“How Much Will It Cost?”
I get this question a lot when talking to people about web sites. The answer is “It depends.”
Unfortunately, for many start-ups and small biz owners, that already means “too much.”
So, instead of sitting down and figuring out exactly what kind of site they need (not necessarily want; remember the site is about your customers, not you) – they go for the “cheap, throw something out there” option…and then later end up having to spend a LOT more to get it right; sometimes the site is so broken, it has to be scrapped completely.
Of course, even when you spend what you think are big bucks on a site, the developer can deliver dreck (and then disappear down the road with the dinero.) One of my clients had just spent over $6K on a site; and then had to spend another $6K to get a different site built. The first one was beyond band-aiding. She was very happy with the second site, but she had to swallow hard and learn a very expensive lesson.
Not every site needs to directly generate major sales. Mine, for example, doesn’t. It’s intended to give people an idea of how I grok and rock…not sell a lot of product. I’ve got one brain. I sell that and can only use it for so many clients a month. (That said, I’m working on a site renovation. It could be better.) If you’re in early stage start-up mode, an info page will work (But do put something about the company or product on the page. Gives you credibility. And, avoid the tired old words such as “innovative” or “leading.”)
BUT, if you want to increase your conversion rate, you really will need to spend some real money with pros. Don’t try to figure it out yourself (or with your web designer. Most designers aren’t conversion literate.) Otherwise, you’re wasting what you’ve already spent.
Tags: marketing, marketing troubleshooting, emarketing, web development, site conversion
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Mary – Thanks for the link to us. Lot’s of smaller companies get scared because we have so many big name clients. They shouldn’t. Our services are affordable for many small companies.
Mary, I heard this question on a regular basis when I was serving clients as an Internet business strategist.
For many the question betrayed a failure to think like a business leader. Here’s what I mean:
Because the client had not thought through the business case for their web site they turned to price as a default question.
If it was a good business investment and the business case was clear, I would see client “find’ the dollars needed to get the work done right.
Thanks for this post Mary. It brought back my some memories of wonderfully honest client conversations.
Keep creating…work worth investing in,
Mike
And I’ve learned to ask, “Do you have a budget for this?” If not, then I know they’re at square one re planning, much less implementation.
Jeffrey,
This would most definitely be a case of “can you afford not to?”