How Do Web Design Companies Set Their Prices?

Affordable web design prices have long been an issue of contention. Most business owners would like to resolve these issues before hiring web designers and developers to build their websites. But unfortunately there's not one single guideline to help determine how web design prices work, because each website is a totally different entity. It will have components that are unique to it alone. One that requires less components is naturally going to be cheaper than one that's loaded with them. Impressive graphics and lots of powerful functionality will cost you more than a site that is just plain and simple.

So I'm going to focus here on some basic concepts in web design and the costs involved. I won't mention any specific figures but stay focused on some of the guidelines that web design companies base prices on. This should help you get a feel for the things you should pay for when you're involved with web designers.

Design Selection - One of the key aspects of cost determination is your level of site design. This means how many pages are designed, how many layouts are created, how much content, or multi-media, and any extra functions. Prices will change when you choose different modules, like creating a blog, or a gallery, or an e-commerce business website.

The "Experience Factor" - It stands to reason that you'll be paying extra for contracting with a company with a long history of experience. A company that has been successfully delivering high quality websites for years will charge you for that expertise and quality. Of course you're buying peace of mind at the same time. This is vastly different from hiring some student who is fresh out of design school to work on the same brief. When you're operating on a tight budget you may have to go with someone with less experience. But as a general rule, experienced companies will deliver you the best results.


The Scope of Your Project - It depends on your business needs, your customer preferences, and your design expectations as to how your price will change. Any further types of enhancement and added features will also add up and figure into your cost. In the initial development stage you'll have to consider domain names, content management, and server maintenance. These too will be added into your costs.

Online Marketing - There's really no point in building a website if you're not going to enable your users to find it. All websites today need to be search engine optimized. You want search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo to send you customers based on your sites keywords. This is a crucial part of online marketing. It gives you more opportunities for promoting and selling your products/services online, and to grow your customer base. This is how online marketing tools can really transform simple casual visitors into prime quality customers.

Constant Maintenance - One common mistake that people make while they're searching for web design pricing, is not thinking beyond the building of their site. It might cost you a little bit more initially, but it's good to have your website built by a company that can offer you good reliable maintenance, along with technical support, and with a good content management system. These things can prove to be invaluable and actually be cheaper for you over time.