Top 9 Crucial Considerations When Selecting a Digital Agency

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RC Design Inc.

One of the most important parts of your digital presence is that your site is as easy for you to administer, as it is for your customers to use.

Toronto, Ontario (PRWEB) April 02, 2014

RC Design, the team of creative thinkers leveraging both traditional and digital technology, has been helping businesses define and build brands online and in print, for over 15 years. Headquartered in the heart of Newmarket, Ontario, their team is best known for critical web-based application development and the seamless design and implementation of unique site functionality such as: document management systems, creative file sharing systems, unique CRM tools and software, robust e-commerce solutions and specialized client portals.

But selecting a digital agency that marries creativity and commerce can be a daunting, especially when you don’t know what questions to ask, or what to look for. “One of the most imperative parts of your digital presence is that your site is as easy for you to administer, as it is for your customers to use,” says Kris Atkinson, developer at RC Design. “The agency you choose should understand this.”

Here are some key questions to keep in mind when researching and selecting a digital agency in the Toronto area, right from RC Design’s team of developers:

1.    Do they have a fresh and current website showcasing some of the latest trends and tools of the modern web? Is their site responsive? Is the agency’s portfolio up to date?

2.    Are they knowledgeable? Is the content they shared on their blog and social media relevant? Are they mindful of changes in the digital world?

3.    Does their company culture extrude openness, friendliness, and a well-rounded sense of humor? (Trust us, it makes a huge difference!)

4.    Do they have a good grasp of modern web tools like CSS3 and HTML5? Have they moved into the JS and Node-based development process, or detailed when they’re planning to make the transition? Why does this matter?

The low-down:

HTML5 is an evolution of the existing building blocks of websites. It defines what is on the page (content, images) and makes it easier to place and integrate elements like video and audio, peer to peer connection, website chats and helps define all tools available through the browser while loading assets efficiently.

CSS3 defines how things look including fonts, size, colour, location on page, borders, and animations. It ensures the site looks consistent across all devices and removes tools like flash and excess external plugins so a site can load and respond quicker.

JavaScript’s traditional use is making changes to what you see on the page without having to refresh (image rotators) and provides user interaction (alert confirmation boxes, performing an action when you click something on the page like modal pop-ups)

NodeJS is what the server uses to send information and web pages to your web browser, written in JavaScript. Unlike older tech (Apache), it's designed to be fast and transfer as little data as possible to display the page ie: avoids sending redundant data, or data that's not necessary to show on the page - which is why it's so much faster.

5.    Do they aspire to leverage modern workflows, with agile or incremental development, being able to build small pieces of a project over time, so that you as a client are actively participating through the projects life cycle? Are they transparent throughout the process?

6.    What aspects below the surface do they strive to improve, things such as page and asset load time, site and server performance as a whole, security monitoring, backups and redundancies, and how they handle situations should any issues occur? Is there a process and communication protocol for workflow?

7.    Is there are development team willing to speak to client should they need clarification? Is the development team actively facilitating the process and communication protocol for workflow? Are they offshoring work?

8.    Is the team aware of relevant services such as search engine optimization (SEO), keyword research, the importance of fresh content, and other add value services? Are they your partner?

9.    Does the digital agency use open technology, or will they “lock you in” using proprietary tech? Before committing to digital agency you should understand who owns the code that is used to create the website, and where it will reside as proprietary rights might not be discussed initially.

If you’re looking for a digital agency which values strategic creative partnerships and is willing to listen to your unique online business goals, contact RC Design, today.

RC Design, located in Newmarket, Ontario, employs the philosophy of uniting ideas and technology to create tangible results. Serving industries such as arts and culture, government, hospitality, corporate and finance, professional services and not-for-profits, RC Design has been delivering powerful results to clients across Canada, with one goal in mind – creating compelling digital and print creative solutions that impact and deliver.

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