I’m always amazed by people who are surprised that a good web presence doesn’t come cheap. They seem shocked to learn the cost of a decent web site can run into thousands.
What must be borne in mind is the fact that a web site is the online shop-front for a business.
Several years ago, a family friend commissioned a major new shopfit for his retail business. I don’t know the exact figure he paid, but it was in the tens of thousands. It showed, too. The carpets were plush, the shelving was rock-solid, the desks and chairs were comfortable, the lighting stylish. Any customer walking into that shop got a great first impression, before they even spoke to a staff member.
It’s exactly the same on the web. When a potential customer visits a web site, and finds a dull, old-fashioned looking site that doesn’t work properly in their browser, they’re going to be immediately turned off. They will click the back button (it’s not as embarrassing as leaving a shop), and move on to the next one in the search results.
So why are people prepared to shell out £20k+ on a shopfit, but balk at the idea of spending just £2k on a good web site?
I think it has something to do with barriers to entry. In order to be a shopfitter, you need a big white van, lots of tools, trade accounts with suppliers, and of course the skill to do the job. Conversely, to be a web designer, you don’t need a van, you don’t really need many tools, you don’t have to buy materials, and as far as skills are concerned, well, surely all that’s needed is a few back issues of .net magazine?
Sadly, that seems to be the perception. “My nephew does IT at school, and is brilliant with the computer, he says he can build me a site for £50.”
I’m sure he can, but what sort of site will that be? What kind of after care will be offered? How long will it take to get revisions made, or get browser compatibility issues resolved? If the proverbial nephew were just as good with woodwork tools, would he be let loose in the family restaurant to put in some new booths or some new lighting?
I suspect not.
The web isn’t new any more. People have higher expectations. A good web site isn’t just a ‘nice-to-have’, it’s a pre-requisite to doing business in a world that demands instant-access to information.
Web design is a craft, just like any other, and sorry to use a cliché, but you get what you pay for.
Good work doesn’t come cheap in any business.
