Overview
"How much does a website cost?" is usually one of the most common questions we get asked and we understand why you ask that. When you run a business, it’s important to keep costs low, while income high so when you are planning a new website or upgrade on your existing one it's obviously an important question.
It might seem an easy question, but actually, for most professional agencies and freelancers, it’s a rather complicated question and not always easy to answer.
We’ve decided to help break it down so you get a better understanding of why this question isn’t always as obvious an answer as you might think.
How much does a car cost?
Your thinking, ‘What’s this got to do with it?’, well bear with me and I’ll explain. When you decide you want a new car, you’re either A) know exactly what you want and just want price and additional features you can get. Or you’re B) haven’t got a clue except for I like Ford or Mercedes for example which is understandable, but then you have the hundred questions and spotlight put upon you…
What engine size you want?
How many doors and seats you want?
Want Bluetooth, Satnav… etc.?
The list can seem endless, but they’re asking for a reason. To get an idea of the type of car that will suit you and your needs and the same can be said for a website package;
What is your business and what do you want your website to achieve?
What do you hope to get back from your website?
Now some businesses know immediately what they want and that’s great as it allows us to instantly provide a quote. But most times we find businesses don’t, as they need some advice and guidance on what is available and what will suit them, which is fine and most professionals are happy to give.
Aspects to consider
Much like buying a car, there are many aspects to consider and these aren’t here to confuse or even trap you but to give us a better understanding of what you need and provide a quote.
These questions help us get a picture of your business and needs and provide you with the best website for the best price, you wouldn’t pay for a sunroof on your car if you lived in the Arctic Circle, would you?
Some of the questions you might face are;
What type of pages and features do you want?
We usually have an idea but if your business holds events or have a third-party integration, then that’s useful for us to know.
Are you selling products?
If the website is to advertise and drive business to your hair salon, then adding all the features of a shop is not for you unless you plan to sell hair products.
Can you provide quality images and written copy?
This is more important than you think, these are the areas customers are going to see and read when they first arrive and then move around to get the information they need, plus it’s something Google will use to rank your website so having good quality copy and imagery is important.
Is there something particular you feel your website needs?
This isn’t where we add the extra £££ to your website, but like the pages above get an understanding of your need and how these features such as an interactive map, gallery or advanced search feature will help your business achieve it's KPI's and drive in more traffic, which will help your customers to find the important information they need on your business.
Hopefully having these questions broken down will help give you an understanding and not fear the spotlight being on you. We want to make sure it fits just right for your business needs.
Cheaper options?
So, you’ve got an idea of the type of car (website, if you’ve been following) you want and the features you want to have on it and the salesman says you can have it for £3 per month, but you have to build it yourself.
9/10 of us wouldn’t as we don’t have the experience or knowledge!
Alternatively, the price comes back super low for a top of the range sports car with all the top gadget features and years of freebies. You’d be hesitant, wouldn’t you and ask;
Is the car that good?
Is it actually going to work?
How can something that is meant to be that good, be so cheap?
Much like a car then, if you see an offer “do it yourself” website builders from £3 per month would you attempt it if you don’t have the experience or knowledge, alternatively if you see an offer “Websites with unlimited pages and no monthly fees”. They all sound great, but sometimes that’s too good to be true, isn’t it?
Keep in mind, the common thought [Time = Money] and if something is so cheap and can be done quickly, how much time and effort has gone into it? This is your businesses website and much like your car is something you should depend upon and use to help make your life and business better.
Your website will be active 24/7, 365 and is the central point for anyone wanting to know about your business. Most times, it’s your salesman, administrator and if someone can create it within a few days, are they taking in mind your business needs or the hard work you’ve worked on building your reputation.
So, you’ve agreed on a price for your car, the features you want and drive it away. A month later, a new feature is advertised and you want it, so you call the showroom and request it. They say the price but it’s too high, so you say no, leave and go elsewhere to get that feature. Surely the same can be said for your website then?
Not always, unfortunately, with some “deals” they trap you and when you want to add an SSL certificate or more images and the price shoots up. So quite rightly you decide to leave and you’re allowed…but you can’t take your website with you?
Yes, that’s right you can’t just go elsewhere to get the work done. It’s either built in their software or you don’t have the rights to all the money you have spent, and if you want to leave and go elsewhere your website is gone and you’ve got to start from scratch, whereas a bespoke website with a registered agency or freelancer provide you with the website should you ever decide to leave.
Summary
Hopefully, this helps now when buying a website or even a car now. The question “how much is a website?” can be difficult until we have more information on your needs, but don’t worry, it shouldn’t be a difficult, as it’s a journey to make sure you have the right website for your business.
Keep in mind though if you brought a car that was to support your family and get you moving forward for 10p, wouldn’t you worry how it was made and how much care was taken? The same is for your business website, make it stand out and be what you need to drive your business forward and not stand still.
Get in touch if you have any questions