After serving hundreds of clients spread throughout 38 U.S. States, Australia, Canada and Japan, (many of whom have been with us for years) we’ve learned a few things about prospective clients who contact us to do their website design or development.

If you’re looking to sign up with a web designer, you might want to read this post and make sure none of these things apply to you.

You could save yourself a lot of money and frustration.

You will also have a much better relationship with your web designer.

These are things no web designer, including us, is ever going to tell you.

Why?

We’ll let you figure that out (it will come to you).

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#1 Thing Your Web Designer Won’t  Tell You…

“You’re not ready to talk to a web designer yet.”

 Because you don’t…

• Have a business plan
• Have clear goals, in writing, for your business
• Have any idea what you want your site to look and function like
• Know what features you want in the site

It’s kind of hard to give you a quote when you don’t give us this key information.

You wouldn’t walk into a new car dealership and ask a salesperson, “How much will a new car cost me?”

You’d probably be surprised at how many people think nothing of asking a similar question about a new website.

#2 Thing Your Web Designer Won’t Tell You

“You want it when?!”

You’ve probably seen this old cartoon on the wall in many businesses. It’s several characters rolling on the floor in laughter, and the caption is, “You want it WHEN?!”

That’s not far from the truth, in most cases, with new web design clients.

Everybody wants it yesterday.

The shorter the time frame, based on normal lead times, the more expensive the job will be. That’s just reality.

Be realistic with your time frame.

A 5-page custom website without a lot of bells and whistles, will take 2 to 3 weeks from the time you OK the design. Add to that a few days to add your “ready to upload” content (text and images), or a couple of weeks if we have to write copy and Photoshop your images for you.

These times are just ballpark figures. The actual site you want might take a little less time, or a lot more. It depends on you and your requirements.

#3 Thing Your Web Designer Won’t Tell You

“You don’t give us what we need, when we need it, and you still want to hold us to the quoted delivery date.”

We’ll hold up our end of the agreement…if you hold up yours.

You know ahead of time when we’re going to need the content (text and images/graphics) for your new site. Have them ready when we ask for them…if you want to stay on schedule.

This is the single biggest, and most common problem every web designer faces…by far. The Client holds the project up, then complains when the due date is missed.

 #4 Thing Your Web Designer Won’t Tell You

“Your expectations are unrealistic.”

You want a 10-page custom site with CMS (Content Management System) for the price of a 3-page template site.

Not going to happen. No matter how hard-up the web designer may be.

And you’re not going to get a new Lexus for the price of a new Scion either.

Look, no matter what you’re buying (from a new website to a new roof for your home), all you’re really “buying” is 3 things:

• Quality
• Time
• Price

If you’re will to sacrifice quality and delivery time, you’ll get the lowest price.

If you’re only willing to sacrifice quality or time, you’ll pay more.

If you insist on both high quality and on-time delivery in a reasonable time…you’re going to have to pay for it. You’re not going to get the lowest price.

In order to lower the price to you, the web designer will ALWAYS have to cut corners…using a lower level graphic designer and/or programmer whose are not as good as their best people, but they’re cheaper. Your site will suffer as a result, though you might not notice this for some time down the road.

And you should run…don’t walk…away from any business that lowers their price without justifying it by telling you what corners they’re cutting.

Naieve buyers always think that when they “negoitate” a lower price from a supplier that the supplier is making less in profit. Wrong.

Every business owner knows that they must make a minimum profit…or they go out of business. So they are NOT going to cut into their profit to give you a lower price. And if you think they are, you are naieve in how the business world functions.

When you pay for a “cheap” website…that’s exactly what you’re going to get.

“Top quality” isn’t free…It’s priceless.

SUMMARY

It’s to your benefit to be prepared when you start looking for web designers. Do your homework.

For a web design quote on your project, call us at:

877.280.2424