In our last installment of our 10 part Minneapolis Web Design series, we discussed the true cost of Growth-Driven Design (GDD) vs. the staggering value that this web design methodology offers. Its no secret that we feel that companies are wasting their time and money with the traditional approach to web design. The GDD methodology is the future of web design and can help you grow your business. If you missed this post, be sure to click here to read Minneapolis Web Design: Cost Benefit Analysis of Growth-Driven Design. Also, be sure to download our free eBook "An Introduction to Growth-Driven Design" for more information on the Growth-Driven Design process and the shift that all marketers need to make!
In our eighth installment of our Minneapolis Web Design series, we are offering our top 5 things to consider when choosing a minneapolis digital agency partner. As always, be sure to join the conversation by commenting at the bottom of this post and subscribe to blog updates as well!
top 5 things to consider when choosing a digital agency partner
to succeed in a competitive market you need to have the best brand experience for your customers
So you are the one that has been tasked with finding a digital agency to partner with for your company's new project. At this point, you may be feeling overwhelmed. Take a deep breath. We have your back and we are going to help you get this process started. If you are starting to look for a Minneapolis Digital Agency to work with, it most likely means your company is shifting from Traditional Marketing techniques such as print advertising to more digital/inbound focused marketing. This is a great time to look for a long-term digital partner and the digital agency that you choose to work with will help shape your company's brand and identity going into the future. That is why it is imperative that you find the right partner. Here are 5 things to consider when choosing a Minneapolis Digital Agency partner.
1. define the scope of your project.
The Minneapolis Digital Agency that you choose to work with will most likely want to go through the process of defining the scope of your project but it is important that you as a company commit to a rough idea of scope of your digital project before starting the search for a digital agency partner. This can be as easy as defining a marketing or operational goal, coming to a consensus on a budget, setting a launch date target, and defining basic technology requirements such as web platform and or server requirements. There is no doubt the agency that you eventually choose to work with will have suggestions and opinions about these topics, but it is essential that you go into meetings with potential partners with at least a basic understanding of the scope of your project.
2. Know your options. Do your homework and then narrow the field.
You probably already know a lot of the best digital agencies in your area but it is important that you take some time to do your homework and do some research in your local market. Make sure to do a thorough Google search and make a list of potential digital agency candidates. Talk to your trusted colleagues and connections and make sure to ask them if they have any experience working with specific digital agencies and if they have any potential referrals. Some of the biggest Digital Agency success stories come from referrals.
Once you have compiled a list of potential partners, be sure to compare their websites, their work portfolios, their success stories as well as take a long hard look at their social media accounts. Do your homework on the agency before you hear their pitch. Discover what they are all about. You will most likely be surprised what you find out about an agency just by researching their social accounts and their websites.
Next, contact them and make sure you find out three important pieces of information:
- Do they have the technical and creative capabilities to handle your project?
- Do they have the bandwidth to meet your project deadline?
- Can they accommodate your budget for this project?
3. Meet in person, preferably at their office.
Once you have narrowed your search, setup a time to meet them in person and preferably at their office. Although it is a lot easier to have them come to you, it is important to meet them at their office as this will give you a better idea of who they are as a business and the type of people they have working there. Give them the home court advantage. Most of the time, if they are in their comfort zone you will get their best pitch and you will get to learn more about them. Meeting in person is essential to picking the right digital partner because it allows you to really understand who it is that is behind a proposal, rather than just looking at the cost of the project.
4. Make sure to judge a potential agency on its existing portfolio. don't ask them for spec work.
Asking agencies for spec work OR to do work ahead of time to "earn" your business is like asking an interior decorator to decorate your house without knowing anything about your or what style you prefer. Any above average digital agency is going to do thorough research on your business and develop a plan that meets your needs and requirements. Asking an agency to do this before they actually get the job will most likely result in a lackluster result based on what your logo and colors look like. Some agencies may even pass on the project because they don't want to participate in any project that involves spec work.
The most likely result of asking for spec work will be the best agencies dropping out of the race and you will be stuck working with the agencies that you didn't want to work with in the first place. If you need proof that an agency has the development chops that you are looking for, look at their portfolio and ask them for their most recent work. It should reveal everything that you need to know.
5. ask about ownership of project management as well as the production process.
Today, most digital agencies were founded by and are probably run by web designers and or developers. If your potential digital agency partners fall into this group, this is definitely a positive as they will most likely be people who are truly passionate about the projects that they work on. With that being said, it is important to make sure that there will be a professional that is dedicated to project management and most importantly managing your project. The project manager assigned to your project is going to be essential to the success of the project as well as the communication between your team and your digital partner. Your project manager is often your internal advocate, making sure your project stays on budget, on schedule and meets your creative vision.
Still wondering what else you should know about working with a with a digital agency? Contact Digital 1 for a free 30 minute consultation and find out how we can help your company increase leads, conversion rates and reshape the way that you interact and educate your visitors. CLICK HERE to sign up today!
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog post!
In our ninth installment of our Minneapolis Web Design series, we will be discussing how to avoid scope creep in web design projects. As always, don't forget to subscribe to our blog and be sure to download our free eBook on Growth-Driven Design by clicking the button below!
