Qualities of good Web Development Agency

If you have ever thought about getting your website made, then a web development agency should be a top priority. This is because they are the most professional, business-oriented designers. A company that has dedicated numerous years to creating seamless solutions will offer greater value to a client because their reputation is always on the line with every design. Without much chit-chat, here are the qualities that make a web development agency stand out.

Qualities of a Renowned Web Development Agency

Superb Development Skills

When it’s all said and done, the most important question is, “how good is your workforce?” Skill really matters in any profession. In fact, most clients would rather pay an arm and a leg for a quality website than get mediocre services at a low price.

People are willing to spend big just to get the quality they desire. This is why the best web development agencies invest in the most talented staff. Checking out staff portfolios on the web design company’s page gives you a glimpse of who you are working with.

Impressive Portfolio

It goes without saying that if someone is good at what they do, they most probably have a portfolio that matches this. A good web development agency shows off its finest work. It’s only natural that you show off your finest masterpiece. If an agency doesn’t have a portfolio, then all their claims have no backing.

Good companies have lists of previous work done and it is always regularly updated. You can be ab;e to tell that the agency is one of the best by looking at previous projects. Their ability to handle many High Profile Clients’ websites also gives you a feeling of an established design company.

Transparency

Communication skills are very important in any business transaction. You need to be as candid as possible concerning your requirements. A web development agency also has the responsibility to keep you up to date with the development process. Regularly asking for your input on some key areas is important, you have to be included in the design process.

Remember when we were young and our parents sometimes bought us shoes or clothes before they asked for our opinions. When they brought the gift home, it didn’t amuse us as they expected, simply because what they thought would be best for us wasn’t our favorite.  A great designer listens and evaluates feedback. They also follow through with the set goals to deliver on a website.

Flexible/Open to Changes

This clearly sets companies apart. Frequently changing your design ideas and coming up with new ones is irritating, however, having a change of thought in the design idea with a proper logic behind it isn’t a crime. So long as you communicate it on time and at the right time then the developer should be open to the changes. Web design takes up a valuable chunk of time therefore you should be considerate of how often you ask for changes.

Delivery time- Respect to Deadlines

Precision is key but time is of the essence. A good website development agency is able to deliver on the agreed timeline. Yes, everything doesn’t always turn out as planned and some challenges present themselves along the way but a deadline is a deadline.

These companies put in place systems that help them deliver quality on time. They have a special respect for the rule of law and time deadlines are a part of a contract. If for any unavoidable circumstances, a designer is unable to deliver at the agreed time, then a special timely communication is given.

This is what sets apart a rookie developer from an established website design company. Remember having good development skills is not enough to do business. It’s the business side of things that challenges developers, keeping up with deadlines and delivering on budget.

On the other hand, it is good managerial skills that help a C.E.O with no coding capabilities s run a successful Software Solutions Company. Please keep this in mind if you ever need a reason to go with a company and not an individual.

Software development especially for website design is a lucrative market. If you are looking to join elite website creators then this article is for you. We are going to look at the major steps you need to take in order to become a dev.

How Good Website Creators are Made

Learn about Web Design

You need to get the theoretical knowledge on how to design a website first then apply it in trial designs. There is no particular perfect place to learn but there are a few good suggestions. Online Boot Camps like Udemy, FlatIron, and W3 Schools. This will give you a foundation in web design and introduce you to programming languages like HTML, Java, and CSS that you might need to get started.

 There are short courses which are up to 3 months long. You get to be tested after each lesson and get take away assignments in some, to make sure you have a good grasp of what you have been taught. Youtube tutorials will help you grasp the practical parts. Get to know how to perform particular tasks n detail.

Choose a Web Code Editor Tool

There are many software applications out there that you can use to code your website. You need to pick one that you are most conversant with. Adobe Dreamweaver, Sublime Text, Notepad ++, and Atom are some of the top options. These text code editors are like your MS Word only that you are writing code and not words here. Simply put, this is where you write your website into existence.

