Do you want to know a key business success tip? Build a strong and impressionable presence on the worldwide web. Sounds simple, but why are there still some businesses and sole proprietors that are balking from building a quality website? Well, one answer is they hear an estimate of how much it is going to cost and they run straight back to buildyourownwebsite.com. Simple, but true. Imagine all the lost opportunities! If you want your business or company to be present, visible, and competitive online then you must be prepared to make an investment in web design.

A friend of mine argues, incorrectly I might add, that web design companies are becoming irrelevant. He points out that the do-it-yourself route eliminates the need for a web designer or developer. Well, if that logic were true then we would all be repairing our own cars. While it may be true that we all can easily change a tire or replace an air filter, very few of us know how to repair a transmission let alone build an entire car. Just because we can do a Google search and find instructions on how to make an auto repair few of us can actually execute it let alone do a quality job.

Continuing with the car analogy, I take my Acura to a reputable garage for almost all repairs and maintenance even though I often bristle at the cost. I could however; find someone on Craigslist who will make all the repairs in his/her driveway for half the cost of the reputable garage that is in my neighborhood, but when I’m driving down 5 heading to Los Angeles I don’t want to get stranded on the side of the freeway in Coalinga because I saved some money on CL.

This analogy holds true in the web design world. Businesses that opt for cheap web design inevitably get stranded on the side of the freeway. This is not self serving conjecture, we hear it all the time from our clients who started off with either a low cost company that off-shores website design and development or a Craigslist freelancer. Before the Craigslist community starts to hate on us, there are good freelancers out there, but, they have fewer resources than a web design firm.

To be able to compete in the cutthroat world of business marketing and/or eCommerce, you must get serious work done by a professional team of web designers. The cost of getting a professional and viable website up and running should also not rob you blind either. Just be prepared to spend reasonable cash for quality and results-oriented website design and support. Otherwise you might just be throwing your money away.

So, why is a good website design expensive? Actually, website design costs are much less than a few years back. This is attributed to the increasing number of website designers, thus more competition, and the development of tools and software such as WordPress, which make designing, developing, and maintaining a website easier and simpler.

A lot of the costs associated with website design are the quality and reliability of service a web design company offers. To begin with, building a website is not all about pictures and graphics. Your web design team should also consider user experience, content organization and structure, and the visibility of the website in major search engines. This process entails a rigorous job of content management, configuration, and implementation.

You also need to consider hosting, domain registration, analytics, landing pages for PPC campaigns, and a host of other devil in the details tasks, which will ensure the viability and performance of your website. Remember, the cost is also dependent on the complexity and the number of website pages. Last but not least, when you pick up the phone or fire off an email to communicate with your web designer, they should respond right away, not tomorrow or next week or even next month!

By hiring a website design team or company, you are putting your business and/or company in the capable hands of skilled individuals. Now, isn’t this worth it?

Zen Den Web Design recommends businesses get a number of quotes from website designers. This way, you will get an idea of the average cost of your project requirements. However, refrain from getting the web design company that offers the lowest bid. Remember; study the quality of their work, service, and reliability first. We also recommend asking for references. In the world of web design, quality and reliablility should always be prioritized.

Have any questions about website design? Contact us or start a live chat with us during business hours.

What are your thoughts? Have you been there done that with cheap and unreliable website design? Post your comment below.