Low-Cost Web Design
Ever heard the term “You get what you pay for”? That is not always true with web design. The web design industry is littered with wannabe web designers that think they can sit at home and crank out the designs and make a fortune. They disappear when they decide it is work and is not that easy. Low-cost websites are not always low-cost in the long run. Here are some things to consider:
- Will the designer be available a year from now if I want to make changes?
- Is the website going to be a template and look like thousands of other sites?
- Will the site have duplicated content that is copied from other sites?
- Will the designer listen to what I want, or will they do what they want?
- Does the designer has an excellent track record with other clients?
- Will my site get ranked well in the search engines?
Small Business Websites
Many small business owners try to do their websites then get very frustrated with either the learning curve, the technology, or the time investment. I know ~ this was the original reason I learned web design. When frustration sets in, the intelligent decision-making process often shuts down, and business owners look for the cheapest way to get the site up and running. They check with employees to see if any kids could help, they look through Craig’s List for cheap web designers (full-time college students), they also call around price checking the legitimate designers and make a (sometimes) poor decision based on price alone.
An excellent web designer is not cheap ~ but they may have options that will allow them to work within your budget. Some offer payment plans to spread the cost over several months. Another option is to create a smaller site and build on it over time as your budget allows. Some designers will even work with the DIY business owner on a consulting level when you get stuck on your website project.
Back to the original question ~
Affordable Website Design?
Once all of the actual costs of buying a cheap website are factored into the total price paid, one will see that “You get what you pay for” does not apply. As a business, the reality is that you will lose way more by going with a cheap website. Lost revenues are hard to measure.
If there is no budget for a web presence, start with a blog (for free) or a FanPage (for free) and build up to getting your company website. You will thank yourself in the long run, and your business will also thank you.
