And we find this really sad because we have friends who are great web designers and who are constantly looking at ways to improve their clients’ websites. Yet, so many business owners have horrible experiences with web design. Does it mean the industry is full of ‘bad agencies’?

Probably not.

It’s more to do with the fact that business owners struggle to find the right web design agency for their needs. 

And sadly, that’s why this industry has such a bad reputation. It’s easy to hire an agency because of their ‘wow factor’. We make buying decisions based on their glossy website and fancy offices.

But what if the big agency with the comfy chairs and the shiny coffee machine isn’t the right fit for your business?

Why we aren’t right for some people

Not all web designers are clear about who their ideal clients are, and that doesn’t help consumers who are looking to make an informed choice and pick an agency that works for them!

That’s why we’re so passionate about using our copy and our content to spell out who we’re right for and who we’re not right for. Take this blog post – 10 Reasons We’re Not the Right Fit For You, as an example.

We’re probably a ‘bad agency’ for some people. If someone isn’t prepared to work on their website once it’s live and expects us to write copy and blog posts, change images for them, etc. then we’re not for them.

Because that’s not what we do.

And that makes us a bad choice for that particular client.

As an agency, we are right for people who are quite proactive, want to learn, don’t mind getting their hands dirty and are happy for us to provide them with remote support through training videos and emails. We’re the perfect agency for some people, and a terrible agency for others.

Why big web design agencies aren’t right for some people

Equally, a big agency with an amazing portfolio who will charge tens of thousands of pounds might not be right for someone with a small local business.

To give you an example, we once spoke to a florist who had her website designed by a big agency who worked with the likes of the BBC and Cadbury. They were industry leaders. And of course, this lady’s website turned out to be amazing (and very expensive!).

But in hindsight, she told us she’d have rather hired a freelance web designer because all she needed was a great-looking website that ranked her locally for her keywords. And the agency she hired didn’t help with that – they were almost too big for her business and her needs.

If you’re a small business (with a smaller budget), you’re better off hiring a web designer who cares about your business and will take the time to ask you exactly what you want to achieve with your website.

So, if you’re in the market for a new website or a website re-design, how do you know which web design agency is right for you?

How to Find the Right Agency For You

1. Be clear on what you need from your website

First of all, what kind of support do you expect from a web design agency? Do you want to work with a big fancy agency or a local freelancer?

Both are fine. There’s no right or wrong here – as long as you understand the differences between the various options and the pros and cons of each.

So start by identifying what’s important to you, for example,

• Do you want to rank highly in search results? Then you need an agency with SEO knowledge.
• Are you a luxury brand, and do you need your website to be all about the design? Then find an agency that fits the bill for that, with previous experience of dealing with luxury designers
• Are you a total technophobe and would find it helpful to have lots of face-to-face time with a web designer? A local freelancer might be best for you.

If you want some help in identifying your needs when it comes to creating or re-designing your website, download our FREE Website Buyer’s Guide. It’s an impartial guide that we created to help you find a web designer that’s right for you.

And if you want to hear about the time when we made a bad buying decision by hiring a designer who wasn’t right for us, listen to our podcast episode: Why our first website failed miserably!

But what other signs should you watch out for before you go ahead and hire a web design agency?

2. Stay clear of web agencies with a bad website

This sounds quite obvious, but an agency with a bad website probably won’t be right for you!

So don’t hire them! Even if you’re friends or if someone you know recommended them to you because they are friends! (Or even family!). If their website isn’t great, chances are they won’t know how to design a great one for you.

3. Make sure you are given access to the backend of your website

You need to have access to the backend of your website.

So before you hire anyone, make sure that the agency gives you full access to the backend (or Content Management System) of your website.

Even if you’re not yet sure how to navigate your way around it, you can always learn. And having access will definitely work better (and be cheaper) for you in the long run. You just don’t want to be in a situation where your web designer quotes you a ridiculous amount of money whenever you have to make a tiny change to your website!

