Web design encompasses many different skills and disciplines in the production and maintenance of websites. Best Website Design Companies. The different areas of web design include web graphic design; user interface design (UI design); authoring, including standardised code and proprietary software; user experience design (UX design); and search engine optimization. Often many individuals will work in teams covering different aspects of the design process, although some designers will cover them all. The term “web design” is normally used to describe the design process relating to the front-end (client side) design of a website including writing markup. Web design partially overlaps web engineering in the broader scope of web development. Web designers are expected to have an awareness of usability and be up to date with web accessibility guidelines.
If you’re in the business of being a business today, then you need a website. It’s just that simple. The first thing consumers will do when they hear about a service or see a product they like is head online to see what information they can find out about it. If you don’t have a website (i.e., a web presence), then those potential leads will simply move on to the next purchase that’s more available to them.
So, you need a website to compete in the modern market. And like all first impressions, your website needs to make a good one. That’s where design comes in. A good website design tells consumers that you are Professional, catches their eye, and keeps them positively engaged. And thanks to website design services, you don’t even have to know anything about designing or coding to launch a professional and attractive website all on your own.
Whether you want to go it on your own or would rather leave things to the professionals, the right website designing company will supply you with the tools you need to create a stunning website for your company that fits with your branding, image, and business goals. The best website design services also offer additional features such as on-site SEO, social media integration, and Ecommerce solutions.
Who Are the Best Website Designers?
Website designers come in all shapes and all sizes. You can find a website design agency that specializes in responsive website designs, great if you are looking for mobile options. Alternatively, there are sites that focus on traditional, eclectic, or cool website designs. Basically, the sky’s the limit. And at the end of the day, the best website design team or service is the one that delivers what you want.
Of course, if you’re looking to narrow down the options, then there are a few features to look out for to help you make your choice. When searching for the top website designs services, ask about these features:
- Price
Always a factor, find out how much does this website design cost. Website design pricing can vary significantly depending on what you’re looking for, so ask questions. Is there a flat fee for designing your website, or are there monthly payments? Is there an added cost for maintenance? What are the DIY pricing options? There are some very affordable website design firms, so you don’t have to spend a lot to get a lot.
- Turnaround time
How long will this project take? If you’re not under pressure, then you can get a beautiful, custom website design in less than 2 weeks.
- Level of customization
How much power do you have over the professional website designer’s process? How many rounds of revisions are included in the price? Alternatively, how much customization does the DIY tool afford you?
- Ongoing maintenance help
Is this an option? Ongoing maintenance ensures that your content stays fresh, that your site is kept up, and that you don’t have to concern yourself about it at all.
- Mobile responsive
One of the most important features for businesses today, find out if the website design services offer mobile-friendly sites.
- Ecommerce functions
Does the service provide you with Ecommerce solutions for online selling?
How Do You Design a Website?
Designing a website is easier than you’d imagine. It starts with an idea…and then it grows! Even if you aren’t creative, website design services give you the capabilities to create truly impressive designs even on your own. If you’re going it on your own, you can choose from hundreds of attractive templates. These templates have all the elements in place already. So, you don’t need to bother your head about placements, columns, structure, or even color schemes.
Good website design services have plenty of customization features. So, you can pick your own colors, add elements like images and videos, or change things up to fit your needs. You’ll even be able to include important business management applications like appointment scheduling and payment processing.
DIFM services (aka Do It For Me), on the other hand, make the design process even simpler. You tell the team of professional designers what you’re looking for, a little bit about your business goals, and your branding flavor, and they’ll churn out a modern website design that fits your specs. You’ll be given revision rounds where you can make changes and tweak it to your liking. Then, you’ll be handed a finished product, a cool website design that fits your business like a glove.
Why Do I Need a Design Company for My Website?
For those of you who are great designers, building your own website can be super easy. All you need is a website builder and some time to spend playing around with layouts or templates. But chances are, if you’re searching out website design services, it’s because you doubt your design prowess. The truth is that with DIY services like Wix and Squarespace out there, today more than ever, even a total layman can become a creative genius with a few clicks. The drag-and-drop editors, the vast libraries of stock photography, the professional templates, and the built-in tools all facilitate the appearance of pro designing even if you can’t draw a straight line to save your life.
But, let’s be honest. Even with these terrific tools, there will still be a qualitative difference between the site that you throw together on your own and one that is designed by professional designers and developers. There is a limit to how much you can wing it.
So, why do you need a design company to design your website? It usually boils down to 2 reasons:
- You want to give your business the best foot forward by creating the most professional first impression possible. This will only be accomplished by a professional website designer.
- You don’t have the time or patience to spend building your own website. If this is the case, turning to a website designing company affords you the luxury of walking away with a modern website design that is fully functional without having to spend the time and effort doing it yourself.
Either way, results will be the same. A truly winning website design costs something, and that is worth every penny you’ll spend.
What makes a web design agency a top web design company?
Defining the best website design company isn’t based on design alone. Not only is web design subjective, but it’s also impossible to rate all the top web design companies based on only that set of criteria.
