Website Build Costs

So how much does it cost to build a website?

This is by far the #1 question we get from perspective clients, business owners and curious Internet aficionados.

The answer is never as clear or concise as the information seekers would like to hear. The real answer is, “It depends ...”

So what does it depend on? The cost of building a website is a two-fold equation. Not to over simplify or downplay the seriousness of the question, but it comes down to two simple parts - the client and the designer.

The Website Client
As the client, the easier you make it for the website designer will determine the expedience of the website build and as the adage goes, time is money. A simple five page website can be a few hours and minimal expense or can take days and drain your budget.

So as the website client, how do you ensure you make it easy for the designer to give you what you want in your website and not run up unnecessary expenses? Here are a few tips:

• Preplanning – Ask the website designer if they provide a questionnaire that will help you determine your needs and help them from wasting time and efforts on things your website doesn’t need.

• Provide Content – Have your content ready and in digital format. Once you have the storyboard or layout of your site determined (generally through interview, consultation and questionnaire) write your own content, scan your own images, and be prepared to give the designer all of the items they will need at the beginning of the project. Text documents need not be well formatted Word documents; a notepad text file will work just as well, if not better. If you already have gone through the time and expense of graphic design for business cards, stationary, etc. be sure to get high-quality digital copies and provide them to the website designer. If you have other images that will require scanning, do it yourself. Handing your designer photos and hand-written notes or faxes will add time and hence expenses to your overall website build costs.

The Website Designer

Finding the right fit for your website does not mean finding the cheapest designer, the one with the largest yellow pages advertisement, or the one with the catchy radio commercial. You need to find the website designer who can build the site right the first time, from the ground up.

Empathy and Understanding – your website designer needs to understand your needs and your goals foremost; be sure they do! They should also be able to demonstrate an understanding of what it takes to attract visitors via search engine results.

You Get What You Pay For – that should be self-explanatory, but let’s expound a little nonetheless.You may find someone’s friend, son, spouse, etc. who can design a web page or website at little or no cost, but that doesn’t mean that they have the experience, knowledge or tools needed to ensure your online success.

Past Performance – the same information above is true for website design firms - inexpensive doesn’t always make the best option. That’s not to say that a website designer or firm who offers affordability isn’t a good fit for you, but they should have a proven past performance. Ask them for examples of their work, contact information for current and past clients; make sure they can deliver what you need to succeed.

You can find friends, colleagues and business owners who spent thousands of dollars on a website; it may be the coolest looking website on the Internet, but if it doesn’t return good search engine results, and hence visitors and potential customers, then you have a negative return on your investment.

Obviously, the comprehensiveness of your website and requirements will largely dictate the cost, but you can help reduce the expenses. Your preparedness, responsiveness and professionalism can help mitigate the price tag. Don’t get prepared after you find a web developer – get your website primed with its content before you even search for the designer. You’ll be making it easier for yourself, and paint a clearer picture with readied content, saving your designer time, which should save you money!