If that happens, you’ll be angry. And you’d have a right to be!

4. Watch out for the web designers who use a lot of jargon

So you’ve been researching web design agencies, and their websites are full of talk about HTML, CSS, and PHP.

Great.

You conclude that having a website is technical and confusing, so you’re better off just handing it all over to these guys who sound like they know what they’re talking about.

Stay. Away. From. them.

They might (or might not) know how to build websites. But their copy is telling something else – they have no respect for you. Because they choose to ‘explain’ things in a way that makes no sense to you!

And you know what?

There’s no need to use jargony language at all – we don’t do it! Just have a look at our website, we’re not writing to impress our peers or confuse you, we try to explain things in a way that’s easy to understand.

We have no interest in wasting precious space on our website using words that mean nothing to our prospective clients. For us, it’s a missed opportunity to connect with our visitors and tell them exactly who we’re right for and who we’re not right for.

5. Beware of those who don’t want to show their face

Have you ever noticed how a lot of businesses seem to hide behind their website and never show their face? We call them hermits. And we feel so passionate about this that we even wrote a blog post a while ago called Show us your face.

We always recommend to website owners that you use professional images of yourself on your website as it helps you to build trust and authority with your audience. You can read more about this in our blog post What is the B.R.A.N.D. website framework.

Think about it. As a consumer, don’t you find it difficult to make a buying decision when you can’t see the person you’re going to be working with?

We find this very off-putting. Why hide? What’s so bad about being able to put a face to a name?

Of course, not having photos of themselves on their website doesn’t mean a web designer isn’t good. Maybe, just like a lot of business owners out there, they’re a bit shy about putting photos of themselves on their website. That’s all.

Just beware of this and do some more research to make sure you’re clear on who you’re hiring for the job.

6. Big or small doesn’t matter, as long as they meet your needs

Equally, we’ve seen plenty of examples of people who started their business from their kitchen table (nothing wrong with that!) who then went on to plaster their websites with stock images of shiny offices and big teams – essentially making themselves look much bigger than what they are.

There’s no need for that. And most people are genuine and honest about who they are and who they’re not, but not everyone is, so just be careful.

If you need a huge company or even just a team, don’t get caught out by one guy in his basement trying to be all things!

7. Stay away from obscure Content Management Systems

What will your web designer build your website on?

You may have heard of WordPress, Magento, Shopify, or Joomla, for example. These are common Content Management Systems.

So if the web designers you’re thinking of hiring use a specialist and obscure Content Management System you haven’t heard of before, do some more research! You don’t want to be in a situation where you’re fully reliant on your agency to support you.

The reason why we only use WordPress is that it’s the most popular and well-trusted Content Mangement System. If you need help with something and for some reason, we’re not immediately available, you can still find answers and resources on the internet. But if your website is built on a rare platform, you may struggle with that!

8. Avoid a web designer with a questionable portfolio

One of the first things we suggest you do when researching web designers is to look at their portfolio to get a sense for:

• what level they’re working at,
• what kind of websites they’re designing,
• and what kind of industries they specialise in.

A word of warning on this though.

If the web designers you’re considering tick a lot of boxes, but you’re not convinced about their portfolio, get in touch and ask them for more examples of their work.

We know from personal experience that keeping your portfolio up to date is time-consuming – we have a lot of websites we’ve built over the last few months that don’t feature on our site because we haven’t had time to add them. So do reach out to a prospective web designer if you want to see more of their work – they’ll be happy to oblige.

9. Watch out for web designers who don’t offer a discovery phase

If an agency or a freelancer doesn’t factor in how they’re going to find out more about:

• your business,
• your target audience,
• what you want to achieve from your website,
• and what kind of goals you have for your business,

stay well clear!

We have what we call a ‘discovery phase’ where we delve into all our new clients’ businesses. We get to know a lot about them during this process, and it’s the only way we get to design a great website for somebody.

