Website Planning and Pricing

I get a phone call at least once a week asking me for a 'basic price' for a new website. This is a hard question to answer since each website is different in both size and design. For example, you may think that designing a website for a client who has only three pages would be significantly less expensive than designing a website that has ten pages. But, what if the client with only three pages has a portfolio with sixty or more photos!

To accurately determine the price for a client, I ask a lot of questions.
For example:

1. Do you already have a domain name and host provider? 
2. How many pages do you anticipate you will need? 
3. Do you have a logo? 
4. How many photos do you intend on using? 
5. Do you want to include forms, forums or password protected sections of your website? 
6. Will you need a maintenance plan?
7. Who is your target audience?

What is the difference between a domain name and host provider?
The domain name is the url for your website. For example, http://athenswebstudio.com. A host or service provider offers shared or dedicated hosting on their server - this is where all the files for the website reside. For example, the content/images you see on a home page, about page, etc. for a website. You will need both a domain name and host provider for a website. Purchasing a domain name is relatively cheap, generally a few dollars a year. Costs for host providers vary greatly and you should do your due diligence when choosing where your site will be hosted. For example, if you have a host provider outside the United States, communication, hours of operation and down time can be an issue.

How many pages do you anticipate you will need?
It is important for clients to think about what information they want to convey on their website. The best way to do this is to write up the text for your website before you hire a web designer. This will give the designer an idea of what you are wanting to convey and will allow the process to move a lot quicker.

Do you have a logo?
A logo is a great starting point for designing a website. It gives the designer an idea of the style you like and what type of design would work best for you.

How many photos do you intend on using?
I ask this question because each photo needs to be optimized for a website. By optimized,  I mean saving the image to cut down on web load time. A visitor to your website will have a much better experience if the page loads quickly. It takes time to optimize and upload a significant number of photos, hence this can increase the cost of the website setup.

Do you want to include forms, forums or password protected sections of your website?
Forms are as diverse as websites. Some clients want their visitors to provide a lot of information [for example, booking an appointment, sending the client an appointment confirmation, reminder notice and allowing the client the ability to reschedule or cancel an appointment], while others just want a simple contact form. Forums for websites have to be set up to minimize spam. And password protected sections of a website allow clients to provide information to a more select group of visitors.


Will you need a maintenance plan?
Most websites I design today use Wordpress. Wordpress is a free open source content management system (CMS) that is database driven and will allow clients to easily add and update content to the website without having to contact a webmaster. Wordpress updates can be made from any computer that has an internet connection. Along with Wordpress are plugins that can provide additional functionality to the website. While some plugins are free, others are available for a fee. Both Wordpress and associated plugins are updated routinely so they remain compatible with the various web browsers and operating systems. Maintenance for websites include backing up the database, core files and updating the software associated with the site.

Who is your target audience?
This should be the first question you ask yourself and the first question a designer should ask you. When you are wanting to have a new website designed, it is important that you know your target audience. Clients sometimes have a difficult time answering this question. Often times the answer is everyone! The bottom line is you want to communicate your website to those who are either interested a product or service you are selling. Who are your customers and what type of web presence would interest them?

Deciding on a web designer doesn't have to be complex. If you have these questions answered before you start your search for a designer, you will have a better idea of what to expect.