Most have a real-time feature that gives you a preview of what the design will look like even as you code.  It’s not a big deal as long as its user friendly enough for you to use. You could type the word Apple on a phone text tool, on Facebook, or on an Editor like WPS, MS Word, or Notepad, it will still be Apple all across. You will still join the club of great website creators regardless of what you choose to write on.

 Develop your first Design

This is where you get to work on a personal project to test your skills. Don’t rush it, if you feel that you haven’t learned enough or still need some additional skill, it is always good to go back to stage 1. Since this is a genuine evaluation of the skills learned so far, it is important that you do not refer to other material.

Just come up with something and if you have some difficulty with how to write a particular line of code, write it down and go back to revise later. This is like the ultimate test to see how far you have come so be honest with yourself. We do assume that you have done numerous mini-tests before to test your grasp of particular concepts.

Create a Portfolio

If the previous step is at least 70 percent successful then you are on your way to becoming part of the great website creators clique. Time to do some more, create other websites to create a rich and diverse portfolio. Take on new challenges and test the waters, it’s rather wise to test your real capacity before you start searching for paid gigs. I’ll be honest with you, this is the real CV. This is what future clients or employers will use to rate your skills, so put your best foot forward.

Get those Paid Gigs

You’ve come a long way as a website creator, time to earn from your craft. Apply for internships, they may not pay much but the experience got there is invaluable. You can join a freelance platform like Up Work or Fiverr to get gigs. Talk to friends, family, and relatives with businesses or personal initiatives that might need a website.

You can do a few pro bono sites especially for family members, it’s a good old African tradition to give back before you start collecting. Get their feedback on what you can improve on and what they liked about your skills. This is different from the previous stage in the sense that you have a real client hence you will sharpen your skills in negotiation, time management, and delivery.

Make your Move

Finally, as a website creator, you want to know what your working terms will be. Re you a freelancer or an employee. See what works best for you and gives you a bigger chance of growth. Look at the rewards vs the means and be smart about it. All the best as you embark on this journey to becoming one of the best website creators there is. Hey, just remember we have internship opportunities for awesome designers.

When it comes to choosing website packages in Kenya, you’ve got to consider a lot of things first before you make your move. Some of the most important things to consider are outlined below. It’s only reasonable that you consider your options first before you settle on one package. 

Great Website Packages in Kenya

For a package to be considered good enough, these are some of the boxes it has to check.

Maintenance/ Back up Services

A Website needs regular maintenance just like people need regular checkups at the hospital. These checks are able to troubleshoot malfunctioning elements in code. If you are experiencing slow loading speeds then a maintenance session with your web designer will come in handy. It’s only right that the people who created a certain website, get to handle any problems that arise in the future concerning the same website. You also need a secure backup for your data in case something goes wrong from your side. You can always retrieve it from the host servers.

Flexible Easy to Edit Pages

Now as you go on with your business, you might want to diversify or specialize in a specific are alone. Your website has to move when you move. This is why having a package that allows easy web page editing is crucial. You don’t want to be stuck with unnecessary pages that you’d rather do without.

Responsive Design

Mobile is fast becoming the number one browsing device. More and more people use their smartphones to visit websites. It is only logical that you have a mobile responsive website. This allows clients on smartphones to have an easy navigation time when on your site. Remember clients only take a few seconds to retrieve the information they need. If they lose interest due to poor design or responsiveness, the bounce rate gets higher. This translates to less converted sales which means less income created.

Custom Design

As a business, your biggest selling point is your uniqueness. If you fail to stand out among the crowd, you get minimal visibility. Websites are no different, your website represents your brand. For your brand to stand out you need to do away with websites made on freely available templates. It shows your brand is cheap, free website builders are easy to use but you know what to lose out on authenticity. Nobody likes to walk down the street and see everyone dressed in a similar T-Shirt. Value is created in exclusivity, get a designer to build your site from scratch.  This is really important in your search for website packages in Kenya.