So if a web designer doesn’t offer this service, consider this a warning sign that they aren’t invested in your business.

The price you pay will have a lot to do with this too. The agency you hire for £500 might not even know what a discovery phase is. And in a way, that’s understandable – the price tag doesn’t cover for that! But the agency that charges £5,000+ should get to know you as a vital element to the web design process.

10. Be wary of the agency that doesn’t put their prices on their website

We are huge believers in putting prices on your website.

Yes, projects and requirements vary and so do prices. That’s why we use a minimum package price on our websitethat our potential clients can use as an indicator. We even publicly write about the process we use to come up with our prices! Head over to our blog post Why We’re Increasing Our Web Design Prices to find out more.

But a lot of web designers won’t display prices on their website.

And while that’s not in itself an indicator of a bad web designer, you’ll want to get a quote quite early on in your research. The worst thing any business can do is to make you jump through hoops to find out their prices. What happens when you find out that the price is way over your budget? What a waste of your time (and theirs)!

So stay away from anyone who’s putting pressure on you to have several discovery calls before they give you a quote! They’re probably trying to make you feel so invested in the process that you won’t be able to say no to them. It’s an old-school sales technique that no longer works. And frankly, it shows that the other person doesn’t respect your time.

So how exactly do you find someone who’s right for you?

We’ve given you a lot of pointers to avoid picking the wrong web design agency for your needs. But how do you find one that is good for you?

Ultimately, and above everything else we’ve mentioned, look for someone who:

• cares about helping you move your business forward,
• you can trust and connect with,
• you see yourself having a good working relationship with.

We find this always happens with our clients. We get so close to their business that we end up getting to know them really well. And that’s both a pleasure and an honour.

Would you like us to help you with your website?

We are passionate about helping business owners build and grow successful websites. We also understand that people might have questions and concerns as they get into this process for the first time. Or maybe because they’ve had an awful experience in the past!

• That’s why we don’t use code or jargon.
• That’s why we are open and honest about the type of web agency we are.
• We are transparent about the type of clients that are right for us and those who aren’t.
• And that’s why we publish our prices on our website.

We want people to be able to make informed decisions.

So if you’re looking for a web design agency who cares about your needs and your business, and you think we may be right for you, get in touch!

Martin & Lyndsay

The post How to Avoid Hiring a Bad Web Design Agency appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

When you hire us to build your website, the cost of the project may change from what we initially agreed.

Doesn’t seem fair, does it?

I hear you, and we hate doing it, but occasionally we simply HAVE to.

Truth be told, most projects go as expected and 90% of the time, the price we quote at the start of the project, is the final price.

But that still leaves 10% of our clients who end up paying more.

In this post, I want to explain why this might happen and how you can prevent it.

The cost of a website

We do our best to be as transparent as possible with our prices, and we even display our fees clearly on our website to avoid confusion.

To give you an idea of how much we charge, most of the websites we build cost between £3495–£5497 but some websites cost upwards of 10K–15K.

It depends entirely on what you need and how much time it will take.

Information gathering

Before we start working on the project, we do our best to gather as much information as possible so we can fully understand your requirements before we give you a quote.

We’ll ask you about:

• The website features you want
• Your design preferences
• What pages you want on the site
• How much advice will you need
• How many people will be working on the project
• What you want to accomplish with your new website
• And much more

The reason we spend time asking these questions at the start of the website project is because each answer you give can dramatically change the amount of work involved.

The more we know, the more accurate the proposal.

Now that you understand a little more about how we price website projects let’s discuss the elephant in the room.

If we spend so much time working out a specific price for your individual needs, why should this change?

Below, I’ve broken down the main reasons why this might happen.

1. Extra features & services

This one is to be expected. Adding extra features or services to the original package will understandably, increase the price.

Obviously, things will alter slightly throughout the build, and you may change your mind and want to tweak some bits. That’s ok. We always try to be as flexible as we can be.

