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Is this the correct solution?
I’m starting to notice that more and more small business owners are beginning to recognise that advanced web design is the way forward. A website that isn’t just a static, standalone solution. It must be integrated within the overall internet marketing strategy. Every element of the web design must portray the business. Think about the message that a particular business is trying to impart to the target market.
If your business is cheap and cheerful then your website must reflect this or your target market (who are expecting your USP to be low prices) will perceive you to be too expensive. A website can convey a powerful message but this message must be the correct one and reflect your positive within your market.
So given this observation can we conclude that the costs of web design vary from industry to industry? Of course we can. A sole trader’s website is likely to cost less than a multinational organisation’s website. This is because of the experience and expertise that goes into making these vastly different solutions. The question “how much is a 5 page website” should swiftly be followed by the cliched retort “how long is a piece of string” because what is known as the Requirements Gathering phase has not even be touched upon when this type of question is asked in passing. Although some would argue that it is fair to give “starting from” prices or ballparks when one or two pertinent questions have been asked of the enquirer.
What’s the problem?
Many website designers would agree that the most important stage of the web design and development process is Requirements Gathering. However, a surprising number of web design practioners seem to fail when to comes to delivering the correct solution for the business. This is because many web designers don’t seem to understand that simply asking a business decision maker what they want is rarely enough to gather the true requirements for a project. Requirements gathering, done properly, requires the web designers to ask the right questions and have a real wealth of experience in extracting the real issues and true requirements. Only then will a web project be successful. So the best way of getting true value from a website design project is to hire a developer who can get to the root of the problem and then identify the right solution.
Conclusion
So what are the costs of web design? The answer is: it depends on what you want. Just make sure that what you get is what your business really needs. You can only really find out what that is with the help of a qualified and experienced web professional.
