The question small business owners ask me more than any other is, “How much should I pay for a Website?”
My response to this question is always the same: “What are you looking to accomplish online?” I ask this because price can’t even be considered until the clients needs are fully understood.
If a Web designer gives you a price before asking you what you want to achieve online, I recommend that you proceed with extreme caution. Depending on the goals you’ve set for your site and the needs of your customers, the fee can range from literally nothing to several thousand dollars.
There are actually two different types of Websites, each with its own purpose.
The Website you’re probably most familiar with is called a “multi-paged” site. It usually consists of six to eight pages with a homepage and sub-pages such as “About Us,” “Maps and Directions,” “Contact Us,” etc. This is the site that most businesses use.
The other site is called a “one-page Website,” or “brochure site,” and its purpose is usually just to sell products or services. You’ve undoubtedly seen this type of site when surfing on the Internet. It’s quite distinguishable by its long length and content-heavy Web page with usually only one link, the Buy Now button. While many people consider this type of site to be obnoxious and ugly, it’s often quite effective. To see an example, visit winthesearchenginegame.com.
If all you’re looking for is to put your phone number and email address on the Internet, you don’t even need to hire a Web designer. You can go to yahoo.com, godaddy.com, etc., and quickly create a Website for yourself, and at no charge.
But if you want a more robust site, say with six different pages, pictures of your retail store and a spot to post your product line, then you could easily pay $500 or more. If you want to add video, a content management system or an online store, the cost could then exceed $1,000.
In some cases, you might find you may not even need a Website at all. Yes, you read that correctly, despite the fact that I’m in the Website business.
Notice I said that you might not need a Website. I did not say Web pages. There’s a difference between the two. Some of the chapters in my book will help you create resources such as blogs, articles and press releases. These vital marketing tools will become Web pages, and they’ll serve many of the same functions as a Website. For example, they can give you a presence on search engines, sell your products and services and even get people to call you on the phone or come into your store. And the best part of this is that you can create these Web pages for free!
Bottom line: When it’s time to develop a Website, always begin with your desired outcome for that site. You’ll end up saving money, and reduce the chance of being disappointed with the result.
Corey Perlman has been studying Internet marketing for the last ten years. He teaches courses and seminars where he provides small business owners techniques and strategies to dominate the search engines. He also has a book due out in May entitled Find Your e! Go to www.findyourE.com for more information on his seminars and to reserve your copy of his book.
