Once you find an experienced web design agency, ask about their website design process. If they don’t have an established process in place of your project, it’s going to veer off-course.
Think of it in the same terms as designing and building your own architecture project. When you don't have a set development process, that project is going to take longer to complete, cost more, and run into a lot more problems than if it had followed a proven process.
Your website design team should learn as much as they can about your company, clients, and business goals. Without understanding your firm, how you work, what you do, and who you work with, they simply won't be able to deliver a website that gives you the results you need.
Your architecture firm is unique. You deserve a website that's unique, too.
Web designers and digital agencies all work differently, but for the most part, they should follow a process similar to this:
DEFINE
Discovery:
Asking questions and listening to your answers, and those of important stakeholders, like past clients, to get to know your business and goals.
Brand strategy:
Brand positioning and messaging, and, if needed, brand identity, including logo design, color selection, typography, layout, and the design of visual elements.
Website Content:
Writing website content and gathering all of the assets needed for your website (videos, photos, PDFs, staff bios etc.)
DESIGN
Website pre-design:
Determining navigation, pages, and wireframe sample to show a basic layout of how the pages will organize content.
Website design and development:
Building the website on the selected platform. Layout of all the elements that will be seen on the page. The set up of all the technical and back-end aspects of the website, including user interface and functionality design, mobile responsiveness, search engine optimization, security, hosting, and much more.
DELIVER
Testing:
Reviewing and testing every page, especially links (internal and external), buttons, submission forms, gallery features, etc. and making sure all works as well on mobile as it does on a laptop or desktop.
Launch:
Connecting the new site with your domain and site hosting, as appropriate.
Digital marketing:
Help with new content, blogging, social media sharing.
Ongoing services, support, and site maintenance:
There are varying levels of ongoing site maintenance and support plans. Be sure to discuss this with your website designer at the start of the project so you know what to expect.
If the designers you're talking to have a difficult time explaining their process, continue your search. There's a chance they don't know what they're doing, which could end up being an expensive mistake for your firm.