This means that you can’t determine if a company is one of the best based on just their design portfolio. There are many other factors to consider as well.
So if it’s not just the quality of web design that qualifies a firm as a ‘best web design company,’ then what does?
Here are the qualities that we feel the best web design company in the world should have.
1. Award-winning design
This is the most obvious on our list of criteria for the best web design company. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that an agency’s work has to be recognized for its quality and effectiveness to be considered one of the best.
National awards available for stellar website design include the Horizon Interactive Awards, the Webby Awards, and the Interactive Media Awards. There are also many awards available in specific regions or states that can be given to the top local web design firms.
2. Innovative approach
Because web design is a constantly-changing industry, the best web design companies are those who keep their clients’ sites up to date with the latest technology, from website builder software to web design trends.
Even the coolest designs are bound to feel outdated within a few years, and with modern consumers who are used to constant updates and innovation, it’s important for the best design company to provide cutting edge ideas that are unique, fresh, and satisfying for the customer.
Some companies may think that simply updating visual elements is enough to make clients happy, but true innovation means embracing change in all forms. To be a top design company, you need to do more than follow the trends — you need to be a trailblazer.
For example, the shift towards browsing the web on devices other than desktop computers led the best web design companies to develop an entirely new approach to design that is compatible with smartphones, tablets, and other devices.
This approach, called responsive design, is now essential for success in search engines.
Although most companies will eventually jump on the bandwagon if a new strategy or trend becomes popular enough, the best web design companies are those who stay at the forefront. True dedication to clients means always wanting them to have the best, and sometimes the way to give them that is by creating it.
3. Expansive portfolio
The best web design companies should have a wide range of past work.
To qualify for the ‘best web design company’ title, a firm needs to show that they’ve worked in a variety of industries. It’s not enough to build and design websites for just one industry or area of focus.
For example, does their portfolio include projects as diverse as a roofing company website followed by an online ecommerce store website? These different designs force the best web design agencies to get creative and change perspective.
In short, the best website design and development firms can display work with dozens of clients across multiple industries, showing strong elements of versatility and adaptation that is indicative of any good web design company. The best web design companies can tailor their user experience and results to accommodate the needs of any business, from construction to textiles and more.
The more clients a design company works with, the better! Customers want to know that you can, without a doubt, work with their company to design the best possible website — and design one that’s 10X better than the best website builders.
4. Extensive services offered
It would be easy to rank as the best web design company if the focus was solely on web design. To us, that’s not good enough.
To qualify as one of the best, a web design firm has to do more than just web design. The best website design companies offer a full-range of services to meet all the needs of clients, from Internet marketing services to web development.
The best website design and development firm should offer services like search engine optimization (SEO), web development, pay-per-click (PPC) management, and more.
5. Track record of success
Just like only offering web design, not having proven records of successful work can easily knock an agency off the best web design company list.
To be considered in the running, a company needs to provide proof to show potential customers that their work has continuously satisfied customers.
To make our list of website design companies, a firm requires a history of satisfied clients that report success. Testimonials are an excellent indication of happy customers, as are long-standing accounts and a high client retention rate. Combined with other important elements behind each company, these factors help indicate the best web company.
6. Company growth
Like any successful business, the best design company in the world should be constantly growing and increasing its revenue. These are both signs of continued development, and they’re good indicators that a company is worthy of being considered one of the best in the industry.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that the largest web design company is the best, though.
Continued growth is integral to any business model. The top web designing company will show growth with its customer base, employees, revenue, and other elements which clearly set them apart from their competitors.
Here is a List of Best Website Design Companies
Deloitte Digital
Reason: A creative digital consultancy, Deloitte Digital is the world’s largest consultancy with a talented team of marketers, advertisers, and designers. Not to mention, the company features locations across the world for easy client collaboration.
Web.com
- Price$10-$20
- Service typeDIY, DIFM
- Turnaround timeN/A
Whether you’re looking to DIY or want the professionals to take the task off your shoulders, Web.com is a good option for businesses that need a professional website design fast. With easy to use online website design tools, even newbie designers can launch an attractive site within minutes. Web.com has nice templates to choose from that fit your industry, and you can tweak various elements, including font, color scheme, and layout to suit your style. Web.com lets you add additional elements like HTML snippets and social media sharing buttons as well for a more robust website.
Web.com also has professional website designing available for business owners who don’t know a thing about design. The team of experts will create an eye-catching design that fits your branding. They’ll also include important features like SEO and PPC management, content, and social media marketing. All plans come with hosting, domain name, and an SSL certificate, so your business will run as professionally as it looks.
Pros
- Affordable plans
- Simple DIY option can be ready in minutes
- Expert design plan gives you all the frills
Cons
- Customization tools are not exact
- Limited storage for all accounts
Mainstreethost
- PricePer quotation
- Service typeWebsite design including graphic design, Ecommerce, and UX consulting
- Turnaround timePer project. Typically in weeks.
Does the thought of setting up a WordPress site set your head spinning? If so, Main Street Host could be your best port of call.
