‘You get what you pay for’
Generally in life I think it can be safely said that ‘You get what you pay for’. This of course applies to website design too. We recently had a company director from the local area approach us needing a website. After an initial conversation with him about his business and his requirements it became clear that he needed a website that he could easily maintain and update himself. A content management system would enable him to do just that; through a secure admin area, he would be able to upload images of his products, change the details, prices, content and look of the website whenever he wanted to.
We spent a bit of time writing a detailed outline for the project with a full design brief and detailed itemized quote. The outline included every aspect of the web design including ideas for the content, navigation, strategies for search engine optimisation and of course, the bespoke content management system.
He was thrilled with the proposal and said he would call the next day to get us started on the project. The next day he did call, but he said that he didn’t want us to design his website anymore because he had found another company who could build him a website for a fraction of the cost.
This was a definite case of someone who didn’t understand about the technicalities of building a website and the importance of getting each factor absolutely right. The company that he spoke of are very good at churning out cheap websites which all look very similar (and awful if I may say so) due to the fact that they are built from templates. There is little thought or consideration for the user, seo (Search engine optimisation), the market sector or the target audience. He had been completely swayed on price and how much ‘he could save’.
When are people like this going to realize the value of their website? A website is a living, breathing advertisement/brochure for your business; it is accessible by millions of potential customers through the World Wide Web, it is probably your most valuable marketing tool. Surely it makes sense to get it designed by an experienced, professional web design company who will ensure that you are presenting the right image of your business and actually reaching your target audience.
So what had this gentleman actually ‘saved’, well he may have saved a bit of money in the short term, but really it is a false economy and I guarantee he will have lost out to his competitors in the long term. He was not going to get a content management system or an original web design; as I said in the beginning: ‘You get what you pay for!’
At Deckchair we build all of our websites around the needs of our clients. We design them from the ground up with the search engines in mind and we don’t use templates. The result is a bespoke and original web design with clear, easy navigation that holds the attention of the user and can be found easily on the search engines. We will advise you on the best design and web marketing strategies for your company. We will ensure that you get quality traffic and you stay ahead of your competitors.
Toni
Amanda Vlahakis Says:
February 12th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
You need to delete that comment above it’s spam, I get this person posting this exact same comment on all my blogs!
I always wonder about business people who want everything for as cheap as possible - I wonder what their houses look like; are they wall to wall chipwood wallpaper and offcuts carpet for instance?
Some people just don’t understand the Internet, they don’t fully believe that its an important marketing tool, and hence they don’t take their website seriously. This makes it much harder for them to succeed.
toni Says:
February 12th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Hi Amanda
Yes I hadn’t noticed that one slip through!! Thanks
And yes, I agree about those people who don’t understand the internet! Very frustrating!! As you said in your blog too…there is always someone’s friend’s nephew who will do it from their bedroom..BADLY!
cheers
Toni