Fixed Price of Development

Everybody hates monkey business. It is only right that you get every cost stipulated in the invoice you get. Get a quote of the entire website to make sure there are no hidden costs. This allows you to formulate a good budget and also analyze whether the cost of creation will outweigh the ROI. If that is so, you can opt for a smaller package or see ways in which you can create more income generation avenues on the site.

There you have it, folks. These are some of the most important things that you have to enquire about on a Website Design Package. Don’t just rush to choose a certain package due to the price. Oh boy, you’ll be in for a rude shock when you get a website that doesn’t meet any of your marketing needs. Website packages in Kenya are quite numerous, ours are freely available for our consideration. That’s how transparent we are, you get to know what you are paying for.

The internet is filled with many websites claiming to have the best website designers in Kenya and around the globe. Today, we will get down to the matter and find out what really makes a web designer stand out. It’s easier said than done and therefore only a web design that meets these measures can be called great.

Who are the Best Website Designers in Kenya?

Let’s cut right to the chase on this one. Below are the top requirements that can help you distinguish great designers from mediocre ones.

Great Designers Know their Goals

Every website has its own particular purpose and understanding its function is key. A great web designer’s first priority is to discover what the business owner wants to achieve with a particular website.  Is it for selling a certain product, offering a service, or giving specific information to educate? The design will revolve around this key principle. It is the blueprint to a great website.

Exemplary Design incorporates Sufficient Information.

One of the major reasons why people invest in websites is so that they can display helpful information to clients. The other day, I was in a rush to help a relative pay for their child’s school fees a day before all students were sent home. Problem is that we didn’t have the right payment details for the school accounts. The calls weren’t going through to the school reception and so I opted to google the name of the school as a last result.

To my delight, the school had a website but the website contained very irrelevant information like B.O.G meeting resolutions and all. I couldn’t find the school’s bank account for school fees payment yet it is the most searched detail by parents online. Institutions are quickly embracing technology but they are not fully utilizing it.

A great Web Designer would have pointed out that …” X High School Fees Payment account” are some of the most searched keywords about schools so it would be wise to include that information on the website.

Functionality over Design

This is one principle that separates the wheat from the chaff. Good designers create good-looking websites and stop at that. Great web designers go the extra mile and find out whether this new design feature will make the site difficult to use or not. Having a beautiful lady as a receptionist is really good for the image but her skills and ability to receive guests is more important. It’s good to have an appealing design but not at the expense of user-friendliness. Great design is a blend of attractive design and user-friendliness.

Infinite Scrolling

This is a big nightmare for most users. Yes, it might look fancy on Facebook or Twitter feeds because that’s the whole point of social media. Getting more and more content on your timeline or news feed so that you can interact with as many people as possible. On Websites though, it’s annoying. No one wants to scroll endlessly without getting to the bottom of the page.

Rather than have infinite scrolling, properly partition your website in a way that users can load one page at a time and go through the whole content to the bottom, without feeling like they are about to do something tiresome. Remember, this is important if you want to improve the time which users spend on your site.

 If they scroll and find too much info going on and on, they quickly get tired and bored without even having to read. The best website designers in Kenya know that less is more.

Conclusion

Paying attention to some fundamentals of web design is the real deal-breaker. This is what sets apart the best from the average and even the poor designers. It’s not the fancy offices, the massive marketing campaigns, or the ability of the designer to close a deal. All the best in your search for a good designer. Hope you have a clue where to start your search from, Ace Solution is just a call away.

So you are searching for cheap web design in Kenya. Well. We understand the harsh economic times and might just have the right options for you. If budget is a major obstacle then you want to consider the following options.

Where to get cheap web design in Kenya

Online DIY Website Builder

Price-wise, these are the cheapest websites to create. You don’t need much other than a minimal budget and basic computer literacy. Companies like Wix and Weebly offer business owners the opportunity to create a new website all on their own.

You get to choose from templates that are readily available on the website and build your own site. It’s like a self-service buffet where you pick what you like and place it on your plate/website. This doesn’t take much time and is easy to do, however, you miss out on a lot of website features like proper Search engine Optimization.

