Everyone loves to save money, especially when they get something with a high cost at an astonishingly low price. It’s even better when you can tell everyone all about it, whether in person or on social media. Then, without warning, it happens…
- The amazing hand knitted sweater you bought for 1/10 of the regular price starts to unravel within seconds of putting it on.
- The diapers you bought in bulk at a deep discount break out your baby’s skin.
- The air conditioner you just got fixed at a bargain price goes out on the Friday evening of a long holiday weekend.
The same applies to custom web designers. What seems cheap in the beginning (meaning you don’t have to pay a fortune upfront) costs you plenty down the road in terms of repairs and lost time. In the end, you end up spending more than you would have if you had chosen the best web designer first.
In today’s world, even the smallest business needs a website. Of course, if you are the owner, you can’t afford to waste your money on a bargain web designer. You have to do your research and budget appropriately to ensure you are able to get the top web designer you can afford.
Why is this so important? Let’s take a look.
1. Your website is essentially an employee that works 24/7.
As an employee, your website has to be up and ready to go. It has to appear professional and focus on meeting the needs of your customer. Sure, you can hire an employee to hang out at the counter and look at customers in disdain for a lot less, but they won’t get the same results as a professional and helpful employee. Your website is the same way. A custom web designer with bargain basement prices is going to give you what you pay for. A website that repels customers, as opposed to reeling them in. So, now you’ve paid one web designer thousands for a crappy job and you’re going to have to pay even more to find a real web designer that can fix it. It’s simple. If you have to get a job done right the first time, you will save money in the long run.
2. A quick look at the maths related to your hardest working employee, your website.
If you hire a custom web designer to get your website set up and ready to go for 3 years, you may be charged around $30,000. Yes, that sounds like a lot, but it isn’t when you take a closer look. If your website were an actual human employee, you would be paying them around $10,000 a year. Would you work for $10,000 a year? Lucky for this “employee”, he doesn’t require food, health insurance, etc. because he’s merely a website. See, it is actually not expensive at all to hire the very best web designer the first time around.
3. An inexperienced web designer can result in a downtime disaster.
You may have hired a cheap web designer who has every intention of doing a good job, but they may lack the necessary experience. He or she might not be aware that the cheap plug-ins they are using are going to be a stability and security nightmare that potentially sends customers over the edge. Yes, a web designer has to be given an opportunity to work in order to gain experience, but it doesn’t need to be on your business website.
4. What about maintenance?
A cheap website designer (or one who is inexperienced) may not be anywhere to be found when you need website help. Stuff happens, even on the absolute best websites. For example, you may need to post something new, change your information, update your catalogue or blog, or even deal with a crash or security threat of some type. It’s crucial that you have a website designer that has an extensive history of always being there to assist customers when maintenance is required. Nothing is worse than having a website emergency that must be fixed right now and calling the service number only to find out that no one is there.
5. What about security?
Every website, including yours, is at constant risk of being phished, hacked, etc. However, the top web designers will have the know-how and experience to handle these issues. In addition, they stay on top of security alerts, trends, and threats, as well as technology to keep your website, information, customers, and resources safe from the millions of would-be hackers. Web designers with little to no experience won’t have the expertise to do this. In fact, they may use risky code techniques that could potentially put you at risk of a business-ending security disaster.
6. What about documentation?
Inexperienced web designers may not even know that documentation is necessary. Why is documentation crucial? Well, the top website designers follow a strict documentation system that tracks every single code, all plug-ins, every meeting, every discussion, update, and all the research and maintenance records connected to your website. This will save you tonnes of trouble, migraines, and broken websites.
7. Website design and layout are much more than a one-time thing.
CMS core systems require updating at least once a month. It may be even more frequently if there are updates to your phone or patches on your computer. When an update occurs, your layout will require updating as well. If it isn’t updated, well, your website could easily break. If your website doesn’t undergo frequent updates, it can suffer from serious security issues. Unfortunately, bargain website designers don’t consider these things. This could leave you in a huge and expensive mess that will leave you in search of a reputable web designer who will try and fix it. Of course, it will be costly! Think about it. You could have saved your money and time by hiring the best web designer the first time around.
In today’s world, a great website is just as critical for the success of your business as water is for keeping you alive. The top website designers charge more for a reason. They have the experience and resources needed to design a website that draws customers in and saves you from potential internet disasters. This is a huge part of your business plan, so don’t take the “cheap” way out. You just may find out how pricey a bargain can be.
