Every day, we try to understand the needs and problems faced by website and e-shop owners. We have tried many different ways to get the clearest possible picture.
We have concluded that the most effective method is direct communication with website and online store owners. Over a period of three months, we found and spoke with 105 website owners who patiently described the main complaints they have and the most common problems they face with the digital agencies they work with.
What stood out is that almost everyone seems to have some kind of horror story: a designer who did not understand their needs, a company that delivered the project years later, or a result that simply did not match what had been agreed.
At the end of our research, we identified the 10 + 1 most important problems website owners face. We believe this is a useful guide for preparing properly before choosing the company that will build your website.
We cannot guarantee that a company that takes the following issues seriously will definitely deliver the result you want. But we hope this list will help you avoid disappointment and make the best possible choice.
At the same time, keep in mind that while the customer is usually right, communication is often the key to success. Only through proper communication can your needs be combined with the specialized knowledge your website creator should have.
Enough with the introduction. Let's look at the results of the research.
1. It was not what I expected
The most common complaints we heard were: "The website was not what I expected", "the logo was not what I described", "the website's style does not match our company", and "who told them to put that thing in the middle?"
But why does this happen? Is it so difficult to deliver what the client asked for?
The answer is simple. Website development companies must listen first and speak second. If you asked us for the most important characteristic of a successful digital agency, we would simply say: proper communication.
Of course, building that kind of communication is not always easy. It takes effort from both the client and the creator. But we believe the main responsibility lies with the website builder, who should encourage and develop the conversation through questions, suggestions, ideas and preferences.
If you need an online store and the main color of your brand identity is blue, you should expect your website to use shades of blue, not red.
The result may be technically good, but it will still be clear that the designer did not take the necessary time to gather the information needed to create a website that fits you. Even details that seem minor can shape the final result, so the digital agency you choose should know them.
On the other hand, the designer should explain what is possible in the construction of your website and, of course, whether what you want can be achieved within the budget you have available.
Our advice is this: look for companies that build websites the way their clients need them, not only the way the agency personally likes them. Make sure the company you choose makes a serious effort to understand your needs and expectations.
2. I have more creativity than the designers
Several clients told us that the company they hired simply gave back the ideas the clients already had. There was no sign of creativity or innovation from the agency's side.
Most of the time, it is easier to take something ready-made and place it on a web page. Creativity requires effort and time, and many agencies stop at whatever the client provides.
But creativity is one of the most important things you expect from the designer you work with. You want them to understand what you want, synthesize it and create something that goes several steps further in terms of the final aesthetic result.
A lack of creativity is often expressed as unsatisfactory design. When you hire a web design company, you are hiring them for their ideas, their aesthetic judgment, their design ability and their inspiration.
If all you need is to place photos, logos, graphics and ideas you already have, then you can probably build the website yourself. With some effort, you will manage it.
How do you avoid this kind of partner?
Before you receive the final result, ask for original sketches, concepts, images or anything else that shows their thinking. If you see that they have not worked seriously on the design, you should probably look elsewhere. You may lose an advance payment or a small amount of money, but that is better than receiving a completed project with no real value.
3. Every time I need a change, it feels like a hunt
This is definitely one of the complaints you have probably heard often, or may have experienced yourself. Our research showed that many website owners are disappointed by how slowly the digital agencies they work with respond.
Most web design companies try to take on as many projects as possible, without properly calculating the support those projects will require in the future.
Of course, the more clients a company has, the more requests it receives for changes or adjustments to websites. But support is often not treated as a priority because it is usually not rewarded in the same way as a new project.
For this reason, if you want a strong long-term partnership, you should examine how the partner you choose will support you after launch. Remember that support is more time-consuming and demanding than you may think, which is why it is worth choosing companies that offer proper support even if it costs a little more.
4. I cannot make changes to the website myself
You have a brand-new online store. It works well, but you notice a small issue. You want to make a simple change, such as adding an image or replacing a word, yet you are completely dependent on the company that built your website.
The worst case is calling your website creator, describing the change you need and hearing them say no.
That is where frustration begins. There can be countless reasons for the refusal: future changes were not agreed, the change is complex, it takes too much time, it is not included in your support agreement, or it is very expensive.
Now imagine that your business has grown, you are successful and you want to add a small new service to your website. But you cannot, because it costs too much.
Then, whether you like it or not, you may have to find another website design team to rebuild everything from the beginning, or simply leave the website as it is. Either option can cost you just as much, or more.
Ultimately, you need a website that can be configured easily in the future, either by the company that built it or directly by you and your team.
In the first case, there should be a clear agreement from the beginning. In the second, the website should be built in a way that is easy to edit, and you should receive proper training. Training usually costs money, but it gives you flexibility with many immediate benefits.
Before acquiring any website, make sure you can make future changes easily and quickly. Your business evolves every day, and your website should evolve with it.
5. The recipe for failure: a website built in a way no one understands
This is connected to the previous point, but it deserves to be clear. As we said, the ability to edit and improve your website is essential.
With so many tools available today that offer extensive editing and customization options, why would anyone choose a website written by hand in a programming language that very few people know?
There are cases where this is necessary, of course, but usually it is excessive.
Many digital agencies use this tactic to tie clients to them. Still, having no alternatives and no ability to edit the content yourself is probably one of the most annoying problems you can face with a website.