This agency with 2 US-based offices handles everything from WordPress design and implementation through to SEO and PPC buying. If you need a compelling site on the internet today, and want the job handled by a team, this could be the agency for you.
Pros
- Graphic design and UX teams
- Shared/dedicated hosting included
- Online portfolio of previous designs
Cons
- Small 2 office agency
- No international offices
SmartSites
- PriceFrom $10,000
- Service typeWeb design
- Turnaround timeUp to 90 days
Looking to get a WordPress or Magento based site on the internet? Smart Sites is a design agency that says it has earned its clients more than $100M in revenue through its portfolio of designed sites.
What’s more, the team offers unlimited revisions on site builds until the coding phase kicks off, and those that want to put informational sites online can expect to have them ready within 90 days.
Pros
- Unlimited revisions before coding
- Informational and Ecommerce sites
- Lots of client testimonials on hand
Cons
- Ongoing support is an extra add-on
- US-based offices only
29dollarWebsites
- PriceFrom $29 per month
- Service typeSemi automated site design
- Turnaround timeUp to 24 hours for updates
29dollarWebsites is a tool that allows users to get functional websites on the internet in just hours. The tool can automatically pull in data from companies’ Facebook pages and changes will update on the live sites in under 24 hours.
Hosting and a domain name are both included so it’s an all in one package for companies.
Pros
- Hosting and domain included
- Quick automated updates
- Custom and template pages
Cons
- Easier to customize with a designer
- Automated Updates aren’t instantaneous
Thrive Agency
- PriceFrom $6,000
- Service typeTemplate-based and fully customized web design
- Turnaround time6-8 weeks 10-14 weeks for fully customized sites
Thrvie Agency is a digital marketing agency with vast experience in web design for almost every type of site – including ADA compliant and eCommerce sites. Exceptional customer service and dediatd account managers make Thrive Agency an extremely popular choice with companies looking for mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with a marketing agency.
Pros
- Can build accessible sites
- Total customization possible
- Two rounds of revisions
Cons
- No international offices
- No free trial
Hibu
- PriceCustom pricing plans
- Service typeFull-service DIFM, maintenance, pro
- Turnaround time7-10 days
We live in a digital world, and Hibu understands that. That’s why this website design brand uses smart technology to create beautiful websites for professional businesses. Bottom line, these websites are built with features and technology to make them perform better, communicate with Google better, and increase your visibility. Now that’s smart website design!
Aside from the behind the scenes genius, Hibu does a great job on the frontend of things, as well. A team of talented designers, Hibu website designers, generate stunning website designs in about a week. What’s more, this company is known for its positive customer relations management. The design and support staff have both received rave reviews from customers about how friendly, professional, flexible, and communicative they are. That’s extremely important when dealing with a website design team.
Pros
- Smart Site technology for more optimized site designs
- Exceptional quality designs
- Great review about communication and support
Cons
- Pricing is only custom offered
- Doesn’t have good ecommerce solution
Fiverr
- PriceStarting at $5
- Service typeDo it for me, full service
- Turnaround timeExpress 24 hours upwards
Fiverr is a popular service to turn to for businesses looking to outsource various projects that they don’t have an in-house team to handle or small gigs that just aren’t worth their time. A large network of talented designers from around the world, Fiverr provides a cornucopia of talent for all things website design, including commercial use, source files, HTML/CSS conversion, and interactive mockups. Fiverr designers can also handle responsive designs for mobile websites and apps, a necessity in today’s business world.
Fiverr makes professional website designing a possibility for every type of business thanks to its wide range of designers’ styles, talents, and abilities. And did we mention that many projects start at just $5? With a pricing structure that’s built on healthy competition, Fiverr allows business owners to get what they want for a price they can be happy with, too.
Pros
- Wide range of design options
- Projects start at $5
- Smart designer ranking system
Cons
- No DIY or maintenance level options
- Not all designers are as good as others
Razorfish
Reason: While acquired by Publicis Sapient in 2016, the team behind Razorfish still offers to “crack the creative code” with its work from 34 offices on five continents. With clients like Mercedes-Benz, Walmart, Southwest Airlines, and Audi, this company is one of our favorites.
360i
Reason: Working with companies like Ben & Jerry’s, Canon and Coca-Cola, 360i has certainly made a name for itself. It offers planning, strategy, social, technology and more — making it easy to understand why it landed a spot on the list. They’ve also landed a spot on other web designer lists, boasting over ten awards.
Grey Global Group
Reason: Located on Fifth Avenue in New York City, Grey Global Group serves the NFL, Soundcloud and Volvo — providing it with an impressive portfolio. Grey serves one-fifth of the Fortune 500 list, which makes it one of the most successful companies on the list. They offer everything from digital technology to media and advertising.
Tombras Group
Reason: Tombras is a family-owned agency that was founded back in 1946. They were named the National Small Agency of the Year by Ad Age and have an extensive list of impressive clients. Serving businesses like Michelin, MoonPie, and McDonald’s, this company demonstrates the advantage of an agency over a website builder.
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