People often ask me “What does web design cost?” And my answer is, “It depends on what you need”. I like to use homes (something most of us can relate to) as an example. You can build a modest home for $40,000 but, as we all know, you can also build a home for $1,000,000 or more. Despite this huge difference in price both homes can be a smart and rewarding investment for their owners.
Our mission at Medium Well is to deliver
the highest possible value to our customer regardless of their budget.
Web design is very similar. We have built websites for $600 and others for over $40,000. This huge disparity in costs can be initially baffling but it makes sense when you look at the details. Clients paying the higher prices are getting what they paid for and have good reasons to invest. These investments will lead to greater visibility, leads, sales and most importantly the bottom line. Likewise, it can make sense for smaller businesses, that are just getting started, to invest a smaller amount, knowing that they are getting less but also knowing that they can easily reinvest and improve the site with updates and enhancements in the future. It is important for both small and large businesses to view think of their sites as investments, the more you put in, the more should get out.
Customization, Functionality and Content
The three factors that normally increase the cost of website design are customization, functionality and content. Using the home building example, many of us can relate to the costs of improving our homes. A small bathroom renovation can vary greatly in price. One option is to go to the local home furnishing store, buy the fixtures and do it yourself. The other option is to hire a professional to hand-build the cabinets, hand-lay the tiles, and custom-build the shower etc. Both are technically “renovated bathrooms” but the costs can run from $500 to $10,000+ depending on the details. Website design and development is very similar.
Customization – If your site has a page by page custom design with each component being designed and programmed by a professional, this will increase the cost.
Functionality – If the web site has complex custom functionality, like e-commerce, image galleries, sign-up forms, social media integration, mobile versions, etc… that will also drive up the costs.
Content – If the site requires a lot of original content: articles, landing pages, charts, graphs, and original photos, etc… this will also drive up the costs.
At the same time you can buy a simple, well designed template, update it with your own content and branding and you are done. Both can be good investments.
The good news is that great web design is more affordable than ever. There are also more options than ever. Making the right decision can sometimes be overwhelming for a new businesses. It’s important to know what the options are before you start to build. Making the wrong decision can lead to unforeseen problems down the road.
(See – Has your website been taken hostage?)
The best investment a new business can make is to speak with a web design professional first, before you get started, and get an estimate. Going through the process of having an estimate created will give you an opportunity to ask questions and get the design professionals responses and advice. This will help you make a more informed decision before you start.
Our mission at Medium Well is to deliver the highest possible value to our customer regardless of their budget. We strive to have a clear understanding of clients needs and expectations.
Feel free to contact us at anytime for a free estimate.
See also Affordable Web Design.
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