However, we will have to charge for some things. Let’s say you start the web design process wanting a standard website to advertise your freelance services. But later down the line, you decide you also want an online shopping page to sell some physical products. This will need to be charged separately as it’s something we didn’t include in the original package and it takes more time.

Or let’s say you want us to set up a booking calendar for you so you can take online appointments, we may need additional tools for this, and it will take more time for us to configure. If this is the case, we’ll have to charge more.

The same also goes for:

• Additional pages you want to design
• Landing pages installing
• Email integration
• Changes to page layouts
• Extra support, e.g. online coaching from us

Essentially, anything that you didn’t agree at the start of the project could increase the final price.

2. Changing the schedule

Before we build your website, we try to establish how long the process might take. Most of our projects take between 12-16 weeks from start to finish, but this isn’t set in stone.

Every project is different and based on your requirements, it might be sooner than this, or it may take longer. Either way, we’ll give you a good indication of the time scale at the start of the process.

Once we’ve got started on the project, we’ll work with you to set a launch date for your new website. We’ll book it in the calendar, and we’ll schedule our other projects around yours. This way we can ensure we have a good amount of time to complete your website and get everything finished ready for launch day.

However, if we do agree on a launch date and you decide to change it, it may alter the final price.

Let’s just say, you want to bring the launch date forward and go live sooner than we initially agreed. This generally means we’ll have to re-arrange our calendar and block out some extra time to complete your website. If this is the case, we’ll generally have to charge more.

Alternatively, if we set a date to go live and then we have to move the date back due to delays on your end, this can sometimes change the final price of the project. In our experience, when a project is delayed we’ve found that this leads to more amendments later down the line and more work on our part.

3. Design Changes after approval

Before we build your website, we try to take every precaution to get your website exactly how you want it.

After our initial research and discovery phase, we’ll move on to the design stage. This means we’ll design all of your core pages on photoshop before we build them.

Once we’re happy with the designs, we’ll send them to you so you can see them too. You can then tell us what you like, what you don’t like and what you want to change, delete or add.

We’ll make another round of changes based on your suggestions. Once you’re happy and you approve the designs, we move on and get those pages built.

This design stage is your opportunity to tell us if you want to make any changes so that we can make them before we code anything at all.

If you change your mind AFTER we’ve started building your site, we may have to charge extra as this will take more time to rebuild some elements.

This doesn’t mean you can’t make some changes. Understandably, there will be some tweaks you might want to make, and if they’re small, that’s usually ok.

However, it’s always best to make sure you’re happy before we build anything to avoid any extra fees later down the line.

How to make sure the price STAYS the same price

If you are on a budget and you want to make sure the final price is what we agreed at the start of the process, then take the time to plan your project as much as possible before hiring us.

Download our website buyers guide and go through it step by step, making notes along the way.

This will ensure you are fully aware of what you might need to consider before we have our initial consultation.

We created the website buyers guide to protect you when hiring a web design agency. It will also help you get a better idea of how much budget you should allow and what features you might need.

Summary

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of why the price might change throughout the website build.

No, we don’t charge for every little thing. There are some larger agencies especially, who charge for extremely small amendments. We are pretty fair and understanding. But, we may have to charge if it takes us a lot more time.

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post Why the cost of your website might increase during the build? appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.

But just how much does a website cost? And how much should you spend on a website so it delivers what you need, without paying over the odds?

My personal guide to how much a website costs

I’ve experienced what it’s like to invest in a website. Eight years ago, before Jammy Digital was born, I paid a company £1400 to design me a website for my first business. This was a huge amount of money for me at the time. After stock, it was my biggest investment.

However, my return on investment was pitiful. I barely made a thing from the website and what I did make was mainly from kind friends and family who felt a bit sorry for me.

Why am I telling you this?

