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You’re Busy Running a Business, Now You Need a Website That Works
Starting a business is no joke. You’ve got a million things to do, registering your LLC, figuring out marketing, getting customers, and somewhere in that mix, you realize: You need a website.
Maybe you built one yourself when you were just getting started. And at the time, it did the job. But now, your business has grown, and that DIY website isn’t cutting it anymore. It’s slow, it looks outdated, or maybe it just doesn’t bring in leads like it should.
Or maybe you’re just starting out, and instead of spending weeks (or months) trying to build a site yourself, you’re ready to bring in a professional to do it right the first time.
Either way, you’re here because you know it’s time for an upgrade.
So, what happens next?
What This Article Will Cover
Hiring a web design agency is a big step for your business, and you should know what to expect. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process, from choosing the right agency to understanding timelines, pricing, and how to get the most out of the experience.
Plus, we’ll share some insider advice that most agencies won’t tell you, so you can make a smart investment and end up with a website that actually helps your business grow.
Let’s dive in.
What to Expect When Working With a Web Design Agency
So, you’ve decided to hire a professional web design agency, great choice! But now you might be wondering, what happens next? Let’s break down what a web design agency actually does, what they’ll need from you, and what you should expect from them in return.
What a Web Design Agency Actually Does
A lot of people think web design is just about making a site look nice. But a good agency focuses on more than just looks, it’s about how the website works and whether it helps your business grow.
Here’s what a web design agency actually does:
- Strategy First: A professional agency will take time to understand your business, industry, and competitors. But more importantly, they should ask about your customers, who they are, what they need, and how your website can serve them better.
- Custom Design & Branding: Your website should reflect your brand, not look like a generic template. A good agency will design with your customers in mind so that the site is easy to use and guides them toward taking action.
- SEO & Mobile Optimization: A website is useless if no one can find it. A strong agency builds with SEO best practices so you rank on Google and ensures your site looks and works great on mobile devices.
- Functionality & User Experience: Whether you need forms, booking systems, an online store, or anything else, an agency ensures everything works seamlessly for both you and your customers.
A web design agency isn’t just building a website, they’re building a business tool that helps you attract and convert customers.
What’s Expected From You as the Client
Hiring a web design agency doesn’t mean you hand everything off and disappear. Your input matters, and your involvement will directly impact the final result.
Here’s what’s expected from you:
- Be Clear About Your Goals: Do you need more leads? More sales? A website that positions you as an industry leader? The clearer your goals, the better the agency can design for them.
- Provide Branding & Content: If you have a logo, brand colors, or professional photos, you’ll need to share them. If not, the agency can help create them. You may also need to provide written content or work with the agency to develop it.
- Give Timely Feedback: The agency will send you design drafts and layouts for approval. Slow responses can delay the project, so staying engaged is key.
- Trust the Experts: You know your business, but they know web design. Sometimes their recommendations might challenge your initial ideas, but they’re usually for a good reason.
The more involved you are, the faster and smoother the process will be.
What You Can Expect From a Professional Agency
A good agency should make the process organized, clear, and stress-free. Here’s what you should expect from them:
- A Clear Plan & Timeline: They should provide a roadmap of the process so you know what’s happening and when.
- Regular Updates & Communication: You shouldn’t have to chase them down for answers. A good agency keeps you updated and involved.
- A Customer-Centered Approach: Your website isn’t for you, it’s for your customers. A great agency will design with your target audience in mind so that the site is easy to navigate and drives action.
- SEO & Mobile Optimization: If an agency doesn’t mention SEO and mobile responsiveness, that’s a red flag. Most web traffic comes from phones, and your site needs to perform just as well on mobile as it does on desktop. Some agencies even build separate designs for mobile to ensure the best experience.
- A Website Built for Growth: Your website should be more than just a digital business card. It should be designed to bring in leads, generate sales, and support your long-term business goals.
When you hire the right agency, you’re not just paying for a website, you’re investing in a tool that will help your business grow for years to come.
Pro Tip: Most agencies can write your content and provide stock images, but this adds to the cost. To save money, consider writing a rough draft of your content and providing your own high-quality images, this can lower your overall price while still getting a professional site.
The Web Design Process, How It All Comes Together
Hiring a web design agency isn’t about handing off the job and waiting for a finished website to appear. A good agency follows a step-by-step process to make sure your site not only looks great but also works smoothly and helps your business grow. Here’s what that process looks like.
Discovery & Strategy
Before anything gets designed, the agency needs to understand your business. This is the most important step because a website should be built with strategy, not just looks. The agency will ask about your business, your customers, and the goals for your site. Do you need more leads? Are you selling products online? Are you looking to build brand awareness? They’ll also ask if you have branding in place, like a logo, colors, or specific styles you prefer. If not, they can help create that too.
