What should I consider when selecting a website design and development company?
Quick answer: Before choosing a website design and development company, check whether they connect your website to your broader brand strategy (rather than working from an isolated template), which platform they build on, whether you'll be able to edit the site yourself afterwards, and whether ongoing support is available once it's live. Bobby Mac Design designs and develops on Squarespace, Shopify, Wix, and WordPress, hands over a fully editable site, and offers ongoing support through our Weekly Retainer.
Your website is often the first real interaction someone has with your brand, which makes choosing the right team to build it a bigger decision than it might first seem. Here's what's actually worth checking before you commit.
Does it connect to your broader brand strategy?
A website built in isolation without reference to your brand strategy, tone of voice or visual identity tends to look fine but feel disconnected from everything else you do. Ask any prospective website company how they approach brand alignment. If the answer is essentially "we'll pick a template that suits," that's a sign your site risks feeling like a stand-alone project rather than a true extension of your brand.
We build every website from the same strategic foundation as the rest of your brand. If you're starting from scratch, our brand strategy and design work lay that groundwork first, so your website isn't just good-looking — it's actually you.
Which platform do they build on?
Not all platforms suit all businesses, so it's worth asking early which one a company works in and why they'd recommend it for you. Broadly:
Squarespace:
Great for service-based businesses and portfolios that want a clean, design-led site that's simple to manage.
Shopify
Built for ecommerce, with strong product, inventory and checkout functionality.
Wix
A flexible, beginner-friendly builder with a strong app marketplace, well suited to businesses that want more design flexibility and room to add functionality as they grow.
WordPress:
Highly flexible, good for content-heavy sites or businesses with more complex functionality needs.
We design and develop on Squarespace, Shopify, Wix and WordPress, which means the platform recommendation is based on what actually suits your business, not just the one tool a developer happens to know.
Will you be able to edit the site yourself?
This one catches a lot of businesses out. Some website companies build sites so custom or so locked-down that the business owner can't so much as swap a photo or update a price without calling in outside help (and often paying for the privilege).
Before you sign anything, ask plainly: once this is built, can I update it myself? We hand over a fully editable site at the end of every website project so simple updates stay in your hands, on your own time.
Is ongoing support available after launch?
A website isn't really a "set and forget" asset; it needs updates, tweaks and the occasional refresh as your business grows. Find out upfront whether ongoing support exists and what it actually covers, rather than discovering the gap the first time something needs fixing post-launch.
Through our Weekly Retainers, we offer exactly that ongoing design and website support, without needing to bring on a full-time hire.
How Bobby Mac Design approaches website projects
Every website we build starts from strategy, is developed on the platform that genuinely suits your business (Squarespace, Shopify, Wix or WordPress), gets handed over fully editable, and can be supported long after launch through our Weekly Retainer. It's the same senior-led, connected approach we bring to every part of your brand, just applied to your website.
Take a look through our website design and development services, or browse recent projects to see it in action.
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Start the Conversation →FAQs
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Ideally, yes. A website built without reference to your brand strategy tends to look disconnected from the rest of your business — logo, packaging, socials and site should all read as one consistent brand.
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It depends on your business. Squarespace suits design-led service businesses, Shopify is built for ecommerce, and WordPress offers the most flexibility for content-heavy or highly custom sites. A good developer will recommend based on your needs, not their personal preference.
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You should always ask this before signing. We hand over a fully editable site, so you're never locked out of your own website.
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Ongoing support should be available, whether that's an ad hoc arrangement or a retainer. Our Weekly Retainer covers exactly this.