Ultimately, I’m going to tell you what I tell all my clients and potential clients. My service and price might not be right for you, and that’s okay. There are plenty of options when it comes to website design, all with their own pros and cons.

I don’t want any client or business owner to experience what I did eight years ago.

Why do you need a website?

It’s tempting to start researching or contacting web designers straight away. Before you start looking for a solution you need to identify what you want to achieve from your website. Every website should have a purpose aside from being just another online business card.

You need to be sure that your site is generating a return on investment. It shouldn’t be written off as a business expense. Your website should come equipped to provide enquiries and sales on an ongoing basis.

Here are a few ideas for your own website purpose…

• Collect website enquiries
• Increase the number of phone calls you get
• Sell your digital products online
• Showcase your work
• Increase donations
• Build an online community
• Promote your event
• Share your knowledge & expertise
• Build an email list of prospects

You may need your website to do numerous different things but it’s important you know what they are before you build your website.

Your website should be crafted around the overall purpose of your business. So every aspect of the website’s design, copy and usability should be focused on driving your end user to do what you want them too.

What do you get for your money?

Self-build DIY services like WIX, Godaddy, Weebly etc.

Approximate price: free – £20.00pm

Building your own website using a service such as Wix, GoDaddy or Weebly is an attractive solution to many business owners, bloggers and entrepreneurs. And it’s easy to see why, these websites are usually free or cost very little on a monthly basis.

Limitations with Self Builders

As attractive as these low cost websites are, they do come with some limitations. The first one being design. These services work by getting you to choose a template from a selection of prepared designs. This means you’re usually working within the limitations of that particular design.

The good thing is, these website builders are generally very easy to use with their ‘drag and drop’ features.

Attractive Designs

Some templates are very attractive. Some not so much. And some are downright awful! But from personal experience, I’ve had a lot of clients’ approach me having tried a DIY service and failed to get anything remotely like what they want.

Some of my clients have had success by starting out this way, but as their business has grown they’ve wanted something a little more tailored.

How Search Engine Friendly Are DIY Websites?

There’s also the small factor of SEO. There’s a lot of talk about DIY builders and what impact it has on your search engine rankings. Does it work? Or does Google dislike DIY builders?

If you’re thinking of building your own site using this method then make sure you consider this beforehand to prevent any headaches later on.

Pros and Cons of DIY Websites

What to do before investing in this option:

• Research what people say about the company. Forums are a great place to see what people are struggling with!
• Look at what others have done with the templates. Templates look great when designed by a professional, so check them out after a novice has looked at it!
• Check the other costs – URL, hosting, email accounts, help from a coder/designer if you need it etc. It all adds up!

A Basic Business Card Website

Approximate fee: £99 – £500

There are hundreds (if not thousands) of website design companies in the UK who offer website design packages within this price bracket. Unlike the first option, these are suitable for those who simply don’t have the time or skills to invest in building their own website.

These websites generally display your information, just like a business card. They are usually built using pre-made html templates.

They tend to be very basic in terms of design and they’re not usually built with SEO in mind. That doesn’t mean they won’t rank highly in search engines, it just means that certain things won’t have been considered before or during the build. This means it might take a lot of work on your part to get the site up to scratch once it’s been built.

The low cost might be appealing to some but there are a few things I recommend you ask before hiring a company.

Firstly, does the website come with an easy to use CMS (content management system). This enables you to easily update your website once it’s been built. The likelihood is, you won’t be able to edit anything extensive, but you should be able to edit the text and images with ease. If not, the company may charge you for this, so you’ll need to ask them how much they charge in order to avoid costly headaches in the future!

Secondly, you’ll need to make sure the website is mobile/tablet friendly. Almost 50% of web searches happen over a mobile or tablet. Google have actually said they will favour mobile friendly websites in mobile search results! If your website isn’t mobile/tablet friendly, you’ll be missing out on potential customers.

