We buy things we want to, and we buy things we need. Needs are forced purchases while wants are desired purchases.
To explain the cost of web design, let us first look at an example of groceries v/s car.
We need to buy groceries each month, and many of us buy discounted ones. On the other hand, we buy cars once in few years and do not mind paying a higher price for a superior model.
Afterall a swanky vehicle is all about your image!
Running a company is all about buying cheap and selling at a premium. Of course, it is, then why do we wear expensive suits for business meetings?
You got it! A professional image is essential for the business and justifies the need for expensive business suits.
Today, most of the business happens over the internet. Customers know about you from your website. They perceive the quality of your products or services by looking at your site.
This argument alone makes for the need of a great looking website.
Now let us look at the available options.
The cheapest way to get a website is for FREE!
In case you were not yet aware of it, there are many places you can get a free site.
One such place is www.wix.com.
A simple registration is all its needed to get started with a free website.
Free websites are a DIY model where you use their tools to create your site. It is a lot easier if you are tech savvy, but for the not so savvy people, there is a particular learning curve.
Despite the DIY model, your business quotient tells you there is nothing like a free offering. Every business must make a profit.
On the same lines, FREE website offerings are a nothing but a sales gimmick to offer you a premium website at a later stage.
For sure, free websites do not match the finesse of a custom designed website. It means that FREE comes at the cost of your time as well as you risk the image of your business.
We wanted this article to be comprehensive, so we had to include FREE websites. But if you are serious business, this is not even an option.
The second option is to find someone a web designer to do it for you. You can either find a freelance designer or approach a web design company.
Freelancers are cheaper than agencies.
A freelancer may charge you up to $300 for your business website, while agencies could cost anywhere between $500 to $3000.
let us understand the reason behind the difference in costs.
A freelancer would mostly act on your inputs.
You need to provide content as well as directions on what goes where on the site. The person will add nice graphics and do the necessary programming.
Note: Availability of freelancers is always subjective. It becomes crucial when you need some urgent fixes while the person is holidaying or not available for some other reason.
The third option is web design agencies. Here also, the cost of web design can vary from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.
Let us understand the reasons behind such a vast difference in costs.
The first reason is DETAILS.
A genuine web design agency will understand and design each element with an eye on details. The details in question are:
1. The user interface
2. Readability
3. Branding & Messaging
4. Call to action
5. Overall user experience
Though all these elements of web design may sound like technical jargon, they are not.
When every business has a website today, how will yours stand out?
How finely your web designer deals with these elements (or technical jargon) makes all the difference.
We won’t go into the details here, but the next time you compare two websites, you’ll get a feeler.
Remember, your website is not just a business card; it is a tool to attract and retain new and old customers.
Would you mind spending an equivalent of one month’s salary of a salesperson on your website? Especially when your site is the face of your company and also its sales tool?
I don’t think that’s a bad deal.