Outsourcing Abroad

Now, this goes out to those companies/businesses who are based in North America or Europe. The cost of developing a proper website there is a bit higher. If you are a startup in the region then you might want to look east, referring to Africa and South East Asia here. These countries have an overwhelming amount of qualified human capital with low-paid or totally unemployed professionals.

There might be a few hurdles here and there but outsourcing from a recognized Gig site like Upwork or Fiverr covers your back on a lot of things. If you have contacts in countries like Kenya, you may assign them to meet up with web design companies and negotiate on contracts to create the website.

International business is hard to do due to high cases of fraud and mistrust. If you are a Kenyan reading this now, no need to worry, websites are pretty affordable. A budget of 200-300 dollars gets you a decent website, all costs covered.

Hire a cheap Web designer

If you are pushed to the edge and want something slightly better than the DIY websites, you may opt for student developers. You’ll be surprised just how many software Engineering or Computer Science students out there are yearning for a part-time developer gig. The major obstacle to overcome here is the recruitment process and availability.

In recruiting, you want to make sure you get the best talents and also make sure their schedule doesn’t clash with their studies. A good remuneration, however, will help them create time for this side gig. The best way to acquire student talents is to have referrals from lecturers who teach the respective classes.

Most are already working/have worked on small-medium web design school projects so they have the feel of what a basic web design gig entails. A sure way to get good talent to create cheap web design in Kenya.

Conclusion

The budget determines a lot of things we do. We can’t afford to overstretch our financial muscle by overspending on one particular thing. That cash has to go around and ensure at least every department is covered. At Ace Solution Africa, we have amazing Web Design packages, we dare say the cheapest web design in Kenya. Cheap only talks about affordability here, the quality is top-notch.

Best believe it when we say that we’ve got your best interest at heart. True to this we embark on a journey to inform you of how to pick the company to hire from the list of web design companies in Kenya. Yes, it is known to us that many people look for criteria that will help them select the perfect web design company for them.

What determines good web design companies in Kenya?

Are they Full Stack Developers?

This might sound like jargon to business owners who are new to web design but it’s not much of a big deal. Full-stack developers are able to develop both the front end and the back end of a website. The front end is mostly HTML, CSS, and Java which is the visual part that a user interacts with first. The back end has much of the technical work including the server, an app, and a database. Most web design companies in Kenya are either good at one or the other. The importance of having a developer who is all-rounded is immense. This gives you the best of both worlds, a good-looking (front end) yet functional (back end) website.

How good is their Portfolio?

There is a reason why a certain type of website is associated with certain web design companies. Smart business owners ask for a record of previous works done. This helps you to know whether the web design company can create the exact design that you are looking for. If they have previously handled similar projects or have a good success rate with previous clients, yours won’t be any different. It’s like proof of competency. Check out all those CVs dear business owners and hire the right experienced developer.

Good grasp of other digital marketing tools

“But I only need a website from them,” you say. Well, a website is dependent on other digital marketing tools for its success. Some of those tools include SEO, PPC, and SMM. For your website to rank higher, it has to be optimized. To get good traffic you have to rely on a form of digital marketing. A full-stack Web Design and Digital Marketing company will come in handy since these two are interdependent.

Well Crafted Contract with clear Deadlines.

When it comes to services dear, you’ve got to get this right if you want a smooth handover. Clearly outline the date of completion and terms of payment and any other legally binding agreement. Yes, there has to be a contract. You don’t want to have your role out delayed by days or even weeks in some instances. This also helps you understand the schedule of the team and when they intend to finish one thing or the other. You can judge their productivity and know when they are lagging behind.

Great after Sale Service and Maintenance

Websites are quite complex and sometimes they may misbehave due to a glitch. It could be the hardware you are using, an error in code, or an overload of users. You always need to enquire about the maintenance. Poor web designers lack a good maintenance framework. Your value doesn’t decline once the handing over is done, you deserve great after-sale services too.

