How to choose a website design & SEO company

It is a common misconception that a website designer and a website developer are the same job. A developer is a programmer who writes the code that makes a site work, often building custom functionality. A designer focuses on the aesthetics, user interface and overall look. Some specialists do both; if your project needs both, make sure the company has real capability in each.

We say "in house" for a reason. When a company outsources one or the other, it is worth talking to both vendors to avoid miscommunication and delays. Infront Webworks is a full-service web company, so design, development, SEO and support sit in the same building and share one workflow and one timeline.

Important planning happens before a website project starts, even for small sites: which content management system your team can edit, how much editing you will do, which features matter most, whether you need custom functionality, how navigation should work, whether the site integrates with a CRM, and whether SEO is a consideration.

Infront's team addresses all of these and more. We can work with companies that have already done this planning, or assist with any or all of the planning phases.

We keep our portfolio and case studies on our website, and every case study is available as a printable one-sheet on request. We consistently write up client projects and submit them for award consideration. That is not vanity: it is how we make sure the work we deliver is among the best in the industry, and it lets prospective clients see exactly what we have done.

Different clients have different demands, and our developers have the flexibility to use the right content management system for the job. We work in WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Magento, SharePoint, Sitefinity and Umbraco, along with custom PHP, .NET and Ruby on Rails applications.

We track reviews from the BBB, Google, Facebook, Glassdoor, Yelp and G2, as well as agency ranking sites like Clutch and GoodFirms. We have well over 300 five-star reviews and hold a 4.9 or 5-star rating on almost every review site we are listed on. There are testimonials throughout our case studies, and we are happy to supply references on request.

For most companies the website is the cornerstone of marketing, the 24/7 office. A successful site balances three things: credibility (how it looks), usability (how it works) and findability (how it is found). A full-service company can keep all three in balance.

Infront covers cloud services, content marketing, email marketing, PPC and search engine marketing, SEO, social media marketing, website design and development, monthly maintenance programs and website support.

Whether you need ongoing maintenance depends on a few questions. Do you have in-house staff who can edit content? Are you keeping the look of the site current? If you are on WordPress, Drupal or Joomla, are plugins being updated for security? Are you monitoring page speed, actively optimizing for search, keeping social accounts active and staying on top of web trends?

As a full-service company, Infront Webworks can handle every aspect of your digital presence, with competitively priced monthly programs that keep your website earning its keep.

We work hard to keep our teams as effective as the best in the industry, and one way we do that is by competing in prestigious digital marketing, SEO and web development award programs worldwide. These awards are annual, with rigorous entry guidelines: a detailed case study, hours spent, cost to the client, KPIs hit, goals met and return on investment.

You should know the difference between an award won on merit and one that is bought. Some online ranking services mix paid listings with legitimately ranked agencies, so the "#1 digital marketing firm in America" may simply be the one paying the most. When someone says they are award winning, look it up, and on sites like Clutch and UpCity, treat "sponsor" or "diamond preferred" badges as paid placement.

Hiring a freelancer or a small start-up can save money if you have a definitive strategy, understand exactly what you are buying and are comfortable vetting their skills. The risks are limited depth of service (experience in one or two areas, with weaker results elsewhere) and limited experience. Every website has a different set of circumstances, and a company that has only been around a few years may not have seen yours before.

At Infront Webworks we hire experts in every department, so you get the benefit of specialists in each area and more than 25 years of pattern recognition.

Budget is always a consideration. We cannot guarantee we can deliver every service for every budget, but we can guarantee we are focused on long-term relationships over the prices we charge. We have worked with many clients for over 20 years, have one of the lowest turnover rates in the industry and have never had a monthly attrition rate above 3 percent. Our programs are built on trust, transparency, results and reporting.

When you call for a quote you will not talk to a salesperson. Our business development professionals run, or have run, the departments you are asking about. They know what needs to be done and will put a reasonable price on it.