Working with a remote web agency: how does it really work?
On-site meetings, video calls, tracking tools, stage approvals: how a web project unfolds with an agency that isn’t in your city, and what you should demand.
By Léo Chuzel · Published on · 2 min read
Do you absolutely have to choose a web agency in your own city? The question comes up often, and the answer has changed a lot in recent years. Proximity remains valuable for certain stages, but most of a web project can be run very well remotely, provided the organisation is clear. That’s how we work every day between Lisbon, Marseille and Brussels: here’s how.
What’s better done face to face
- The first meeting, to understand your business, your clientele and the way you work.
- The kick-off workshop, when the pages, messages and priorities need defining.
- Photos and videos of your premises, your team and your work.
- The mock-up presentation, when the project is a big one.
- Training for the teams who will manage the website day to day.
These moments represent a small share of the project’s time, but they count for a lot in the relationship. That’s why we travel regularly to Marseille and Brussels to hold them on site.
What works very well remotely
- regular progress check-ins, as 30-minute video calls;
- discussions about content and feedback on the pages;
- approving the interactive mock-ups, which you test directly on your phone;
- monitoring performance and Google rankings;
- small changes and maintenance.
The tools of a well-run project
- A shared schedule, with the stages, approval dates and what’s expected of you.
- A preview website, accessible at any time, where you see the website evolve in real time.
- A single place for feedback, rather than comments scattered across emails and messages.
- Written minutes after each check-in, to keep a record of decisions.
- A reachable point of contact, who replies within a stated time.
The proximity that really counts: knowing your market
For local SEO, it’s not the agency’s address that matters, but its knowledge of your market: your customers’ searches, your competitors on Google, your city’s specifics. A remote agency that knows Marseille or Brussels will do better than a neighbouring agency applying the same recipe everywhere. See our local SEO guides for Marseille and for Brussels.
The questions to ask before signing
- Who will be my point of contact, and how can I reach them?
- Which stages happen on site, and which remotely?
- How often will we have progress check-ins?
- Will I be able to see the website while it’s being built?
- How does training to manage the website work?
These questions complement those in our article how to choose your web agency.
The advantages of a small remote agency
Lower overheads, so fairer prices; a single point of contact who knows your project in detail; experience of several markets that enriches every project. That’s the model we chose at SOBO: based in Lisbon, on the ground in Marseille and Brussels. To find out more, discover the agency.