One of my roles at Standard Beagle is business development, and I spend a lot of time talking to people about their projects.
Since I first started freelancing in 2007, I’ve probably talked to hundreds of people about web and software projects. Many times these prospective clients approach me the same way. They have a vague idea of a need and they want to know what it would take to accomplish it.
Unfortunately, I see a lot of the same mistakes when people try to hire an agency. So I thought I’d share the top nine mistakes they make, so you and the companies you work with can make a more informed decision.
Thank you for that introduction, Jonathan.
Today I want to talk to you about how to hire a digital agency. One of my roles at Standard Beagle is business development, and I spend a lot of time talking to people about their projects.
Since I first started freelancing in 2007, I’ve probably talked to hundreds of people about web and software projects. Many times these prospective clients approach me the same way. They have a vague idea of a need and they want to know what it would take to accomplish it.
Unfortunately, I see a lot of the same mistakes when people try to hire an agency. So I thought I’d share the top nine mistakes they make, so you and the companies you work with can make a more informed decision.
The first mistake is - Not having a plan Our best clients have a good idea of what they are looking for.
We help them refine their specifications and put together an idea of the approach, but ideally, clients should have a strategy already worked out. AND a budget. When I ask a prospective client what their budget is, it’s not so I can rip them off. It’s so I can understand how best to approach a project.
There are dozens of ways to build technology, and we want to find the approach that best suits our client’s needs, budget, and specifications.
So if you don’t have more than a vague idea of what you want, I may not be able to deliver a proposal that meets your needs.
Number 2 - Wanting it ALL. I also call this biting off more than you can chew.
This is when you have visions of a project, but you really don’t understand how complex it is.
The result can be a huge project. I see this all the time with projects that start off as 3 months but time drags on and on with nothing to show because the project just keeps becoming more and more bloated. Our job is to help move clients toward a phased approach - through agile development.
The idea here is to deliver a minimum viable product -- like a simple website -- quickly., Then we iterate over time, changing it or adding features as we learn from user behavior. By doing it this way, clients have the potential to start making money faster, and they can adjust the technology to meet demands of their users through each iteration. A good agency will work with you to not just launch your project, but also help you continue to make changes and improvements to it over time.
Confusing designers with developers There are two basic parts of any technology project, whether it be an app or a website.
First you design a feature, then you code it into the framework. Unless your designer is also a developer -- which means they are capable of writing HTML, CSS and more, you may not have hired the professional you thought you did.
Typically, designers do not code. Now -- I can code -- but in a lot of cases, designers don’t know how to even how to write HTML, let alone code their work. So make sure you ask the agency or the designer you want to work with who will be coding your project.
Confusing graphic designers with web designers Graphic design is not the same as web design. Graphic design has its roots in the print world, and it is extremely visual. Often graphic designers create static pieces of work.
Web design is more interactive, and it encompasses a number of disciplines, from information architecture and user interface design to visual design and animation. It’s basically designing how users interact with the technology. I like to refer to web designers as experience designers, because they are designing the entire experience for how a user works with a piece of technology.
I’ve noticed that websites designed by graphic designers look gorgeous, but often lack the forethought of how people actually will use the site. A lot of thought should go into technology design, and experience designers have that special knowledge.
Confusing developers with configurers/customizers I used to work for a guy who was a steel guitar player in Nashville. He used to lament the rise of the guys he used to call “knob turners.”
These were producers who had just graduated and would be in the sound room turning knobs on the board to get the right sound. Compare this to the seasoned veteran producers. If something didn’t sound right, rather than turn a bunch of knobs, they would walk into the room and move the mic closer. Problem solved.
Be careful if your project has complexity. This includes commerce, community or other transactional systems. There is an epidemic of web platform “customizers” -- a group of people I call configurers -- who pose as developers but cannot actually develop custom solutions. We run into this all the time. A client will come to us for help with their website, and we discover a poorly coded website that relies on third-party plugins out of the box. These websites are often fast and budget-friendly. Unfortunately, they can be limiting, especially if you need to make changes down the road.
If you feel that your project requires custom development, ask the prospective agency for examples where they had specific requirements that required a customized solution.
Looking for an agency that specializes in “X” industry If you wanted to hire a painter to paint your house brown, would you specify that you need a house painter have previously used brown paint? If the company has worked in every color except brown, would you turn them away? That would be silly, right?
Well, it happens all the time in my industry. Companies look for agencies that specialize in their field. Now, there are some industries that are highly regulated, but this is mostly for content compliance. The truth is -- when it comes to developing technology, it really doesn’t matter.
A good agency will have a process that includes discovery and industry analysis. Many times agencies that specialize in an industry don’t bother because they work in it all the time. You risk not having an original site that suits your needs. Besides, why would you want to hire an agency that might be helping your competitor?
Confusing large w/ good Large firms are impressive, and they bring a lot to the table, But there are downsides to working with a large agency on a project.
Agencies can be difficult places to work. There can be high turnover, so the person you’re working with might be very new, and they may not be there a year from now. Agencies can also have high overhead, and high prices. It really depends. Just make sure you do your homework on what you’re getting rather than assume a big agency is better than a smaller one.
We are a small, boutique firm, but as a result, our rates are lower than giant agencies, and we are better able to change direction for our clients. It’s easier to pivot. Plus, as you can see from the team of people I brought with me today, we’re all local and you can actually talk to us. No phone trees.
Confusing what you want with what your user wants This is another issue we deal with a lot. Prospective clients make a lot of assumptions about what their customers want.
They come to us with a lot of ideas, but they don’t know the best way to get the results. Think of an architect, or a contractor. You have hired them for their expertise. You wouldn’t tell them where to put the nails.
You should trust a good agency to provide the expertise to help you achieve your goals. The good agencies will recommend user testing and user interviews as part of the process to figure out how best to make that happen. And a lot of our clients forget that they are not their user. Many companies make a lot of assumptions about their customers, but they don’t really know until they get a product in front of the user. Technology is a product. Before assuming, find an agency that will use data to help validate or rebutt what you think about your users. And let them do it.
Choosing the lowest bidder
This is the worst way to choose a professional for your technology project. For one, there is an extreme pricing divergence. On one hand, a large agency may have a large price tag because of the overhead and their expertise.
On the other hand, a small firm may actually be
one guy working out of his house that relies on off-shore outsourcing to keep prices low. And a mid-size firm may have all of the capabilities to tackle a project in-house.
It’s much better to build a small high-quality feature that meets some of your users needs now than to build a cheap, crappy site that pisses them off.
I recommend interviewing agencies. Make your choice based on ability, references, how well you click with them -- plus consider the agency’s approach to your project. Never rely solely on price.