These are some of the major requirements that should help you choose from a list of web design companies in Kenya. Check out our portfolio and make an informed choice. We cannot just say we are the best web design company in Kenya, we’ll let our work do the talking.

One of the major challenges businesses face as they seek to find a good website is meeting a budget. Cheap Web Design in Kenya is a major concern for many establishments. This is because budget is the major factor that affects a businesses’ ability to purchase a certain service.

We look at the basic features of an affordable website that will get the job done without leaving your accounts dry. These are the most important features you should go for so as to cut on unnecessary features that will only cost you more in the long run.

Must have Basic Elements for Cheap Web Design in Kenya

Layout and Visual Appearance

Visitors take a very short time to judge the visual appearance of your site. Milliseconds actually, so if it isn’t appealing you know they won’t stick around for long. The different elements should have room to breathe and not be cluttered. Using a whitespace background gives a neat look.

Visual hierarchy comes to play here, the most important parts should be given priority. Typography is a good consideration too. Text contributes to the largest chunk of a website, it should be easy to read.

Navigation

Without ease, if access, you’ll just have a gem hidden in a bush. Users should easily access the most vital information like contacts. It’s really disappointing when one has to scroll all the way to the bottom to find the Contact Us button. Utilize the space on the header menu by putting the most important buttons there.

Don’t forget the footer menu either, most users scroll all the way down if they can’t find what they need at the top. Finally, for heaven’s sake, include a back-to-top capability.  No one wants to scroll one swipe at a time, all the way back from the bottom. Don’t compromise on this feature in your search for cheap web design in Kenya.

Content

Trust us on this one, branding doesn’t stop at the colors, logos, and letterheads. You need content that sets you apart from the rest, create your own niche. You’ll be surprised that most visitors to your website are brought there by a search for certain information.

Students doing research for assignments, marketers checking out trends, competitors searching for ways to keep up, and clients wanting to buy. Provide value to all these visitors since every click matters when it comes to SEO. Content will always be top on the list of why people visit your website. Let your brand be renowned for providing certain valuable content.

Adaptability/ Responsiveness

We will scream out from the tallest sky scrapper about responsiveness. You really need to get this right even with the least budget. Never in your quest for cheap web design in Kenya, should you compromise on responsiveness. Statistics show that mobile is the biggest driver of traffic to websites nowadays. It is for this reason that a website needs to look good on all electronic gadgets used to surf the web. Desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

If you can get a designer that can offer all this then your search for cheap web design in Kenya might have just come to an end. We’ve got you covered if you are looking for an affordable website with above-average capabilities.

One question most businesses that need a website ask is how to get a great website. Now Web Design in Kenya offers quite a number of options. If you are wondering how you will set up your website, then this article is made for you.

The Platforms available for creating great web design in Kenya.

First things first, a website can be created in a couple of ways. Most are familiar with hiring a developer but there are other notable methods. The first is the easiest way to do it, suitable for people with no Web Design or tech knowledge.

DIY Website Builder

As the name ‘Do It Yourself’ suggests, you get to build your own website using freely available templates. All you do is simply select what you want and place it on your site.

Companies like Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly offer this service. The advantages are that this is easy to create and takes a couple of minutes to set up. You have to pay a monthly fee, not for hosting but for using their platform to build the website.

Customizing is a big challenge as you have to work around the tools already available for certain selected features. If you are looking for a quick, simple, and appealing design, this is the tool for you. Cost greatly depends on your needs, if you need to scale up a thing or two in the future then it will be very costly.

 Customized Open Source CMS

Most players on the Web Design in Kenya team have ventured here. A CMS is a content management system app that allows multiple contributors to manage a website. Things like creating, editing, and publishing are made much easier without having to go through the back-end code to make changes.

It provides a dashboard much like a Social Media one where you can create new content, edit, delete publish and share. WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla are major examples of these customizable open source templates. Customized Content Management Systems have several advantages.

