When I am out speaking in front of groups, I get this question all the time. Unfortunately, there is no standard answer. Cybervise typically works with business owners once their site is launched. We usually hear the horror stories about the website design project and the disappointment the owners feel with their website investment. I have clients that spent $60,000 on their website and ended up very unhappy. But I have clients that spent $1000 on their website and all feel like they wasted their money.
What should you spend on your website?
If you have a specific developer or designer you want to work with, whatever they quote you is what you will spend. When developers are busy, they are less likely to discount a project, so if you are not in a hurry, you may ask if they would be willing to negotiate a price if the project was done on their schedule and not yours.
I have always been suspicious of websites at this point in time that cost less then $1000. I know how much time and attention we put into our projects and if the developer is only charging $1000 they are either inexperienced and don’t know what to charge or the site you get will be created from pre-programmed templates.
What makes a website cost more?
Here are a list of items that usually require more time to add to a website. More development time usually equals more cost.
- Heavy on the Graphics - If your site is going to look more like a magazine then a website, you will spend more on design time.
- E-commerce – There are lots of options for E-Commerce, but if you are looking for a setup where everything can be managed by you or needs to integrate with another system like an inventory or point-of-sale, then your website project becomes more complicated.
- Animation/Flash – If you want your website to look more like a movie-trailer then a website, you will pay more for design time.
- Content Management System – Also know as having the ability to maintain your own website. Again, there are lots of options to go with. What can make this feature expensive is how customized your pages are and what level of changes you want to accomplish. If all you need to do is update text or add a new page once in a while, it won’t break the budget.
- Interactivity – Usually doing a quick capture of contact information is not a big deal, but when you start to look at things like a membership portal or interactive tools, these items can add more development time also.
Key to Pricing Website Project
As you review the proposals you receive from developers, pay close attention to the deliverables you will receive at the completion of the project. Make when comparing prices you are comparing the same amount of work and I would really recommend getting several proposals.
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