EW Design Tutorials
“Web marketing is about delivering useful content at just the precise moment a buyer needs it.” David Meerman Scott
Web Design Cost Factors
What is a web design going to cost me? Factors involved in deciding what design project is going to cost include:
- The type of design you want — simple or complex
- Host server space (the place your web site will reside)
- The type of functionality you want including contact forms, log-in forms, dropdown or flyout navigation menus as opposed to a one-line navigation menu. Any other dynamic (animated elements) enhancements.
- Maintenance
Simple or Complex Web Design
How simple or complex the design is — a major cost factor in web design. Images, links, buttons, form or log-in pages, and animation are all labor intensive and add to the cost of a design.
Numerous pages, multiple page designs, copious amounts of content, custom fonts, music or video will definitely increase the design cost. Galleries, blogs, or ecommerce setups will cost more than a simple “text and a few images” type website.
The level of input you give me also contributes to the cost. Anything added after my estimate of cost will add to your cost.
- If I have to provide the images (which includes the research to find said images) this will cost more than if you provide your own images. There is still the cost to size and optimize the images, but you will not incur the cost of me spending hours to find those images.
- If I have to provide content (text, etc) for your site, this will contribute to your cost
Hosting
I recommend Hostmonster for hosting service. Great service and great prices or if you just want a small personal site I can host your site myself at a reduced rate.
Per FCC requirements – While my endorsement of Hostmonster is real, I am required to inform you that I do receive a commission from them if you click on any of my hostmonster.com links. Thank you if you do, because it is how I keep my costs lower, as I pass them on to you.
Have you already got this set-up? If not please use this Hostmonster Link. I get a small commission and use it towards your website set up. If you are building a small business website or a personal site that won’t be using PayPal or other purchasing methods, I can rent you server space by the month at a very reasonable price.
Maintenance
Once a website is up and running you will need to think about web site maintenance. If you plan on updating the site yourself, know that unless you have enough knowledge of HTML and CSS and have some kind of web page editor, this is not possible. Also consider the cost of fixing the site and any downtime involved, if you damage the code in any way. It is most often cheaper to let someone with web design knowledge to add or delete content. Also keep in mind that occasionally, servers inadvertently corrupt files (or hackers do this on purpose) that may need to be fixed. This is not the designers’ fault and most servers have clauses that tell you they will not be responsible.
Search Engine Optimization
While basic SEO is part of the design process, more extensive SEO will increase the cost. Remember the more information I have at the beginning of the design process will result in a better basic optimization of your site and a lower cost for you. Doing it right the first time is always the cheapest.
Cost Effective Web Design
The best way to design a cost effective web design is to have all the information you want in the website ready to hand to the web developer at the beginning of the project. This will get you the most accurate estimate. It will ensure that neither your web designer or you get any surprises.
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