In a world gone digital, those with a secure foundation online succeed, and why building your house with hay won’t stand up to the competition.
In business there is a conversation that usually starts with, “I’ve been in business for a few years and I’m ready to take my business serious. I have money to invest and want to do it correctly because I know it’s going to cost to do it right and compete in my competitive market.” After a discussion with the customer about marketing and options, we usually send over a proposal that is well above the $300 mark. Three or four days usually pass and the email or phone call comes back with, “I’ve talked to a friend and he turned me onto a website that builds websites for under $300. I’m going to go that route instead of your agency.”
In this case, it is the customer’s right to look at the other options they have. But the bigger question is whether or not you were ever really serious about investing in your business. As the old saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” It’s impossible to combine fast, professional and cheap when it comes to your website. You get what you pay for. Anyone who is actually serious in business will tell you that you cannot build a website for less than three hundred bucks. The reason is that there are actual expenses that affect the quality of the product you have.
I know that sounds like a rant, but really, it is a very profound principle that portrays how serious business owners or entrepreneurs are regarding their business. If you want to be successful, you must strive for perfection. I’m not saying you have to have an unlimited budget; I’m just saying do it right. My father always told me, do it right the first time; even if it costs you more money, it’ll save you headache, hassle and even more money in the end. The missing part of that is the lost revenue that is the result of poor marketing. Remember that first impressions are everything. Your first impression for a new client or customer only gets one shot, and you will never have a chance to get them again in most cases.
So what is the difference between a $300 website and a $3,000 website? Well, if you consider a small professional website takes over 30 hours to complete, you’re looking at the difference between a $10 an hour person and $100 an hour professional in a numbers perspective.
The Importance of Having a Professional Graphic Design
It takes time and costs money to create graphics for a website. You cannot simply copy and paste some images online and use them. This sets you up for a copyright complaint if you do. Additionally, if you use the free resources online, you are reusing images that won’t make your business stand out. Professional graphic design ensures that you have a visually stunning set of images that leaves a lasting impression with your customers when they visit your website. After all, would you rather have a plain website to do business with that is a jumbled mess with amateurish graphic design or one where the web design truly shines?
Strategic Calls to Action And Messaging
On a $300 website, you have no professional thought put into the website. There is no strategic planning, and all that has taken place is that a person threw together a website without any effort at all. That means while a basic $300 website can get you something assigned to a URL, you are left with nothing more than a hobby website when compared to the work of an actual professional.
In this case, think about a website you’ve been to for a business that looks like a high school student has thrown something together. It looks like a hobbyist created the space over a true professional, and in this case, that would be true. You’ll never find a true professional website for only $300.
Built Taking into Effect Search Engine Optimization
A website can be set up in a few hours. By the time it is done, you have the framework of what you need to successfully operate your website. The problem is that you aren’t going to have the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on the page. SEO is a complicated process that takes time, and your average $300 website builder won’t take the time to make sure your website uses the latest approved techniques while following the guidelines of Google through their Panda, Penguin and Hummingbird updates. A professional web designer can take your website and ensure that it is optimized so that you have real results the moment that your website goes live. All it takes is a few simple online adjustments to things like links and your web design.
Instead, for the $300 you have a bare-bones unprofessional looking website that won’t have any traction online.
Technically Sound And Secure
Realistically, the $300 website will be a simple WordPress that incorporates a few plugins. In most cases, they have done nothing more than quickly changed a template and require you to update your version frequently. Eventually, these templates stop being updated and new security issues arise. In 2016 and beyond, you need to take your website security seriously, otherwise your website will be taken down by hackers.
When you pay a professional company, you don’t have to worry about someone hacking into your website because firewalls and other prevention tools are already in place to protect you. That way, you have some peace of mind that the website for your business will always be up and running when you need it the most. A lot of the inexpensive websites out there are designed with the same set of templates. This makes them look like a copy and paste job of every other website out there. While this is fine if you don’t care about innovation and standing out, it won’t leave a lasting impression with your customers. It also will not look professional, and people will question if doing business with your company is safe. Instead, you want to take the time to ensure that your website stands out in the sea of competition and drives the customer to finalize a sale with you over doing business with anyone else. That depends on having a unique design that is easy to use while being visually stunning. This combination is something that can only be done when you work with a professional web designer.
Built for Your Business Not Just Another Template
As you can see, a $300 website is not a realistic approach for anyone who is serious about their business. It makes you look like a hobbyist who has just tossed something up and prevents your website from being taken seriously in an already competitive market. Instead, take the time to work with a professional company who will go the extra mile and ensure that your business has everything it needs to be successful online, with fewer threats, and be a website that people notice and feel comfortable with thanks to the quality web design it has.