“I don’t have a clue what I really want…”
“I think I just want a simple website…but I’m not sure if I can afford one.” Yes you may have concerns, and that’s ok. There’s a lot to consider when designing, building and maintaining a website. After all, a website is not only a major form of communication and marketing, it’s also a big investment to your business. So that’s why Shift Media is here with 4 Questions to think about before talking to a web designer:
1. What is your realistic budget for your website?
Out of all the questions you need to think about before talking to a web designer, this one is a biggie. Establish a budget to determine what is realistic because the total cost of building out your website goes well beyond the design and initial set up. Ask about the long terms costs that come with your website.
There are two tiers of costs you will need to budget for:
- Design Planning and Build — the initial set up and design of your website
- Maintenance Updates — the ongoing monthly costs required to maintain it
2. How do you want to manage your website?
Do you want to have full control in maintaining your website? Perhaps you’d like to be in charge of making edits to your website after it’s built? OR would you rather be hands off and pass all that work to your web designer? Definitely some things to think about before talking to a web designer.
Most business owners don’t have the time or the capacity to learn how to maintain their website. They’d rather keep their focus on their business and that’s totally fine.
3. What functions to your website do you need now or possibly will later?
What nifty features are just “nice to have”? In the beginning, you may want everything. All the bells and whistles might sound great to have, but usually aren’t needed for your website to work. We like to keep things clean and simple. Staying lean on functionalities will help your website remain sound in the long run.
Besides, a re-design later in the future is virtually inevitable. Be prepared to make changes to the layout and to your content to keep things fresh. Determine what’s working on your website and what’s not. You can always make changes or upgrade later with more advanced features, if you need to.
4. Do you want to deal with host management, security issues or any of the technical aspects yourself?
Investing in your website is like owning a home. When you purchase your home, you budget for extra expenses like utilities, insurance, taxes, maintenance and even the unexpected repair. These costs can add up quickly and at times even be higher than your actual mortgage payment.
Owning a website works the same way. In order to protect your site’s investment you’ll need to factor in the costs to maintain it. Web hosting, domain registration, content changes, updates, and unexpected bug fixes are several maintenance related costs you’ll need to cover. Keeping up with these expenses will save you from costly repairs if things go wrong later. That’s why getting an idea of what your needs are before talking to a web designer will make this process that much better.
Don’t get caught off guard with expenses before and after your website launches. Knowing all the costs involved to website ownership will put you steps ahead. Be prepared to invest on ongoing maintenance costs like hosting, debugging/troubleshooting or the addition of new features/tools, etc.
Work with us!
Through our years of experience, we’ve discovered a majority of our small businesses are better served with a flat monthly rate.
Monthly pricing allows us to bundle all recurring costs into one affordable, predictable monthly payment. This way there are no surprises or unexpected fees. The best part? The simplicity. We build and manage everything for you so you’ll never have to worry about website support. Schedule a call with us here.
