Why are websites so expensive?

There are plenty of web designers who’ll produce a website for little more than spare change, and there are even websites where you can create your own for free. So why do professional web design agencies charge what they do?

The answer is fairly simple; I can buy paint, brushes and a canvas and I have all the tools required to paint a portrait, but it won’t be anywhere near as good as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa…

Similarly anyone can create a website, the software is there, and it’s not expensive, but that doesn’t mean that the end result will be as good, or as effective.

A website is typically the first thing people see, and if it’s not up to par it will also be the last thing. A website has a purpose,which is usually to sell a product or service, and if an order isn’t placed, or the phone doesn’t ring, then no matter what it cost, the website isn’t effective.

 

“If you think hiring a professional is expensive,
then try hiring an amateur”

 

Professional web design agencies look at the whole user journey, from the user’s first initial thought, through to them become a paying customer; and as such need to employ staff with a range of skills.

These days there are so many different aspects to building and promoting a website that an ‘all in one web designer’ doesn’t quite cut it and has to be very careful not to be a ‘Jack of all trades’ (and master of none).

When building a house a property developer will recruit an architect, builder, roofer, plumber and electrician, each with their own skill sets. This is exactly what web design agencies do.

Take Webbed Feet ^UK for example; there are currently six of us each with a great general understanding of website design, but with our own area of expertise.

Tom, for example, is one of our technical PHP developers, he’s the guy who’ll make sure your server is secure, the admin area does what it’s supposed to, and everything works behind the scenes. At the other end of the spectrum we have Dan, he is our graphic designer who makes things look pretty and produces everything you see. They are both very good at what they do and complement each other well, but if we were to make Dan code the technical bits, and Tom make websites look nice, then we’d produce websites that were far less effective … and have two very grumpy men in the office.

Of course it’s not just about the pretty or technical bits; we need to get people to the website through search engine optimisation or other online marketing (such as pay per click campaigns) which is where Stu comes in, and need to make the website easy to use and convince people to buy from it, which is Alex’s forte. (Meet our team)

This is why websites can cost more than people think, because we certainly don’t pigeon-hole your business in to a template like some others; We create everything bespoke for our clients and have each of us contribute to the final website and all use or specialist skills to ensure that it is effective, that it works, and that it makes our clients money.

It shouldn’t matter what a website costs, but more how much money it will generate in its lifetime.

We believe it’s better to do a job properly, do it once, and get a decent return on each client’s investment.

If you'd like to know more, please get in touch and we can meet for a cuppa.

We are Webbed Feet ^UK, we are website designers.