agency will know the area, understand the transport links, and be familiar with your audience, your reach, and the potential for finding new audiences close by.
Working locally also means better communication between the design team and the business owner. And more feedback means you end up with a site that’s a much better representation of your company's brand and identity.
If you’re looking at local SEO, an agency on your doorstep will have an intuitive understanding of which search terms and keywords will prove the most useful in boosting visibility locally and building up visitor numbers.
How to find a local web design company
How to find a web designer? Once you know how to find a web designer near you, you have the potential to pin down a partner who is ideal for your needs, perfect to take your business forward in the right way. So what do you need to know and do to identify the best local provider? There are several different ways to do it.
Where to find local web designers
Find the most popular local web design companies by searching Google using locally-focused keywords, for example ‘local web designers near me’. Those that pop up on page 1 of the search results will have taken SEO seriously. They’ll have created a website for themselves that ticks all the technical boxes, otherwise Google wouldn’t give them a top natural search position. If they can nail local search visibility for themselves, they should be able to nail it for your company as well.
Set a budget for your website design
Review sites like Clutch are another helpful way to figure out who’s the most popular and highest rated locally. They review web design agencies, their pricing, and their work. This is really useful since there’s no point approaching a high-charging agency when your budget is limited or very small. Set a budget before you begin your search.
Look at their portfolio
Take a look at the portfolios of the agencies you like the look of. If their work chimes with you, and you think their style will suit your business well, you’ve taken another step towards a wise decision. If they’re already experienced in your industry, that gives you another clue. Have they already designed sites for businesses like yours?
Read client testimonials
Client testimonials are always a goodie. Other people have done some of the figuring out for you, and they’ve been happy to share their opinions. If an agency or freelance web designer doesn’t have any testimonials but you still like the look of them, ask for references. If they can’t provide any, walk away.
See if they offer additional services
The future matters. Web design is one thing, ongoing website development is another. Can they support your business with the related services you might need in future?
Ask people you know and respect
Word of mouth is an excellent way to find the best local web designer. Ask the people in your local business network for recommendations. See what your local Chamber of Commerce or business club have to say. Find a local website you love and ask them who designed it, or check out the web page footer for clues.
Ask lots of questions about the web designer’s process
Once you’ve made a shortlist, ask questions. The best people will be happy to explain what they do, how and why in your context, and this’ll also let you gauge how well you get on, on a personal level.
Benefits of hiring a local web design company
Searching for and prioritising your efforts on local web designers near me lets you tap directly into all the many benefits of a provider who’s physically close by and on the same sort of wavelength. The benefits of hiring a local web design company include a better, wider and deeper understanding of issues like the local economy, local audience, and any local barriers to success. They understand the local market and everything that affects it. You can meet them in person to create a warm, genuine relationship based on respect and mutual understanding.
When you work closely with someone just down the road or in the next town or county, you feel safe in the knowledge they’re not just going to disappear on you, like a partner hundreds or thousands of miles away could. They may have already heard of your company and be aware of its culture, which helps a lot. They probably understand your audience, prospects and customers pretty well. And there’s better accountability all round.
Now you know how to find a local web designer
If a ‘website design agency near me’ is your focus, you’re onto a winner. Now you’re familiar with the many benefits of local web design and development, is a local web design company on your radar?
We’re local. We work with brilliant companies in Oxford itself and across Oxfordshire. Being so close to London, we’re within the capital’s reach and we understand it equally well. We have a local focus involving quality every step of the way. We know who you’re appealing to, who buys from you now, and who might buy in future. We’re nearby, we’re approachable, and we’re always here for you. And we think we fit the bill perfectly when you’re thinking about local web designers near me.
If you’d like to know more, we’ll be delighted to chat.
Get in touch by phone on 01844 888 777, email us at hello@intuitiv.net or use our contact form.
