Tired of your outdated website?
Your customers are too. 😬
Yeah, that color scheme and font are really showing their age.
We know it’s easy to get stuck in the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset.
And when you’re busy trying to manage your clients and wade through unbillable admin tasks, you don’t have time to worry about load speed and UX.
But here’s the thing. An outdated website IS broken – especially for professional services.
Let’s say you’re a lawyer.
96% of folks turn to Google when searching for an attorney.
If your law firm’s website isn’t up to scratch, they’ll click away faster than you can say “Harvey Specter” (and that’s if it shows up on page 1 in the first place!)
The reality for professional services is that your ability to attract leads and acquire clients depends on the quality of your website.
So, how do you dominate the search rankings and outshine the competition?
You team up with a website design agency that understands the professional services industry.
Read on to discover…
Listen: we know you didn’t just search professional services web design so you could learn about one business.
You need a list of the top businesses in the game, so we’re going to help you out with that.
Below we’ve provided a list of agencies that we won’t cringe too hard about recommending in the event you don’t choose us.
We vetted these guys (so you don’t have to) using the following criteria:
Let’s take a look.
First on our list is a web design company that’s been in business since 1996: Xobee.
This agency offers numerous services in addition to web design, including network support and application programming.
So if you’re looking to make your services more accessible, Xobee can develop an app to ensure anyone can easily obtain financial or insurance information from their phone.
BUT.
While the company’s case studies include some pretty awesome reviews on their website, Xobee has never been reviewed on Clutch.
This is totally understandable for newer agencies.
But we’d be lying if we didn’t see this as a red flag for an agency of this tenure.
You didn’t think we’d leave our own company off the list, did you?
This plug isn’t even shameless. State Creative really is in a league of its own when it comes to getting results for financial organizations, law firms, non-profits, and eCommerce sites.
And our clients are stoked with the results:
| Happy Client | Results |
| Ability Advertising |
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| Brown & Brown Insurance |
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| Mars Venus |
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We’re unique from some of the other agencies on our list because we develop sites using both WordPress and Drupal.
This means we have the flexibility to make your website exactly how you want it, whether that means integrating your site with CRM software or building a form so your clients can request a meeting online.
Plus, our killer blog (you know, the place you found this post?) provides both clients and lurkers with up-to-date tips about web design trends, including finding the best professional services web design agencies around (ahem: us).
Finally, our development process doesn’t end once you have a completed website in hand.
The last thing you want is for your sharp new website to get infiltrated by malware, so we offer security and support services to protect your investment.
In other words, you can rest easy knowing that all of your client’s precious (and super confidential!) information is safe from hackers because your site is being hosted, maintained, and updated by a team of experts.
But don’t just take our word for all this: we’re gold-verified on Clutch and have excellent reviews.
Previous clients highlight the fact that we’re:
Next up is Thrive, a Seattle-based company with employees all around the world. Thrive provides companies with branding, marketing, and design services.
Since 2002, Thrive has worked with over 200 companies, including law firms, consulting companies, and realtors.
This agency has also won several awards for its work, including being a “Top Web Designer in Seattle” by Clutch.
Given its Seattle home base, this agency would be a great choice for Washington-based companies looking for local expertise.
VisionSnap is yet another tenured professional services web design company that serves clients in real estate, law, consulting, and eCommerce (plus a 4.9-star rating on Clutch).
Their own website is incredibly fast, so there’s no guessing that VisionSnap can successfully create sleek, interactive websites that will keep visitors on the page.
And since people spend only 10-20 seconds on a website on average, these first impressions really matter!
Last on our list is Thomas Digital, which has been in business since 2010 and is located in San Francisco.
Technically, they’re our competitors… But we’d be wasting your time by pretending they don’t exist.
Thomas Digital specializes in building custom WordPress websites, as well as provides SEO and branding services.
The agency offers pricing on a flat-fee basis, making it an affordable option if your firm needs a digital boost but is restricted by budget.
And this agency doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. In fact, there is an entire section of its website dedicated to helping would-be clients determine if the fit is there.
92% of people will only trust an attractive website.
So your website needs to be at the top of its game if it’s going to convert leads to customers.
Wanna see how the top dogs are doing it?
Let’s take a look. Who knows, you might even be inspired for your next rebrand…
First up on our list of best professional services websites is Lanlogic, which wins points for being super easy to navigate.
Full transparency, this is one from our portfolio.
Lanlogic wanted to improve its website’s navigation and make it easy to find contact information. So we delivered.
On Langlogic’s homepage, you’ll spot three different places for people to get in touch:
There’s no way anybody’s going to access this website and wonder how to connect.
And you can see each of Lanlogic’s IT Services clearly listed on the pulldown menu, making it easy to navigate through the site. No need to spend minutes trying to find the page you want: everything is easily accessible from the homepage.
What do you think about when you hear the word “Geico”:
For us, it’s always that cute, friendly little dude.
And that’s branding in a nutshell. Geico has nailed it with creating a visual brand identity that goes beyond bland messages about insurance.
As soon as you land on Geico’s homepage, you’re welcomed to the site by its reptilian mascot.
And this friendly gecko immediately presents you with helpful signposts so you can get to where you need to be right away.
No more spending hours clicking through your insurance company’s website, desperate to find the policy information that suits you.
