In the entire world of web site development no guideline, no guideline and no industry-standard truly exists when you happen to be talking about web site design and development expenses. Have you been in the market for a new pair of Calvin Klein jeans? Not a problem. Just head over to a nearby Target, Gap, Abercrombie or any clothier and you’re likely to get an excellent idea of what amount of money is necessary to spend. And what about a hot order of fries? O . k ., why not? Anywhere you visit – Carl’s junior and others – you will definitely find yourself having to pay very close prices in spite of what burger place you decide on.
Yet how would you actually feel if the new Ipod nano you’ve had your eyes on was $159.00 in one store, $349.99 in another and lastly $2,000 in yet another? Say that again? For one moment, visualize if searching for all your holiday merchandise, products, clothing and often used merchandise ended up being this difficult. Just imagine, one final time, if you had to spend days or even weeks researching almost everything you paid for and needed to make your mind up on where to shop in order to purchase a pair of pants, a tube of tooth paste or a gallon of milk. Contemplate, one final time if you will, that the clerk at Best Buy wasted an unusual amount of time trying to convince you that his / her network cable – while 350% more than the nearby shop – was the one to buy. Alright, I apologize but I will need to give you just one more: Ponder this: You walk into Burger king on Main Street only to discover the price of a hamburger is $18.00, while the identical sandwich one mile down the road is just $4.50. Does not make sense, correct? Well not so quick, because you can live this predicament when price hunting for a new web-site design.
Certainly, all web design companies are not the same. They all know different things, use varying skill sets and have varying levels of expertise. Many are better than others, however, the fact still exists, the majority of those passing themselves off as website professionals are quite frankly average at best. But to substantiate my example, we should compare on a level playing field.
When we meet with any potential client, and ultimately suggest a project plan and price, I am no longer surprised at what I hear. The varying prices quoted for web design - even with the most basic web development projects is astonishing. Take the following scenario as an example: We just recently launched a new web site for a smaller sized Washington based firm. Nothing overly cumbersome; not too many fancy bells & whistles. But just like all of our web redesign projects, it performed as it had to, and it did so considerably well. The client loved it, not to mention that they’re tearing up the search engines. The bottom line is what counts, and ultimately a website’s conversion rate and ROI will provide the final word as to whether or not the price was valid.
When I finally took the site live, the client let me know that they weren’t provided one price close to my cost. Many were surprisingly less costly, while other ones were exponentially more expensive. But nothing in our price range! How can this be possible? The web specifications and goals were common. The graphics and prep work was nothing that would keep me away from my favorite weekly TV shows. It was simple and straightforward, yet the client was amazed by the differentiation in costs that were he was quoted. I hear this on a daily basis and it really never changes. But the impression of the web design industry from a smaller business perspective will never change if these so called “designers” don’t come up with a common ground for their pricing. And by this, I mean: If common web design tasks are requiring 20 hours for a developer when they should really take two hours of an experienced designer’s time, then you have some more shopping around to do. And with website design being a foreign topic to many people, then individuals and firms everywhere are constantly subjected to high priced web designers and web project rip-offs, simply because they just don’t know any better.
As for my pricing as one of many Seattle website designers, will we be the cheapest? Not always. Is our company the most costly? Never. Do we constantly bring more necessary information, education and details of where the customer’s budget will go when we provide a proposal? Always. Do I review the process of our approach and how I make sure I have the client’s best long-term interest in mind? Absolutely. If your website designer is talking above your head or attempting to win you over with you with terms you aren’t familiar with, then do not hesitate to ask him or her to simplify their jargon. A quality web professional should expect and empathize with the fact that you are not well versed in this area. If you were, then you wouldn’t need to pay a professional for the job. Be certain you know exactly where your funds will be spent, how the project cost is validated and just why you should employ this particular person for your website. Ask for references, request to see their design portfolio. If they do not have one on their website, then ask for links via email. A good website designer will have your answers and plenty of examples immediately accessible. If they don’t, then onto the next designer!
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