Building a new website or revamping an existing one is a big deal. Your website often forms the first impression customers have of your brand, and it can either attract or repel them. But with so many web design and development firms out there, how do you tell seasoned experts apart from underqualified junior-level talent? I can help you with that.
Over many years in the marketing trenches, I’ve learned some hard lessons while managing new website builds and massive overhauls — mostly on the client side, but also as an agency project manager. You don’t have to make the same mistakes I’ve witnessed.
I’m working on a comprehensive guide to qualifying web design and development firms — specifically for first-timers building a customer-focused marketing site. But in the meantime, I’ve distilled my experience into 10 red flags to watch out for as you review proposals and portfolios. These warning signs cover everything from planning to backend development, giving you a well-rounded perspective on potential pitfalls.
Planning Flags
All right — let’s get into it. We’ll start where every great website should: with solid planning.
A mature planning process ensures that your website not only looks great, but, more importantly, also serves your users effectively while still meeting your business objectives. By ‘users,’ I mean the customers and prospects you want to attract. Here are some red flags to look for when assessing an agency’s process.
Red Flag #1: Discovery Tunnel Vision
The discovery phase is like laying the foundation for a house — get it wrong, and everything on top will feel shaky.
If an agency’s idea of discovery is a quick chat with you and your team, that’s a huge red flag waving in your face. Why? Because they’re missing a crucial piece of the puzzle: your users.
A top-tier agency will want to dive deep into understanding not just your business goals, but also what makes your target customers tick. They might suggest:
- User interviews or surveys
- Analyzing your competitors’ digital strategies
- Reviewing your analytics data
- Third-party research about your target users
Without objective insights, you’re essentially flying blind. That’s a recipe for a crash landing.
Red Flag #2: It’s All About You — Not Your Users
Speaking of users, if your potential partner only asks what you want to include in the site — but doesn’t ask about your target personas or ideal customer profiles — that’s another red flag. While you may think you know your users well, if you haven’t done proper user research, then you really don’t. Imagine hosting a dinner party without knowing what your guests like to eat. You might serve steak to a table full of vegetarians.
Your website should speak directly to your audience, addressing their needs, wants, and pain points. A good agency will help you refine your understanding of your target audience and use that knowledge to shape every aspect of your site.
Red Flag #3: Design Before Content
Content is the heart and soul of your website. Why? Because it’s the information that your visitors come for, and it’s what keeps them coming back. So how your potential partner approaches content can tell you a lot about their expertise.
If an agency is eager to jump into wireframes and designs before you’ve nailed down your content strategy, pump those brakes. It’s like trying to choose a frame before you’ve painted the picture.
A content-first approach ensures that your site’s structure and design support your message and your user’s needs, not the other way around. It helps prevent those awkward situations where you’re trying to shoehorn your carefully crafted content into a design that just doesn’t fit.
Red Flag #4: SEO as an Afterthought
In the same vein, if their process calls for writing and approving content before SEO strategy is completed, you’re in for a world of hurt. From usability to organic search performance, early SEO planning is critical.
SEO isn’t just about sprinkling in some keywords after the fact. Keyword research provides valuable insights on user intent and mental models, and informs your organic search strategy. It should inform your information architecture and content strategies from day one.
I can’t stress enough how critical this point is, having seen firsthand how neglecting early SEO planning led to costly delays and missed opportunities.
Frontend Experience Flags
The frontend is everything that users see and interact with directly in their web browser. When reviewing websites in a firm’s portfolio, pay close attention to how they’ve handled this. A well-designed frontend not only looks appealing, but also provides an intuitive user experience. It should guide users effortlessly to the information they need and the actions you want them to take. With that in mind, let’s talk about some red flags to look out for.
Red Flag #5: Style Over Substance
Sure, everyone wants a beautiful website. But if your partner is more focused on winning design awards than creating an intuitive experience for your users, that’s a red flag.
A site with serious usability issues is not going to keep users engaged or help sell your product or service, no matter how visually breathtaking it may be. However, visual design has an important role to play in contributing to usability. Studies have shown that great design tends to help users forgive minor usability issues.
The right partner will find a balance between aesthetics and usability without shortchanging users.
Red Flag #6: The Org Chart Navigation
If the navigation within their portfolio sites looks suspiciously like the company’s org chart, run for the hills. Your users don’t care about your internal structure; they care about finding what they need quickly and easily.
A user-centric navigation structure is key to keeping visitors engaged and guiding them towards your desired actions.
Red Flag #7: Corporate Speak
Lastly, if their web copy reads like it was written for company staff or leaders rather than actual customers, that’s yet another sign that the agency is not going to serve your users well.
Your website should speak your users’ language, addressing their needs and concerns in a way that resonates with them. Leave the corporate jargon for the annual report.
Backend Development Flags
Finally, let’s talk about the nuts and bolts of your site. The backend — what’s happening behind the scenes within site code and the content management system — might not be as glamorous as the frontend, but it’s just as critical for your site’s success.
If you don’t have a technical expert in-house to review the backend plans proposed for your site, or to run performance analysis on the portfolio sites shared by the firms you are interviewing, then it’s worth the money to pay a third-party consulting fee to an outside expert who can handle this.
During a technical review, keep an eye out for the following red flags that could sink your site’s performance:
Red Flag #8: Oversized Images
If your potential partner doesn’t have a clear plan for optimizing images to stay within acceptable weights, your site could end up slower than a snail on a lazy Sunday.
You may wonder — why does site speed matter? In short, because users don’t like slow-loading sites, and what users don’t like, Google doesn’t like either. Site speed is an important factor that Google considers when deciding where to rank your site in search results.
Red Flag #9: Bloated Code
Speaking of site speed, let’s talk about JavaScript.
JavaScript is a programming language developers use to create interactive web experiences. It can improve user experience when used properly, but it’s also a frequent cause of slow page-load. Excessive or poorly optimized JavaScript can slow your site down to a crawl.
A good agency will know how to optimize JavaScript so it doesn’t negatively impact your technical performance.
Red Flag #10: CMS Struggles
If simple tasks like replacing an image file are a hassle in the CMS they’re proposing, imagine the headache of managing your site long-term. And yes — this isn’t a hypothetical scenario. I’ve had the distinct displeasure of inheriting sites supposedly created by professionals that did not have basic “file replace” functionality.
Armed With Knowledge
Now that you’re familiar with these 10 red flags, you’re better equipped to spot underqualified web design and development firms. Choosing the right provider is a big decision. It’s not just about building a website; it’s about creating the primary digital hub for your brand, a platform for growth, and a tool for achieving your business goals.
So go forth, ask the tough questions, and don’t settle for less than you deserve. Your ideal web partner is out there, and armed with these insights, you’re now better prepared to find them.