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Updated on August 8, 2024
University of Colorado, Fox News, NASA – what do they all have in common? All of these organizations chose Drupal CMS to build their official websites.
Drupal is one of the most trusted CMS platforms for building secure and scalable websites and applications. According to Drupal.com, the content management system powers over 1,000,000 sites worldwide.
If you are also considering Drupal CMS for your next web development project or want to upgrade from Drupal 7 or Drupal 8 to Drupal 9, you can consider partnering with a reliable Drupal Development Agency.
However, selecting a Drupal agency is not a straightforward process. A development project demands significant investment and effort. So, it’s essential for you to choose the right partner carefully. That’s why we have put together some areas to consider when choosing a Drupal web development company for your next project.
Drupal and industry experience
A strong Drupal partner should be a team that has been around for some time and has worked with and delivered projects for organizations of your size. Dive into specific case studies where they solved similar challenges to those you are facing, and study how they built solutions around those problems.
Experience is critical to the Drupal vendor selection process, but you can take it a step further by assessing the vendor’s ability to configure environments and troubleshoot issues. Here are some good questions to ask potential agency partners:
- How many Drupal projects have you delivered?
- What processes and encryption techniques will you use to secure my data and content?
- Do you perform regular code vulnerability scanning?
- We want a safe and fast site. What performance audits and tech stack do you employ to ensure we get the site we need?
- How will you train my team to use the new platform?
- Do you write automated tests for the code you write?
- We are also considering other CMS options. Can you help to explain why we should opt for Drupal CMS instead?
Portfolios and past projects
To determine which Drupal web development agency is an ideal fit for your project, you must look at its client base and the history of Drupal projects.
Look for projects that are similar to yours. Ask the potential agency partner to share all the challenges and solutions they faced in those projects and whether some of them might apply to your project.
Your Drupal implementation partner should be able to explain and answer any project-related questions in their portfolio. At the same time, they should be knowledgeable enough to analyze designs and web solutions that they didn’t design.
To take it a step further, you can also ask the agency to connect you with some of its clients so you can get more insights on what it’s like hiring this agency and whether the previous clients are happy and recommend their services.
Discuss project scope
Your development partner can’t deliver on your expectations unless they deeply understand what you want them to build. It is, therefore, essential for you to see whether the prospective agencies know what they are expected to do.
To determine this, you can ask them to prepare a scope of work. If time permits, you can also ask the vendor for a smaller-scale Proof of Concept (PoC). This will help you review their performance, understand their communication style, and decide whether their output matches your expectations.
Team experience and certifications
It is essential to review the engineering team working on your project.
Look for a team that asks thoughtful questions and provides insights and guidance. A reliable Drupal agency will have your best interests in mind, not just theirs. Also, a strong engineering and development team is well-positioned to decide whether your site really needs a hefty module or if the goal can be achieved with just a few lines of code. With a conservative approach, your site will have a smaller codebase that will lead to reduced overhead costs, fewer security concerns, and a greater ability to adapt to changing customer demands.
Communication and responsiveness
According to research, the average response time to respond to a customer service request is 12 hours. However, it’s not just the time factor you should look at; it’s also about how they respond to your queries. The way they respond and the time they take to respond can tell a lot about how serious they are about your project and also set a baseline as to what you can expect in terms of communication once the project starts.
Support and maintenance services
Support and maintenance services are vital to keeping a site secure and user-friendly. Therefore, you should always partner with a Drupal development agency that offers active support and maintenance after the site has been built and delivered.
Support and maintenance services aren’t just limited to security updates and release management; it’s equally crucial for the vendor to monitor updates in future releases to make compatibility decisions and keep your site running smoothly.
Plan out your budget well in advance
To build a successful Drupal web development project, it’s crucial to be clear regarding the budget. There’s a lot of information available online that you can consume. Contact a few agencies to share a pricing quote. Choose the vendor that you feel is most aligned with your business goals and offers services within your budget. Engaging a professional Drupal implementation partner also ensures that your budget is spent efficiently and helps deliver a site that drives your business growth.
Build an agile, scalable, and secure Drupal site with Kellton
To build a world-class Drupal site, you need to have the best Drupal Web Development Agency on your side. Designers, developers, project managers -whoever you need to bring your ideas to life, Kellton can help. Whether you’re short on product design talent, have no in-house Drupal development team, or simply need a full-fledged consulting service, our global network of talent would love to help. We have a wealth of industry experience as an international Drupal design and development company, working with clients across industries.
Our Drupal development offerings include:
If you think we could help strategize and build your next Drupal project, we’d love to hear from you. So drop us a message here to start the conversation.