By having a strong brand identity and demonstrating a deep understanding of its customers, Geico creates a browsing experience that leaves you feeling satisfied — not stressed out.
From the moment you land on the YLAW website, you’re struck by the law firm’s strong imagery.
And since 80% of people remember what they see, it’s key that YLAW’s images convey one of the firm’s key selling points: its humanity.
YLAW manages to convey both competence and humility in the same image – no small task.
From your first view of the page, you can quickly see that the firm is:
To top it all off, the law firm uses custom photography (of its own lawyers, no less!). Talk about setting itself apart from its less ambitious competitors that are still relying on stock footage.
Another inspiration piece from our portfolio is Pinnacle Claims Management, which features some killer website copy.
This site provides visitors with a wealth of information, advice, and support … without using copy that’s dense, bloated, or confusing.
Take, for example, the “Employers” page.
Visitors immediately learn about the service Pinnacle Claims Management provides its clients: health benefits administration.
And the page goes into detail about the specific tools available to its customers, like online enrollment, and why that’s important. So visitors not only know what Pinnacle Claims Management does but also how and why they do it.
Take note that we used bullets for much of this content, which makes it easy for visitors to skim and quickly find the information they’re looking for (and is great for SEO!).
All of this together quickly educates visitors and positions Pinnacle Claims Management as a trusted industry leader — key for the success of any professional services organization.
Ally isn’t like traditional banks: they don’t have any brick-and-mortar stores. And they convey that difference through their rich color scheme.
They’re not using a boring business brown or money green. Nope. They’re all about sporting purple to maintain their fun, unique identity.
The homepage also ditches the suit and tie by using lowercase font.
This shift away from stiff, rigid branding and towards something more modern, engaging, and user-friendly is happening across the financial services industry right now.
Don’t you want to catch up and embrace some of that innovation, too?
Just like you wouldn’t hire a photographer without seeing a portfolio of their work, you should never hire a professional services website development agency without seeing the sites they’ve developed.
That’s because the last thing you want is to hire an agency that creates websites completely different from your vision.
If you’re thinking your website will be minimal and modern but an agency’s previous work is always bold and colorful, you’re not going to be happy with the product they produce – no matter the quality.
So always hire an agency that can speak your language and understand the services you provide.
Without that understanding, it’s going to be a toss-up as to whether you get what you need. Reviewing an agency’s portfolio to see if they’ve worked with similar clients to you, and in a style you want, is a great first step to see if this alignment exists.
A company can toot its own horn until the sun goes down.
But if they’re saying they provide the best website design professional services around and all their customers are saying they ended up with a Frankenstein website, well… You should probably keep looking.
In addition to reviewing star ratings on review websites, always read narrative comments.
This is where you can find essential information about the overall quality of a design agency. While you’re reading, ask yourself some of the following questions:
If you find yourself answering “no” to any of those questions, find a different designer.
When you visit the web design agency’s blog, are they offering actionable insights… for free?
A good web design agency genuinely wants to support its clients. One of the ways it may do this is by providing its insights to both paying and unpaying visitors on a company blog.
This is a great practice not only because many consumers read 3-5 pieces of content before they even get in touch with a company. Blogging also demonstrates that an agency is keeping up with industry trends.
This means that whether you’re looking to optimize your website for lead generation or improve SEO, it never hurts to choose an agency that’s recently written about it on its blog.
Of course, some topics are more subjective. A company may be railing against the black and white websites you’ve always loved. That doesn’t mean their aesthetic preferences are wrong, necessarily.
It just means they aren’t for you.
If a professional services website development agency doesn’t have a site that reflects current web design trends, what makes you think it’s going to be able to deliver for you?
Sure, anyone can say they’ll make your website look awesome. But is the agency actually walking the talk… or still sporting Arial font?
If an agency’s site hasn’t been recently updated, it’s safe to assume you’re going to end up with a website that would’ve done awesome… five years ago.
But just isn’t going to cut it today.
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A web design agency sends you a quote for your website without even hearing about your goals….
🚩 🚩 🚩
This agency can’t possibly know it’s going to provide a stellar end-product if it doesn’t thoroughly understand your needs.
Think about it: if your primary goal is to drive more traffic to your site but the agency didn’t even hint at SEO, there’s no way you’re going to land those new clients post-update.
Instead of wasting your time with imposters, hire an agency that’s going to sit down with you, take the time to map out your business goals, and create a web design strategy based on those goals.
You can do all the research in the world and a company can check every single box on this list.
But if they don’t feel “right” from the beginning, it’s unlikely they will later. One of the best things you can do for your company is trust your gut.
And this goes for choosing the best professional services website design agency for your business, too.
Whether that means going with a newer company that makes you feel listened to, or hiring someone who’s been particularly insightful during introductory calls, only you can determine what will work best for your organization.
Choosing the right partner for your new website is TOUGH. Especially when you have super high standards but lack the time to scan through websites and listen to sales pitches.
By taking some time to check out an agency’s portfolio or blog before hiring them (plus following the other tips on our list!), you’re bound to find the right designer for your company.
And hopefully we’ve helped you with some of the heavy lifting.
So, ready to boost traffic, showcase your expertise, and make it as easy as possible for people to request your professional services?
We’d love to help you out. Tell us about your goals and we’ll tell you how we can get you there.
