How Much Does a Website Cost?
The #1 question I hear, is “How much does a website cost?”, and there’s no easy way to answer it. Treat purchasing a new website like purchasing a car. How much does a car cost? It depends on what you need it to do. Do you want something clean, simple and reliable, with no frills? Or, do you need the “Ferrari” of websites; much more sleek and powerful? There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to web design. Your site should be as unique as your business, so it really is necessary to sit down and discuss exactly what you need.
Why is there such a wide variation in pricing between designers?
The next biggest question is “Why the difference in price between designers?”. To put it bluntly, not all designers are created equal. Most web developers are not skilled graphic designers, which would will severely limit what they can produce.
For example, an amateur designer might give you a quote of $100 and spend 4 hours developing a site. On the other hand, a more talented and experienced designer might give you a quote of $1000, spending over 40 hours on the same site! As far as I’m concerned, a $100 web site is a great deal… but it’s going to LOOK like a $100 website. The more talented designer will use that extra time to make the site look more polished and professional.
Comparing the two sites would be just like comparing a $100 used car to brand new one. They are completely different animals. Just as both sites will give you an online presence, both cars will get you from point A to point B. However, the new car will be more reliable, with a much nicer fit and finish and more powerful features.