So Damn Expensive?
I hear that often. ‘Why are websites so damn expensive!’ Well, in short, because a lot goes into them! Of all the services agencies and/or freelancers provide to clients, websites seem to have the biggest delta from a budget standpoint. If you, as a client, speak with 10 different agencies of all shapes and sizes, I’d argue you’ll get quotes ranging from $10,000 – $100k+. From my experience, there are two main reasons.
There are 233473474374828203 ways to build a website. Not really, but there’s a lot.
Websites have significantly varying levels of perceived value depending on who you talk to.
With so many options for how to build a site, it’s not surprising that there are such widely varying budgets. It’s important to start the process as informed as possible. Here are a few considerations.
What are the requirements? What are non negotiable things your site MUST have. This can include design requirements, functionality requirements, security, etc.
How are you planning to manage the site once it’s complete?
Who will make updates?
Who will ensure it’s secure on an on going basis?
Is there anything you foresee changing in your business in the next 12 months (or longer) that would affect the site, where you’d need make significant changes?
What other technologies need to be considered? Do you need to integrate Salesforce? MarTech platform? ERP?
Perceived value is an interesting thing. We as individuals place varying levels of value to certain things, and it’s often arbitrary. The website you want may cost $100,000, but if you don’t perceive it to hold $100,000 in value, you may scoff at that price. A few things to consider when determining the budget you’re willing to spend.
What would you LIKE to spend/be comfortable spending?
What internal resources do you have? For example, if you’re able to create all the content, well, that’s one less thing you need to pay someone else to do on your behalf.
Is your site producing leads?
What are those leads worth?
What is the life time value (LTV) of those leads/customers?
Is your site producing tangible revenue? If you’re an eCommerce enterprise your site inherently holds more value to you and your business. Without it, you’re losing money.
What are the non negotiable things that your site 100% has to have. For a publicly traded company for example, right out of the gate, security and data protection are massive needs, and rightly so, will come with a price tag, whether that’s internal or external resources.
If you need a new website, do some homework on the front end and align your expectations. Freelancers may charge you considerably less, but what will the process be like…perhaps a bit more stressful. A project manager is an integral part of a big website project and often times keeps a clients stress levels at bay
With all that’s occurred so far in 2020, can you really put a price tag on lower stress levels?