Our advice is to choose a partner who will build your website with tools such as WordPress, or even simpler tools if your needs are not especially demanding. More complex solutions should come only when they are truly necessary.
6. Repeated delivery extensions and no progress updates
A creative task like designing a website is not easy to complete overnight. But when expectations are created and not met, the client is disappointed even if the final result is good.
Delays can happen, but they should be accompanied by proper updates or even a presentation of the steps completed so far.
Progress updates during website construction also help the entire process, because ideas and opinions can be exchanged while the project is still being created.
If the digital agency you chose did not inform you from the beginning about the points at which you would discuss the progress of the work, you should probably reconsider your choice.
They should have told you not only when you would receive the finished product, but also when they would contact you to discuss the progress of the work. This is a sign of professionalism and respect toward clients who are waiting without knowing what is happening.
7. Lack of basic design knowledge hurts the result
A good digital agency should definitely understand programming. But if it does not understand basic design principles such as colors, structure, images, fonts and contrast, it will produce a website that does not achieve its purpose.
The main reason to have a well-designed website is to communicate with customers, so the design should be shaped around the feelings it needs to create. It should also guide the audience toward specific decisions, such as buying a product from your online store.
If the website is not visually designed in a way that speaks to your customers, or if it prevents them from exploring it comfortably, then acquiring a website probably makes little sense unless you have money you do not know how to invest.
How do you find a website design company that understands design?
It is not especially difficult. Look for its portfolio or previous projects. There you should find enough information to judge whether the company understands the basics of design.
An even easier way, especially if you do not have much time, is to explore the website of the company itself. In most cases, it reveals quite a lot about its design ability and overall quality.
8. Nobody likes being ignored
Like it or not, being ignored is unacceptable. No one likes having their requests overlooked, especially when they have paid for the work.
As a client, you should make sure the company building your website will be by your side when you need it.
Imagine that your website has a problem or you want to make an addition or change. You try to contact your partner without success. You send an email and receive no answer for a week. You call them and all you hear is, "We will contact you later."
Of course, this does not mean every request can be completed within a few hours, so patience is still important. But when a request requires time, even a simple update on its progress is a good sign that someone is dealing with it.
An easy way to assess the responsiveness of web development companies is during the first contact phase. In other words, when you are trying to buy from them, pay attention to how quickly they answer your questions.
9. Yesterday they opened, today they built ten websites, tomorrow they are gone
Under no circumstances do you want to work with companies that have no continuity. Imagine investing EUR 2,000 or more to acquire your online store, only for the company that created it to disappear a year later.
You should look for a company that has been in the market for enough time and has good reviews and ratings on Google, LinkedIn or anywhere else you can find them.
You may think that the larger and more reliable the company that builds your website, the higher the cost. But think about it again.
Is it not more cost-effective to build your website properly once than to rebuild it from scratch every year or two?
10. They do not understand budget management
A proper web design company should analyze the cost of your website before starting the collaboration. This should be made clear during the initial phase, when the company is trying to understand your needs.
Many times, a collaboration begins and the cost keeps increasing until the project may no longer be profitable for you. There is no point in starting a project that constantly requires money you had not calculated from the beginning.
A key step in budget management is having an agreement from the beginning regarding the cost of building your website. This protects both you and your partner, and it should normally be agreed and recorded in the contract you sign.
One important question a web designer should ask is: "How far can your budget go?" They need to know this so they can adapt the technologies they use and the time they dedicate to the final result.
So if they insist on asking how much money you have available from the beginning, they probably are not trying to take advantage of you. On the contrary, they may be trying to make the best possible use of your budget.
If the available amount is smaller than expected, the capabilities or features of the website can be adjusted. If it is larger, the agency should find ways to avoid unnecessary costs from the beginning.
How do you find partners who understand the meaning of available budget?
You will understand it first from the website development company's pricing, which you may find on its own website. If you see fixed prices, expect either to pay much more later or to receive a result that is lower than expected.
If they clearly state that prices are adjusted to your needs and budget, that is a good place to start.
+1 Bonus: The website lacks necessary features
This usually comes from lack of experience or carelessness. But if you receive a website that does not have the necessary features, you should look elsewhere.
When building an online store, for example, you want it to have a contact form, automated responses to inquiries and welcomes, an email address with your own name, quick product price updates, high speed, mobile optimization and search engine optimization (SEO).
The list does not stop there, but if something important is missing, the result will not be satisfactory. As we said before, throwing money into the endless internet makes no sense.
Invest your money in a way that gives it a real chance to return with more.
The solution to this problem is simple and appears the moment they send you the offer for building your website. If the offer includes at least the essentials above, you can continue the conversation.
Website owner problems can teach you a lot
As we discussed above, before making your final decision you should do your research. First, understand what you need. Second, know what to look for in the partner you choose.
If you want a website or online store that truly satisfies you, and a partner by your side who fully understands your needs, we suggest you contact us directly.
Many of our clients came to us after unsuccessful attempts to work with other designers, either because they had not done enough research or because they found a price that was too low.
You can read our article on the cost of a website for more information.
The final result in those cases was that they paid much more than they had been promised, or they did not receive a website that met their expectations.
For more information on how to get a website that turns visitors into customers instead of driving them away, contact ArtisWeb Digital Agency and see your investment pay off.
Good luck!