They’ll also want to know about your customers. Who are they? What are they looking for? How do they typically interact with businesses like yours? A strong website is designed for your customers first, making it easy for them to find what they need and take action. If an agency doesn’t ask about your audience, that’s a red flag.
Wireframing & Planning
Once the agency understands your business, they start planning how the website will be structured. This includes mapping out the pages, like your homepage, about page, service pages, and contact page, to ensure everything is organized logically. They create what’s called a wireframe, which is a basic layout of where different elements will go on each page. This helps ensure the site will be easy to navigate before the actual design begins.
The wireframing stage is where the agency focuses on the user experience. The goal is to make sure visitors can find what they need quickly and easily. If a site is confusing to navigate, people leave. Planning this upfront prevents that problem.
Design Phase
Once the layout is mapped out, the actual design work begins. The agency usually starts with the homepage first, since it sets the overall style for the site. This is where your branding, images, and visual style come together to create something unique to your business. After you approve the homepage design, the rest of the pages are designed to match.
A big part of this step is designing for mobile users. Since most web traffic today comes from mobile devices, professional agencies ensure the site looks great on both desktop and mobile screens. Some agencies even create separate mobile layouts to ensure the best experience on smaller screens. If an agency isn’t talking about mobile optimization, that’s another red flag.
At this stage, the agency will send you mockups of the design so you can review everything and provide feedback before they move forward.
Development & Testing
After the design is finalized, it’s time to turn it into a fully functional website. The agency will build out the site, adding any necessary features like contact forms, booking systems, or e-commerce tools. They’ll also make sure the site is optimized for speed, security, and mobile performance so everything loads quickly and works correctly.
Before the website goes live, everything is tested. The agency checks all links, buttons, and forms to make sure they work properly. You’ll typically receive a preview link to go through the site and provide final approval.
Launch & Post-Launch Support
Once everything is tested and approved, the site goes live. The agency will handle connecting your domain, setting up hosting, and ensuring Google can find your site so it starts ranking in search results.
Some agencies offer post-launch support, which means they’ll fix small issues or make adjustments after the site is live. If you want to manage updates yourself, they can also train you on how to make changes, like editing text, adding blog posts, or swapping out images.
A good web design agency doesn’t just build a website and disappear. They make sure your site is ready to grow with your business and continue performing well over time.
How Much Does Web Design Cost?
So now you know what will be expected from you and the agency, what the design process looks like, and how long it will take. Now for the big question you’ve been waiting for, how much does a website cost?
What Affects the Cost of a Website?
The biggest factors in pricing are the size of the site, complexity, and customization. A simple five-page website will cost far less than an e-commerce store with hundreds of products or a custom-built platform. Features like content writing, high-quality images, animations, or third-party integrations can also increase costs. Some agencies include these services, while others charge extra. Ongoing maintenance and support may also be an additional cost, depending on the agency.
Typical Price Ranges for Web Design
- Basic Small Business Website (5-10 pages): $2,000 – $5,000
- Mid-Sized Business Website with Custom Features: $5,000 – $10,000
- E-Commerce Website (Small, 10-50 products): $5,000 – $15,000
- Large E-Commerce or Custom-Built Websites: $10,000 – $50,000+
Some agencies charge hourly rates, typically ranging from $75 to $200 per hour, depending on expertise and location.
Beware of “Too Good to Be True” Pricing
If you see an agency offering a custom website for $500 or less, be cautious. Many of these services use pre-made templates, lack proper SEO, and may not be optimized for mobile. Worse, they often lock you into a 12-month contract, where instead of paying upfront, you end up paying around the same amount, just spread out over a year. These websites typically offer little flexibility, and once your contract ends, you may lose access to your site unless you keep paying.
How to Budget for Your Website
Before hiring an agency, set a realistic budget based on your business needs. If cost is a concern, you can start small and add features later or ask about payment plans. A professionally built website isn’t just an expense, it’s an investment that helps attract customers, improve your brand image, and drive revenue. Spending more upfront on a well-built site can save you time, money, and frustration down the road.
Final Thoughts
Building a website is more than just making it look good, it needs to work for your business by attracting customers, generating leads, and providing a seamless experience. While DIY websites can seem like a cost-saving option, they often lack the strategy, design, and functionality needed to truly help your business grow. Hiring a professional agency ensures your site is optimized, mobile-friendly, and built to support your long-term success.
At The SMB Strategist, we don’t just build websites, we create business tools designed to drive results. We encourage you to book a free consultation and website audit. If you already have a website, we’ll review it and provide a report on areas for improvement. If you don’t have a site yet, we’ll walk you through the process step by step so you can see exactly how it would work for your business.
Let’s build a website that helps your business grow. Schedule your free consultation today!
