Having a web site may be a hallmark of doing business, but the create-it-yourself method
is not always a practical use of time. As a result, small businesses wanting to establish
or refine their web presence often work with web design firms or contractors. While it
can be difficult to find the right designer, figuring out how much a site will cost to
develop can be an even greater challenge.
How much you are willing to spend will help you determine from the get go what is in
fact possible. Pricing for web design and development projects is usually based on an
hourly rate, beginning at about $50 but ranging to $100 and more for experienced designers.
But as your budget grows, your options expand as well.
A straightforward site with fewer than a half dozen easily replicated pages that features
your company's logo, and basic company and contact information can take as few as 10
hours, or about $500, to develop. Such a bare-bones "brochure site" may be all you need.
However, if you want to provide your visitors with more than a point-and-click experience,
it will cost significantly more. For example, adding submission forms and online transactions
could make your bill climb to $1500. More complex, customized work that requires a lot
of development time can easily quadruple that figure. In addition, web sites that involve
many pages will also boost web design costs.
Before contacting anyone, be clear with yourself about your expectations for the site
and its intended purpose. Will it serve as an online brochure, a catalog and store, or
a place for customers to interact with you? Also, have a vision of how you expect the
site to look. Find examples of competitive sites whose look and feel you admire. Your
thoughts will serve as an excellent blueprint to work from so your first meetings with
web site design prospects can be fruitful and quotes can be most accurate.
Quick tips
- Portfolio review. When reviewing
a designer' portfolio, make sure to learn which parts of the site creation, if
any, were outsourced to partners.
- D.I.Y domain. It is easy and cheap to set up your own domain name.
If a provider offers to do it for you, make sure you are not paying too much of a
premium.
- Il-legalities. It is wise to consult a lawyer for trademark, copyright,
and design ownership issues regarding your site.
What a potential web site designer says to you initially can speak volumes. A worthy
candidate will consider your plan, ask questions about your goals, and make suggestions
for refinement. Unless the site you envision is a cookie-cutter version - and you are
happy with that - be prepared to walk away from any web designer who fails to press for
details about your site's goal and mission. This will also help you identify the better
contenders if you receive similarly priced bids.
When it comes to contracts, it is in your best interest to negotiate a fixed price
that includes all elements of the job and the hours expected to complete them. The last
thing you want is a half-finished site and no money left. Although the contract may be
revised in the end, you can at least be assured of a functioning site with your given
budget if no changes are made.
A carefully selected professional web site designer can be the most cost-effective
way to launch your company's web site in record time.
