What to Expect When Working with a Web Design Agency (Especially If It’s Your First Time)

If you’ve never worked with a web design agency before, the whole process can feel like a bit of a mystery. Will they understand your business? How much input will you have? What happens after the site is done?

Whether you’re upgrading from a DIY site or starting from scratch, hiring a web design agency can be a game changer—as long as you know what to expect.

At Solbright Digital Services, we work mainly with Malaysian small and medium businesses (SMEs), especially those who are going online for the first time. In this post, we’ll walk you through what it’s like to work with a web design agency, using our own process as a guide.

Every Agency Works Differently—But the Goal Should Be the Same

Some agencies are all about aesthetics. Others focus only on tech or coding. But here’s the truth: a good website isn’t just about how it looks—it’s about what it does for your business.

A proper web design process should:

• Make your goals clearer
• Save time and reduce back-and-forth
• Deliver a website that actually helps your business grow

That’s why we created a process that’s structured but flexible—so even if it’s your first time getting a website, you won’t feel lost.

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What It’s Like to Work with Solbright Digital Services

We believe web design should feel more like collaboration, not a transaction. Here’s our step-by-step process to make that happen:

1. Getting to Know Your Business

Every project starts with a conversation. We’ll ask about your business, your goals, your customers, and what kind of website would actually help you.

No pressure, no jargon. Just a friendly chat to understand your needs.

2. Simple Questionnaire to Get the Details Right

We’ll send over a quick online form that helps us gather everything we need—like your branding preferences, must-have features, and sample sites you like.

This helps speed things up and ensures we don’t miss anything important.

3. Clear Contract for Peace of Mind

Once we’ve got the details down, we’ll prepare a straightforward contract. It’s not meant to be complicated—it’s there to protect both of us.

We believe in being transparent from the start. The contract outlines:

• The scope of work (what you’re getting)
• The timeline
• Payment terms
• What’s included (and what’s not)

This helps avoid misunderstandings later on. It keeps the project smooth, sets clear expectations, and gives you something to fall back on if anything needs clarification. It’s all part of building a professional, worry-free relationship.

4. First Look: Design Mockups

Once the paperwork’s done, we’ll move on to the fun part—design!

Instead of just showing you one idea, we’ll usually create a few homepage mockups based on your preferences and the goals we’ve discussed. These are crafted to reflect your brand, industry, and target audience.

You’ll get to:

• See different layout options
• Visualise how your content could flow
• Give honest feedback before we go into full development

This step helps us make sure we’re aligned—and it gives you confidence in the direction we’re taking.

5. Building the Website

Once you’re happy with the mockup, we get to work. We’ll build your website with clean design, SEO best practices, and mobile responsiveness baked in from the start. Some agencies offer additional SEO services to move your website to the top of the search result.

6. Revisions and Final Approval

After the first draft is ready, you’ll get to review the full website. We’ll make revisions based on your feedback, and only move forward once you’re satisfied.

7. Technical Setup (So You’re Ready for Google)

Now here’s something many low-budget web designers skip—and it matters more than you think.

Once your website looks good and works well, we also:

• Add SEO meta titles and descriptions to every key page
• Set up Google Analytics so you can track visits, traffic sources, and more
• Submit your site to Google Search Console, which tells Google, “Hey, here’s a new website—come crawl it!”

Without this step, your website might sit there invisible for weeks or months. We make sure it’s search engine ready from Day 1, so you can start building your online presence without delay.

It’s one of those behind-the-scenes things that shows we don’t just care about the look—we care about results.

8. Go Live!

Once everything is tested and approved, we go live! You’ll have a clean, fully functional website that’s ready to support your business.

9. Ongoing Maintenance & Support (Yes, for a Full Year)

Here’s where many agencies fall short. They deliver the website, give you the files, and disappear—maybe offering 1-month of “support” if you’re lucky.

At Solbright Digital Services, we offer:

• 1 year of website maintenance
• Optional long-term care plans, where we continue to manage your site on your behalf

That means no hassle, no worrying about updates or technical issues. Just peace of mind.

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We Handle Domain & Hosting for You

Some web design agencies expect you to buy your own domain and hosting account separately—which can be confusing if you’re not familiar with the technical stuff.

At Solbright Digital Services, we take care of that for you.

We’ll:

• Register your preferred domain (if it’s available)
• Set up reliable, secure hosting for your website
• Make sure everything is connected and running smoothly

This means you won’t have to worry about DNS settings, nameservers, or other terms that sound like alphabet soup. We keep it hassle-free so you can focus on your business.

To make ongoing management easier (like renewals, DNS, and linking your email later on), the domain will be registered and managed under our account—but you’ll always retain full ownership.

We make this clear in our contract:
👉 The domain name and website belong to you, and you can request full access or transfer at any time.

It’s all about convenience for you—without compromising on ownership or transparency.

Final Thoughts: The Process Matters as Much as the Product

Building a website isn’t just about the final result—it’s about the experience getting there. A clear, guided process makes things easier, especially if this is your first time investing in your online presence.

We’re here to make sure you’re supported at every step—not just during the design phase, but long after your site goes live.