Website designer, Owner
When a company or organization decides whether to invest in a new website or update its current one, cost is one of the most significant considerations. We will discuss some of the answers we typically give and other factors we don’t discuss with clients.
If you are going to invest in building a new website, it is going to cost you. Most people know that websites have a monetary price tag. But there are other resources (currencies) that are factored in that many people aren’t aware of. They are TIME and SKILL. Website design requires skill that comes from hours of study and practice. Any website you see that is well designed, performs well on searches, and offers ease of navigation has been built using techniques and know-how that don’t come intuitively. No matter how you make your website, your project will cost you dollars, skill, and time. How these currencies balance out in your project depends on who is building your website. Regarding website design, there must be a harmonious balance of these resources that work for each business or organization. It does not look the same for all, which is a pivotal decision point for business owners.
When considering a new project, one of the first things I look at is what resources I have. Often, I will start planning or alter a plan based on valuable resources I already have. An example is when mechanical work is needed on my truck. Fortunately, I have the skill to do most of the mechanical work required on my almost classic truck. It’s why I choose to drive older trucks. Chalk one up for SKILL. I know how to work on trucks. TIME is another factor. I used to have a lot of time on my hands a few years ago. But things have changed.
I find that I don’t have the free time I used to. We own and operate a horse ranch, Outten Ridin’ Ranch, in another part of our life. I jokingly (but seriously) state that we work eight days a week. So put a cross mark through TIME. Money is, of course, the last resource to look at. Because time is often in short supply, I usually don’t get to tap into my skill resources. I began to know how I would take on the next mechanical project based on my time and resources. If I don’t have it, I can’t use it. So, even though I have the skill, the most significant resource I will have to tap into is MONEY. I’m going to have to pay someone to work on my truck. I have a great garage that I rely on because they do great work and charge a fair price.
Website design to strengthen a business or non-profit is a weighty matter. We often design websites for clients who heavily rely on the performance of their website to bring in revenue, make their jobs more manageable, and grow. With such reliance on a website, you understand the load our clients put on them. Anyone knows that to sustain weight over a long time, you need good support that holds up under the weight. These are PILLARS. Time, skill, and money are these pillars.
Regarding the cost of your website, the size of each of these pillars will vary. Will Skill and Time be your most enormous pillars? If not, then it is likely Money will be your most prominent pillar.
Skill
Skill in designing websites is something that must be learned. Website design is very technical and artistic at the same time. The technical aspects include the code used to design them. Websites are written in a language called HTML (hypertext markup language). It is the language that web browsers understand that is used to display a website visually. Another common language is CSS (cascading style sheets). CSS helps provide style, design, and certain functions to a website. Other technical aspects of web design include proper use of title tags, mobile responsiveness and layout, achieving functionality, media compression, SEO (search engine optimization), and website speed performance. The artistic portion involves branding and color themes, layout, graphic design, good use of textual content, and tasteful media use.
Many do-it-yourself online website design systems tout you don’t need any skill to build your website. Some of them are pretty good. They are good because they provide the tools necessary to create a decent website. The question is, do you know how to use them? Some popular web-building platforms offer templated designs but allow you to customize them with HTML and CSS. They also allow you to properly design your website’s architecture using title tags, image ALT information, and textual content. But again, if you do not understand the concept of these more technical aspects, you are stuck with the basics of the template with no real way to customize your site for performance and needs. But, if you have the know-how to use these tools, then skill will be a strong pillar in your design – as long as you have the time.
Time
Time is simple. You either have it or you don’t. Time is also a resource that has to be accompanied by another resource. In other words, you can have all the time in the world to build a website, but you are still short if you don’t have the skill. The exception to this is if you are willing to invest time in developing your skills. In this case, we are talking about numerous hours dedicated to learning web design principles and all of its best practices. Clients often contact us because they do not have the time to devote to a website project. They are busy running their business or organization. They don’t have the staff dedicated to a website project, so they must rely on someone else. It is just like my example of mechanical work. They may have the skill but no longer have the time. We often redesign existing websites they have previously built that are well-built. They have grown or changed as an organization, and their website needs to change. They don’t have the time to do it all again, so enter a web design agency.
Skill is one of the biggest influences on how much time is needed on a website project. The more skillful you are in web design, the less time it takes to achieve your goals. Most web design agencies are good at what they do. They have practiced applying the necessary practices in sound web design so that it becomes second nature. In other words, we don’t need much time figuring it out! If you have a vast amount of time and the required skill, time can be a strong pillar for your project. The next question is – how much is your time worth? Only you can decide that.
Money
In the absence of time and skill, this is likely going to be your strongest pillar supporting your web design project. It probably goes without saying that if you do not possess any resources we have discussed, your web project will remain on your future to-do list until that changes. However, most prospective clients think about money when they ask the question of project costs. Most people don’t understand that direct financial cost is better understood when you can adequately assess the value of all of the resource pillars that are needed. Regardless of who builds your website, all three pillars are necessary.
Look at what a web design agency charges for a website project without understanding the value of Skill and Time; you will not appreciate or understand the fees they charge. My mechanic is good. I gladly pay what he charges because he is more skilled than I am, can do the job quicker, and allows me to focus on the things I need to focus on while working on my truck. For me, it is a no-brainer. For some who have attempted to build their website but could not develop enough time and skill, it is much easier to understand the value a web design agency brings into your corner.
When it comes to money, there has to be a justification for the concept of return on investment.
Dollars spent must come back in dollars earned and multiplied. Often, we encounter people who don’t want to invest in professional web design and either try to do it on their own or rely on someone who is considerably less skilled or practiced to do an adequate job. In the end, thinking they have made a better financial decision, they ended up wasting what resources they did spend on something that did not achieve their goals. That is unfortunate and frustrating. We see it all the time because there is zero return on their investment. Our goal is to partner with our clients to be part of a success story, not just another mundane expense. We take joy and pride in seeing our clients do well after we have had a part in their success. We bring considerable skill and experience to the table and charge a fee for that.
But the results are tangible.
• When before, they had a website that did not have any traffic, but now they have a website that is heavily trafficked and bringing in leads and prospects.
• When before, they had absolutely no visibility, but now, they are found by people who never knew they existed before.
• When before they were not able to sell products or services online, they now have a thriving online store.
How much does a website cost? If it is done right by the right people, it is very LITTLE if the results help you achieve your goals. So perhaps the better question is: How important are your goals?
