Recently, I submitted a project to a few different designers/ agencies in the area. I sent each one the same project scope, and the same development details. However, upon hearing back from each developer/company, the numbers and estimated dates of completion were all over the place! Being that I sent each one the exact same project details, one would expect the web development pricing quotes to be at least somewhere around the same figure. However, this was by no means true. Some companies quotes were extremely low, and seemed to good to be true. Others were very high, and frankly completely outrageous! The project I had inquired about what to set up a simple 5 page website for an existing business. This was by no means the next Facebook or Amazon! Now, I was stuck with the difficult task of trying to determine why each quote and launch date was explained and laid out the way it was. From an outsiders perspective with no knowledge on the topic, trying to make sense of such sporadic web development pricing can easily become a real headache! So how do you know which one to choose, and if you are making the right decision?
It seems that when it comes to website development and web development pricing, the age old adage “You Get What You Pay For” is incredibly accurate. If something is too good to be true, our human intuition usually does a good job at letting us know that it usually is just by our gut feeling. If someone is going to charge you only 500 dollars to build a complete “professional” website, you must wonder how developed their skills are, and how much experience they really have. Simply stated, if you are to pay an amateur, you will undoubtedly end up with a very amateur site! One cannot expect to pay the price for a Kia, and end up with a Ferrari.
However, what if the price is too high? More often than not, there is much more to website development than meets the eye. If a price seems high, take a look at what the deliverables are. Often, there are many things that come to mind that one may not have realized they needed initially! However, this does not mean that one should expect to pay a million dollars for a simple site. Any good agency will look to ensure nothing but absolute success for their client. This means that all basis will be covered. Do you need Content? Do you want your site to be mobile friendly? Do you need a logo developed? Do you need graphics made for the website? Do you need a domain name/ hosting plan? Do you want things animated on the website? Are you looking for Blog or E-Commerce integration? If your answer to all of these questions is “Yes”, you can see how developing your simple website is actually not so simple.Instead, it could require a decent amount of work.
What is another important aspect to keep in mind when thinking about web development pricing? The reputation of the developer/ agency you may possibly work with! Ask for previous work, and get some references! Any good agency or developer can back up their web development pricing quote with Good solid proof. A well received chat with a reference or a project successfully completed for a big name company may show that the developer or agency in question is worth their web development pricing quote, just as a negative review or poor site will help you to see you should look elsewhere.
