How Much Does a Website Design Cost?
The area of website design costs is debated fiercely on the Internet and value versus payment is often hard to work out. Every single website that I have ever designed has had different requirements and needs. You may only want a few simple pages or you may want a complete booking system, contact forms, and localized pages. Many people ask me for the cost of a websuite on the phone for a ball park figure for how much their project will cost.
This is actually the wrong question to be asking on the phone and I usually try and steer people away from this question by asking them the following questions first. Most people who call me have no idea about how a site is designed. I have no idea how their business works either but I can help them deliver a website solution that will help their business. The latter does not always apply. It is important for me to work with you and understand what exactly you are looking for in a site.
Establishing Website Design Cost
- What do you want the website to do for you? Often people only want the website to be a brochure for their business and display some simple graphics with their marketing message. Others want to have a full up e-commerce solution. I really cannot answer the question properly till I understand your need. Needs determine time and effort.
- Why do you want a website? If you think it will be the answer to all your business needs then this is a dangerous supposition to take. Once you have a site in place you need to work on it to ensure that it is kept up to date and if you want to be on the front page of Google for a competitive keyword then it makes sense to invest in a medium to long term SEO engagement
- How will you help? Designing a website needs a customer involvement either for content, graphics or even feedback on the design. If you are only paying lip service to the activity it will not be a successful engagement and the result will ultimately disappoint. I work hard to make sure this does not happen
I put together a detailed proposal outlining what will be delivered and price out each item so that you can understand what you are paying for. This will help you understand the project scope and also clarify any initial questions that you may have.
Related posts:
- How Much Will My Website Cost?
- Low Cost Websites Revisited
- Cost Benefit Analysis – AKA Common Sense
- Questions About Website Design