Launching a website is no easy task. Communication is the key to making the process as streamlined as possible. As a client, you need to know exactly what you’re getting from your web designer, in return they should know exactly what you expect of them. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of questions to ask your web designer:
1. Do you arrange to register the domain name and hosting for the site, and is this included in your quote?
2. How easy will it be for me to update my website? If it requires technical knowledge, will you be able to provide training for myself and my staff?
3. Will there be any ongoing costs for general site maintenance?
4. Will you optimize the website for search engines?
5. Will the site be mobile-friendly?
6. If I am unhappy with the finished design of my site, can it be revised and is there a cost associated with this?
7. Will you provide content and stock images for the site, or should I provide it?
8. What is the scope for the future development of the website? Is it built to grow quickly?
9. How much will future updates and upgrades to the site cost?
10. How is my website protected if something goes wrong?
Other things to bear in mind
Web design is a service, not a product. Thinking of web design as a service rather than a product will help you to understand why it can be difficult to put an exact price on it.
Quotes are subjective
You could be quoted £1,000 and £50,000 for the same project. This goes back to web design being a service rather than a product. Different web designers and developers will have different ways of doing things, and prioritize different aspects of the site. Being as clear as possible about what is important to you, and what is less so, will help make your quotes more accurate.
Standards vary from web designers to web designers
Just like any other industry, the quality of work will vary from one web designer to another. It’s a good idea to have a look at customer testimonials and examples of previous work when deciding which web designers to go with. Don’t forget, buy cheap, buy twice! The cheapest option isn’t always the best one – anything that looks too good to be true probably is!
About WordPress sites
WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world, powering over 26% of the entire web. People often ask how much it costs to build a website using WordPress. Although WordPress is free to download and install, there are some costs involved which can be broken down as follows:
○ Hosting
○ Domain
○ Themes / Custom design
○ Plugins
At the cheapest end of the scale, if your budget is under £1,000, it’s possible to build a beginner WordPress site using templates and plugins. On top of that, expect to pay around £150 per year for the domain name and hosting.
As your business grows, you might want to add new features such as shopping carts or an online booking system on your website. An increase in the size and complexity of your WordPress site will also be reflected by the price. A mid-range WordPress site with customized features can cost anywhere from £1,000 to £5,000.