How Not to Blow Your Budget by High Website Design Fees

Jun 10th, 2009 5:06 pm

The cost of a website can be hard to figure out. Since a website is constantly changing, it can be hard to keep it under control. Here are some tips for you to keep your costs under budget and keep your sanity (and friendship) with your web design team.

The biggest mistake companies and individuals alike make is to leave the end price open. With every rule there are exceptions, and developing new tools for the web is one of them. But for most websites, if the site map is complete and accurate, can be quoted at a firm price. Always have one round of text changes included as these changes can quickly add up.
Before you start the process, be prepared. Have all of your content ready before the web programmers start. The designer needs to have the look created and approved. The copywriter should have pages copy written and SEO copy ready to go. The photos should be marked to match the site map. A big time killer for programmers is unorganized content which can leave holes in the site and cause delays that can be costly.
Have everything in writing. If you are paying per page of the website, what constitutes a page? Who owns the website copyright after completion? Can you move my site to a different server and is the domain register in the company's name with a company representative as contact? These are all very important for both sides to have this documented.
If the web firm is making changes, learn what their policy is on how fast the changes will be done. What is the minimum cost for this service, is it hourly or by job? If you are entering into a maintenance agreement, (which I don't recommend) how many hours does it include and can you carry over unused hours.
Customer service is key to a great website experience. Your sales person or production manager need to represent you and keep the project moving. If you do not click with your rep, ask for a new one right from the beginning... or don't use that company - you may be very sorry.

Here at Avallo, we cover all of the above and more. We get most of our projects by referrals from our very satisfied customers. Our Process was designed to keep everyone on the same page, so the end product is done timely and with your budget in mind. And since I am the go-to person for Avallo, your customer service is guaranteed. With a little bit of organization, and a reputable company, you can have a beautiful website done fast, and within budget.Contact us today to get started.