They are super flexible with many plugins and themes available. Customized open source CMS platforms stand out in terms of user-friendliness. With simple training guides, they can be administered by any person in the company without the need for IT knowledge. The downside is that they need regular maintenance to avert security issues.

They may prove to be cheaper in the long run as they are customized to meet the specific needs of your business. Customized open source CMS is a specialty at Ace Solution Africa.

Research also shows that WordPress-themed sites rank higher on Search Engines. Free training is offered after completion on basic features and tools on the dashboard. This ensures you are able to comfortably manage your own website.

Custom Website Built on Framework

Last but not least are websites that lie in this category.  Web devs are hired to build websites from scratch with no template. Unlike the Open Source CMS systems created with the likes of WordPress and Joomla, the CMS in this particular instance is canned.

With a specific customized Content Management System, the specific needs of the business are met. Programming languages like PHP are used to make a customized system that will serve the most business-specific needs of the organization.  

Disadvantages of Framework-based Websites

This requires extensive knowledge in programming knowledge and it takes a longer time and is the most expensive of the three types of websites. One thing to note is that you should remember to have a Custom CMS system created, otherwise you will have to edit, publish or manage content from the developer’s code.

This is probably the biggest nightmare because you’ve technically given the DEV total control over your website while you have none. These are the three major types of websites that make up Web Design in Kenya and around the globe.

Before you choose the method you’ll use to create your site, please do extensive research on the benefits and drawbacks of your site and compare them with your needs, end

Did you know that 38% of visitors will leave a site if the design isn’t appealing? Web design refers to the appearance and layout of a website that a user interacts with.

Front-end developers are best equipped to deal with this Graphical User Interface. The whole user experience majorly relies on a good website design. Designs that are simple and minimal work best, as they say, less is more.

These are the reasons why you need to insist on getting a good design from a developer.

Why Good Web design is a must for your Business

Search Engine Optimization Ranking

Website design also includes how you publish your content on the website. Following basic publishing rules like having a Keyword and easy-to-read text go a long way in making a website SEO friendly.

Sites that follow these SEO publishing rules generally rank hire. This is because Search Engine Bots mimic the user experience while ranking sites.

If several visitors leave a few seconds later due to say unfriendly text layout, the bots lower the website’s ranking.

Search Engine Bots work like good friends who refer other friends (second batch) to certain places based on the experience that they’ve observed from the first batch of friends who visited the place.

This also makes it easier for web crawlers to access your website faster and index it favorably.

Leaves a Good First Impression

Web Design will always be a make or break. We honestly won’t get tired of repeating this. Websites determine what opinion a client makes of you. When a client gets to know about a certain business, they always head on to Google the name first to know more.

What happens when they get there determines whether they will want to continue doing business with you.

Imagine a scenario where a client gets to the website and has to wait for ages for pages to load. They will automatically leave to get back to the search results where they click on a competitor’s site.

A good design makes a visitor feel that they are dealing with a professional and trustworthy business. You have to be careful with the web design since it has a major effect on your brand’s credibility.

Aids in Customer Relations

Let’s be honest, everybody claims they are customer-oriented and give priority to customer service. Well, that might not always be true and smart clients can tell. Clients don’t want you to say it, they need you to prove it. This is what really sets you apart from a hundred other competitors.

To build trust you’ve got to show that you are making strides in ensuring the client has the best customer experience. Having a Website is the first step.

Would you prefer a client drive for over an hour to your store for an issue that could have been resolved online within minutes? Now that you already have a website, it’s time to give the client warm hospitality.

Why Poor Design Portarays Bad Customer Relations.

Having poor website design like difficult to access, cluttered information is similar to having no ramps in your store to aid in mobility for those with wheelchairs.

It shows that you don’t care that much about the customer experience and hence care little about providing solutions. Your site is the first customer care agent clients interact with. How it serves them determines if the client will make a purchase.

These are the major reasons why you should really consider getting your web design right by choosing an experienced, customer-centric developer like Ace Solution Africa. We pride ourselves in being part of the success stories of our business partners and clients.