Customers are often horrified by the price of websites. Completely understandable. Good websites from an experienced professional often hover above a thousand, which is a very significant investment, especially for a small business. Consequently, one often ends up opting for a cheaper price tag.. However, websites are more than just an online business card.
The price of a website includes more than just the website itself.
A website is not just a website.
In a website project, the website creator engages in discussions with you about your company's goals and strategy, conducts research, and seeks the most effective solutions tailored to your business and target audience. The website is treated as a marketing tool, which it indeed is. Additionally, the creator is knowledgeable about what works and what doesn't, and provides well-founded explanations. If they don't have an answer, they take the initiative to find out.
Affordable websites can be appealing, but they may fall short in delivering results.
The price tag of affordable websites often cannot encompass all the additional work and accompanying research. You often end up with visually pleasing websites that are essentially "off-the-shelf," created directly based on an image or specific requests. In these cases, there's a lack of questioning different choices, and the websites are made blindly according to the given instructions. While they may look beautiful and function well on different devices, they are not tailored specifically for you and your target audience, resulting in a lack of desired outcomes. Additionally, clients may not always know what works and what they genuinely need.
In the early stages of my career, I, too, offered such affordable websites, but later on, I realized I was doing a disservice.
I didn't want my clients to pay "too much," but by saving them 300-500 euros, they ended up losing much more in potential revenue. I explained what was included in an affordable website, but the drawbacks were often overlooked by the clients, and they didn't understand what they were missing. For them, the overall picture of websites wasn't as familiar as it was for me, and that's completely natural. That's why nowadays, I aim to offer all the current knowledge to the client, even if they might not think to ask about it.
In the end, the customer always makes the decision, so it's not about overriding their choices. Instead, it's about offering the customer the best possible knowledge so that they can make an informed decision on their own.
If there isn't enough time dedicated to the planning of a website, and if careful consideration isn't given to what works or doesn't work and why, there is a significant loss.
Discuss openly about your concerns and budget.
You don't need to feel embarrassed about tight financial situations or budget constraints. Openly discuss your concerns with the chosen professional and share the challenges of your business so that solutions can be considered in the redesign. If a lump sum payment of just over 1000 euros is too much, inquire about the possibility of a payment plan.
Often, the solution is more readily available than you might have thought.
A good professional always wants to help you and is on your side, working towards your success.