💡 Having trouble figuring out how much you should pay for your next website?
Before shelling out thousands of dollars on your website or simply handing the project off to a family member or friend. Here are some important points that will help you make a better decision on who should handle your next website and how much you should pay.
1.) Although it is true that anyone can build a website using free software (like wix, weebly..ect). Its important to note that even building the most basic website (the right way), meaning the website is specifically tailored around your content and brand. Can easily take between 20-40 hours to complete.
To put this in perspective, think of website development as a combination of writing a paper (several in this case), putting together a power point presentation and then coming up with a plan for how to present it to hundreds and thousands of people.
With this in mind, when you get a quote on a website (if the number seems high) consider whether or not the time put into your website by your potential developer is going to bring any significant value to your business. If the number seems low, question whether or not enough time is going to be spent on your project to deliver the desired results. Either way, the definitive factor is always going to be time spent on your project and how much that time is worth to your business.
2.) Just because someone is charging a lot of money to build your website, doesn’t mean they should.
This is where it gets a little more difficult to separate those who are simply calling themselves “experts” from those who will truly bring value to your business. How can you separate the two? Simple, ask questions and follow your intuition. Here are a few key questions you should ask anyone who is planning to build your next website:
– How do you plan to build my website?
– What type of support will I get once my website is built and how much are you going to charge me for that support?
– Once my website is built, do I own my website 100%?
– How can we market my website once it is complete?
– How much will my project cost and what is specifically included?
– What is your experience with building and marketing websites?
Based on the above responses (assuming you have shopped around and asked these questions to at least a few agencies and freelancers), you should be able to quickly come up with a short list of who might be suitable to build your website. In shorts, treat the hiring of your developer like an interview process.
3.) Avoid taking up the friend or family member who is offering to build your website for “Free”. Although it is true that everyone has to start somewhere. In most cases, if your website is going to be a key part of your business, you will want to stay away from “Free”. Reason being, anyone who is offering to build your website for free (unless there is some form of barter or sponsorship involved) is not going to take your project serious. Which also means, the end result is likely going to be sub-par, costing your business time and money.
If you absolutely have no choice and have to depend on someone to build your website for free. Sure, go ahead, however if you have a proper budget, do your due diligence and make the proper investment in getting your website built the right way from the start.
Questions about website development? We are always happy to assist,contact us here: https://forwardweb.net/contact-forward-web/