By When a business recognizes the pressing need for a new website, they have a serious decision to make: whether to hire the services of a freelance designer or those of a professional web design company.
The offerings of both a freelancer and a professional company might seem very similar on paper though probably with varying price ranges. You might be tempted to go with the cheaper option -- but before you do, spend a little time weighing your options. To help you make your decision, take a look at this list of 6 reasons why you'd be better off with the services of a professional web design company.
1. Unique, Customized Design
If you go through a professional website design company, they won't offer you some cut-rate deal on a boring template design. No, they'll take the time to study your business -- your branding, your products and services, and your personality. Then, they'll create a website that reflects what you wish to accomplish and ensure the finished product contributes to you reaching your goals.
2. The Promise of Functionality
If your website is designed on the cheap, there's no real guarantee that it'll function properly. A freelancer might disappear into the ether the moment you pay them, while a professional web design company will ensure that everything is responsive and works as promised -- period.
Remember, the first impression is the most important thing when it comes to grabbing the attention of new customers. If they reach your landing page and can't figure out how to use it (or find that it won't work the way it's supposed to), you've already lost them.
3. Better Search Engine Rankings
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a technique that web designers are intimately familiar with. They know that if your website is difficult to find on the front pages of search results, your potential customers will go with whatever else they come across first. So, through the process of optimizing your website for search engines, a professional web design company can offer you far better results than those of a freelancer.
4. Frees You to Focus on Your Business
Once you know you've hired the services of web design pros, you can sit back and focus on what's really important: the future of your business. Instead of dealing with the constant hassle of making sure your freelancer doesn’t ruin your image, you can feel confident that the website you'll end up with will exceed your expectations. Plus, the benefits of using a professional webmaster who works with the web design company mean that your site will always stay fresh and on the cutting edge of online technology.
5. Professionalism
When a professional web designer handles your new website, the finished project will present itself and your business with the very important air of credibility. Your potential customers will get a real sense of your commitment to quality work, and will be specifically catered to -- especially if they're your target audience. The organization and delivery of the many elements of your website will portray your company in the best possible professional light, and you'll gain the trust of your customers as a result.
6. Cost Savings in the Future
Like we mentioned earlier, one of the biggest problems with hiring a freelancer is that once the job is done, they're gone. That great deal you got on a slapped-together website might end up coming back to bite you in the end because you'll realize a few months down the road that you still need more work done to keep the website functioning and up-to-date. That means you'll probably have to hire yet another freelancer.
But if you'd gone the route of a professional web design company, you'd have the benefits of a long-term contract that means they'll be there to help you with whatever changes you need in the future.
So, made your decision yet? If you're still weighing your options, check out this blog post on the GroupM7 web design process to learn more about how we can build you the perfect website for your business!
Aaron Dunn
Aaron is a writer by trade with several years of professional experience under his belt. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. Before joining the Group, he worked as a freelancer and tech reviewer in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Aaron currently lives in Pittsburg, TX. 