Pros and Cons of a Business Card Website

What to do before investing in this option:

• Make sure the website comes with a content management system. Even ask to see how it works beforehand. If it doesn’t, be clear on how much it will cost to update your site.
• Check that the website is mobile/tablet friendly
• Check what is included! Will you get a blog, social media integration, URL, email accounts, hosting, images (stock photos cost) etc.

A template website using WordPress / Joomla / Drupal.

Approximate Fee: £399 – £1200

Sometimes, website designers will build your website using pre-existing templates on WordPress, Joomla or Drupal.

These kinds of websites usually achieve a more polished and professional look than those who go for the DIY or basic options. In fact, I used to use this method for some of my clients, as it was an affordable alternative to the more expensive options. However, even though the website looks better, it’s still a template, and therefore still quite restrictive.

The appeal of this option is you get a decent looking website (designer depending, obviously) along with the easy-to-use CMS of WordPress, Joomla etc.

Pros and Cons of using Wordpress Template

What to do before investing in this option:

• Ask the designer what they can do with the design, how much can they change to tailor around your needs?
• With any design company – check that the website is mobile/tablet friendly!
• Check what is included! Will you get a blog, social media integration, URL, email accounts, hosting, images (stock photos cost) etc.

A Custom Made Website

Approximate Fee: £999 – £5000+

Many web design agencies and even some freelancers will charge within this price bracket for a custom built website, myself included.

At this price, you should expect more for your money than the three options above. Your website should be designed in line with your branding and should appeal to your target market.

Your home page should be completely bespoke, along with your standard pages and perhaps your blog/contact page.

The agency or freelancer can often spend a lot of time in the research and preparation stage, making sure everything is to your liking and set up for ultimate conversion. Every element of the design should encourage your reader to do something, such as contact you, fill in a form, or hit that buy now button.

You may also get added extras to the option above, such as a bespoke blog, email marketing integration or even copywriting and on-page SEO.

Pros and Cons of Custom Made Website

What to do before investing in this option:

• Ask the web designer what their process is. Will they show you a version of their design before you invest? Or will you receive different design versions to choose from?
• Ask if the website also comes with a CMS
• Check what is included! Will you get a blog, social media integration, URL, email accounts, hosting, images (stock photos cost) etc.
• Will you need to provide the stock images or will they provide some of them as part of the service.

Big Project Website

Approximate fee: £5000 – £100,000+

This option is suitable for those looking for the ultimate bespoke website design service. You may find you need every single page of your website to be tailored to your needs. Or you may need a website that fits within your business’s internal processes.

These websites are generally very technical and intelligent. They have a large amount of functionality and attention to detail…hence the price tag. You’re paying for a knowledgeable and experienced team of people who can build you every single thing you need from scratch.

Pros and Cons of Custom Made Website

What to do before investing in this option:

• Consider whether you really need this level of support and technical help
• This is a big project, I’d certainly recommend meeting the agency!
• Put a full proposal together and go out to tender. It’s more time consuming but it’s worth it to get the right company for you.

Final thoughts.

You may be tempted to head over to Google and type in “cheap web design” and try to save some money in the short term. I would ask you to consider the REAL cost of getting a cheap website. What will a basic online presence do for your business in the long run? The amount of business you lose from not having a high quality website may leave you worse off.

On the flip side, think about your average sale amount, how many customers will you need to pay for a £5000 website. If the numbers seem out of reach then it may be worth going for one of the cheaper options to begin with.

My advice is to spend some time doing the research and find a web design company you can rely on, someone who truly understands what you want to achieve and can build a website that performs well and delivers a return on your investment.

Over to you

What is your experience of hiring web design companies? Have you found it to be an easy process or have you had a few catastrophes along the way? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Martin Huntbach

Web designer & marketer for small businesses. Martin is an experienced search engine and web design specialist, with over a decade of experience working with large corporations to small businesses.

jammydigital.com

The post How much does it cost for a website? appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.