We cannot tell you how many times we get inquiries for “affordable web design” for a small business website. The funny thing is, what is affordable for you might well be unaffordable for someone else.
So what makes for affordable web design?
Let’s start with the basics.
- Determine YOUR budget – keep in mind generally you get what you pay for.
- Investigate the current market. – what is the going rate for the type of website you want?
- Do your research. – there are a lot of web designers and agencies, check them out.
- Shop around. – your first choice might very well not be your best choice.
- Scope your project- having an idea of what you want helps you find who can do the work within your budget.
Establishing a budget for a website takes more than setting a dollar amount on what you can afford today. Websites require things like hosting, maintenance, and some sort of marketing plan.
All of these should be topics when discussing your website with an agency or marketing consultant. If they are unable to provide a consultation along with their affordable web design, you likely will want to pay more. Otherwise, you will pay more in the long run anyway fixing the things they did not offer to begin with.
After you have a better idea of your budget, you now need to decide what features you want on the site. Features can increase costs exponentially if you don’t have a plan.
Website features can include:
- Forms
- E-commerce
- Social media integration
- Landing pages
- Content creation
- Custom functionality
- and so much more
So how does any of this help you figure our what makes for affordable web design?
We think that is a loaded question actually. Affordable web design is simply what you can afford. Many times what you can afford is outside of your current budget. However, the cost of not stretching your budget can cost you much more than the investment of a professional website.
Ways cutting corners can hurt you long after a larger investment could have been paid for.
- Building a site yourself well makes about as much sense as painting your house with no ladder and watered down paint.
- Hiring your cousin is likely not a good idea unless he is a web designer, then you may want to consider whether you really want to hire a family member.
- Lack of web-savvy will reflect in lack of traffic and likely longevity as your clients look for someone that cares about their business and them.
- Cost of fixing a website can many times be more expensive than doing it right from scratch the first time. Affordable can be costly.
- Spending money on the online portal to your business is vital. Skimping due to cost will make your business look like the local bodega rather than a boutique.
Don’t dismay there are web design agencies for any budget. Many of the lesser expensive 299.00 websites can be a great start. If you want to take your online reputation and your business to the next level it will likely cost you a bit up front. Long outliving the expense will be its benefits for years do come.
Things you want to check for no matter the budget, else you might as well play the lottery when choosing an agency. Just because they offer ‘affordable’ web designs, that does not mean you can afford to choose them.
- Do they guarantee their work?
- Hosting and maintenance should be essential, not optional
- Are they personable? If you don’t like one another the next few months can be very long for everyone.
- Communication is vital, this starts from the first contact. If they use big words to confuse you, they likely studied web design via Google search.
- Is your best interest in their best interest? Every design agency is not for every customer and vice versa. Make sure the partnership makes sense.
These of course are just the tipping point on how to find a web agency that fits your budget. While affordable web design is preferred, it is not always practical.
We at HeartWired offer web design packages to fit almost any budget, but honestly not all budgets. We think you will make a great client, and quite possibly even our client!
The only way to find out if we also are affordable is to have a conversation. If you or someone you know needs website design or redesign, or simply would like some guidance on your current site, share this article with them or simply give us a call.
