As a specialist agency in WordPress development for regulated markets, we’ve seen our fair share of website projects gone wrong.
In fact, in one particular year, over 50% of our new business conversations centred around fixing other agencies’ mistakes – amounting to well over £1 million in recovery projects.
These weren’t small tweaks or minor adjustments. These were fundamental issues that impacted business operations, user experience, and bottom lines. But rather than simply highlight these problems, I want to share what we’ve learned from fixing them, so you can make better decisions when choosing your next digital partner.
Here are the key lessons we’ve discovered from helping brands recover from poor agency partnerships:
#1: The Generalist Trap
One of the most common issues we’ve encountered is what I call ‘the generalist trap.’
Many organisations choose large, full-service agencies believing they’re making a safe choice. However, in the digital space, being a jack-of-all-trades often means being a master of none.
When it comes to building complex, secure websites – especially for professional services and regulated markets – you need specialists who live and breathe web development. An agency might excel at branding or PR, but that doesn’t automatically translate to technical expertise in building high-performing websites.
#2: The Resource Reality Check
Another crucial lesson we’ve learned is the importance of looking beyond an agency’s overall size to examine their dedicated digital team. We’ve seen cases where prestigious agencies with hundreds of employees only had a handful of people actually working on web development.
This creates a dangerous situation where your project could be understaffed or handled by less experienced team members. Always ask specific questions about the size and expertise of the team that will be working on your project, not just the agency’s total headcount.
#3: The Relationship Red Flag
Here’s a sensitive but important point: existing relationships shouldn’t dictate your agency choice. We’ve seen numerous cases where organisations selected an agency based on previous relationships with senior leadership, rather than technical capability and fit.
While these relationships might seem like a safe bet, remember that it’s usually the marketing manager – not the CEO – who has to deal with the consequences of a poorly executed website. Your career and objectives deserve an agency chosen based on merit and expertise, not historical connections.
#4: The Innovation Iteration Issue
Perhaps the most expensive mistakes we’ve had to fix came from what I call “guinea pig projects.” These are situations where agencies use client projects to experiment with new technologies or approaches they’ve never implemented before.
While innovation is important, your website project shouldn’t be an agency’s testing ground. We’ve seen cases where experimental approaches led to massive budget overruns, missed deadlines, and ultimately, complete rebuilds. Always ask agencies about their experience with the specific technologies they’re proposing for your project.
#5: The Standards Situation
Finally, one of the most telling indicators of potential problems is an agency’s approach to quality standards and assurance. In our experience fixing troubled projects, we’ve found that many issues could have been prevented with proper quality control processes.
When evaluating agencies, listen carefully to how they respond to questions about their quality assurance processes, development standards, and certifications. Vague or dismissive answers often indicate a lack of robust processes – which typically leads to problems down the line.
How To Make Better Choices…
So, how can you avoid becoming another recovery project? Here are some key questions to ask potential agency partners:
- What percentage of your team is dedicated to digital development?
- Can you share specific examples of similar projects in our industry?
- What’s your quality assurance process for new development work?
- How do you handle testing and deployment?
- What standards and certifications do you maintain?
The answers to these questions – and more importantly, how they’re answered – can tell you a lot about an agency’s capability to deliver your project successfully.
Remember, choosing a digital agency isn’t just about finding someone who can build a website. It’s about finding a partner who understands your industry, has proven expertise in their field, and maintains high standards in their work. While fixing £1 million worth of mistakes has taught us valuable lessons, we’d much rather see organizations make better choices from the start.
After all, at Illustrate Digital, we believe in frustration-free digital experiences – and that should start with the agency selection process itself.
Looking to avoid these common pitfalls in your next website project? We’d be happy to share more insights from our experience in creating successful digital experiences for regulated markets. Get in touch to learn more.