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London has been a centre for commerce and business since the Roman occupation, and most likely even earlier than that. With so many up-and-coming companies in one city, it’s easy for one to get lost in the melee, especially if they don’t have a profound online presence. And since there’s so much London has to offer, it’s especially important to choose web designers who embody the best site-building principles. Additionally, they should be keen communicators and have some kind of expertise in your field of choice. 

But what are the real criteria for exceptional web designers? Let’s break down what you should be looking for above all else:

They Use A Bespoke Design Philosophy

There’s a slew of sites and programs that claim to make web design accessible to everyone. While this might work just fine for personal sites and smaller blogs, there are a few issues. First, any content you create for sites made using these programs isn’t truly yours; if the company goes under and their servers go offline, your site goes with them. And most importantly, even with all of the tools on offer, it’s unlikely anyone can make an award-winning site using just the basic editor.

That’s why bespoke sites made by a dedicated design team will always look better, perform better and generally provide a superior system. Any team who values their customers will make sure to highlight the bespoke nature of their websites, as it allows them to make adjustments and include features above and beyond the remit of more limited design philosophies. 

Their Services Are In-House

Thanks to globalisation, it’s easier than ever to outsource work to different parts of the world in order to preserve the bottom line. But the results will often be of a much lower calibre than those produced in-house. Thus, design agencies who do all of their work without outsourcing are usually keen to advertise this fact. It’s obvious to say that you should hire designers who actually do their own work, but it goes deeper than that. Outsourced web design work is often based on templates and an abundance of plugins, which lack the performance, security and aesthetic advantages of in-house bespoke sites. The only advantage is a lower price point, and it doesn’t seem to be a worthy tradeoff considering pretty much everything else you’d lose in the bargain.

They Work With Your Feedback

There’s nothing worse than commissioning a website or other service, giving feedback based on your needs, and having that feedback ignored. It’s always best to have a dialogue with designers and other industry professionals, to ensure your site is progressing in a satisfactory manner. This will help prevent any issues while they’re still occurring, and stave off disagreements or disappointments that might otherwise go unresolved. Not only is it important that you give feedback, seeing it actioned in a timely and thorough manner should also be treated as a huge green flag. 

Their Design Process Is Laid Out Clearly

Building a bespoke website is an intensive process, drawing on multiple disciplines and requiring an investment of both time and talent. The best way to get results from this investment is to divide the creative process into a set of phases, from conception to design, implementation to feedback and everything in between. These phases should be explained in detail, and when your site is in production, you should be able to see which stage it’s currently in. This is a kind of professional shorthand that lets you know the state of your site without the need for lengthy catch-up meetings or involved explanations from designers.

They Have A Top-Notch Portfolio

Any design agency worth their reputation should be taking great pride in previous projects they’ve worked on, to the point where a high-quality portfolio should be the first thing prospective clients see. A varied portfolio is also highly desirable, as it shows that the agency in question has the ability and experience to take any website design from concept to reality. A portfolio also helps validate a design company, serving as proof that they do their work in-house and don’t outsource the bulk of the design to other agencies overseas. 

London’s web design scene has never been more diverse and exciting than it is now, and it’s the perfect time to build the site of your dreams. After all, wouldn’t you rather get the best possible work available?