If you are an entrepreneur looking for a web agency for your new website, there are several factors you will scrutinize closely. You want to know what quality the company can deliver, whether the service it offers meets your expectations, and whether the company has sufficient experience to develop your brand-new website. Another important factor, which can be decisive and varies enormously from company to company, is the price of a custom website.
Prices for custom websites depend on many factors. What functionalities does your website need? How many pages do you want custom-designed? And are you making your choice for the short or long term? These are all questions that apply to the investment you ultimately make for your new website. To help you with your decision, we will delve deeper into the price-determining components of a new website in this article.
1) Complexity of the website
Within the concept of a “custom website,” the possibilities are endless. Naturally, the number of functionalities you desire and their complexity are associated with a rising price tag. Do you view your website as an online business card displaying your company information and some photos? Then you will be set for a very different amount than if you require a specific integration, for example, with an external system that manages your hotel's reservations.
Does the web agency's staff possess the right skills to realize all your technical requirements? If so, the prices charged by that company will also be higher compared to a company that limits itself to the 'basic skills' of web development. The former company focuses on intensive, long-term projects, while the latter delivers many more websites per week that are technically less complex to build.
In addition to custom development, you can also add a great deal of extra functionality using WordPress plugins – the CMS in which Best4u builds its websites. However, it is wise to keep plugin usage to a minimum. After all, every plugin needs to be updated on time, and some plugins can also slow down your website. The web agency you choose can usually advise you on this. This brings us to point two of this article: support.
2) Support
A common problem among SMEs is that they cannot find the time to properly maintain their website. Moreover, many entrepreneurs have little experience with or knowledge of websites and all the facets involved. Support and advice from an experienced web agency is highly desirable for them. However, not every web agency offers that support. The 'cheaper' companies are often more distant from the client and have little to no personal contact. They may have a large client base, but they spend much less time on service and support per client than the web agency that charges a somewhat higher price.
Sometimes a web agency works with a fixed number of support hours per month, the costs of which are already factored into the price of the website. However, many high-quality web agencies work with support packages. As a client, you then pay a fixed periodic amount (in addition to the one-time fee for the website) and are assured of assistance from a service desk staffed by experienced employees who can answer all your questions. Depending on the contents of the package, matters such as security, updating, monitoring, and creating backups of your website may also be included.
3) Safety
Online safety is a topic that is becoming increasingly important at a rapid pace. With the General Data Protection Regulation, which replaces the Personal Data Protection Act, the government demonstrates that consumer privacy is a key issue. The entrepreneur who has not complied since May 25, 2018 the updated regulations complies, risks hefty fines.
A high-quality web agency attaches an above-average amount of value to the security of your online product.
In addition to the new rules, there are also various other measures to promote online safety. It is urgently needed to pay extra attention to safety. This is evident from the report by the Online Trust Alliance.They conclude in their most recent Cyber Incident & Breach Trends Report that the number of cyber incidents in 2017 nearly doubled compared to the previous year.
A high-quality web agency places above-average value on the security of your online product, in this case a custom website. This is achieved not only through visible measures, such as an SSL certificate, but also through periodic security updates, secure servers, and closely monitoring the latest trends and developments. Naturally, these activities come with a price tag. However, a well-secured website is a very wise investment in a time when the share of cybercrime is constantly increasing.
At some companies, you can opt for a combination of support and security. Not only can you contact support staff with unlimited questions, but they also ensure that your website is and remains optimally secured, so that you, as an SME entrepreneur, do not have to lose sleep over it.
4) Long term
The possibilities in the field of online services are enormous, and new opportunities arise on the internet almost daily. If you want to grow online as an SME entrepreneur, it is wise to choose a web agency that offers all online services under one roof. That company will grow with you and provide you with the right services at the moments you need them. In this way, you make a long-term choice. It may be a somewhat larger investment at this moment than choosing a company that only develops your website and then 'leaves you alone', but that investment will pay off in the long run.
A web agency that offers all online services under one roof can coordinate campaigns and have specialists with different areas of expertise work together for you. This offers opportunities for the future, as the growth of your business is a key priority for such a company. Companies that position themselves as knowledge partners and can assist you with all your online challenges generally charge higher prices, but they also deliver greater returns for you.
5) Findability
Being easily found can make the difference between you and your competitors and is therefore of essential importance once you have a new website. Good findability starts with the construction of your website. The web designer must take into account clean, neat, and correct coding and must use tags such as H1 and H2. In addition, the speed of your website plays an important role.
The point 'findability' ties in partly with the previous point. If you choose a web agency that offers multiple online services under one roof (such as web development and online marketing), the collaboration between developer and web marketer is optimal. During the construction of your website, the web developer can then already make use of the web marketer's knowledge.
Such a combined service naturally affects the total costs you pay for your website. However, you always make an investment in internet marketing with the expectation that those costs will pay for themselves in the form of more leads and inquiries via your website.
6) Content
Last but not least: The content. The role of content on a good website should certainly not be forgotten. Text and images are the weapons you deploy to persuade your target audience to take the action you desire. Do you want the visitor to call you, do you want them to gather a lot of information via your website, do you want the visitor to be inspired by photos, or do you want interaction with your target audience? You achieve all of this through the right content.
If a web agency offers a service to create content for your company, it is always worth considering. While you are closest to your company's identity and ideally know exactly what your target audience wants, tunnel vision can sometimes be a risk. If you have already written copy and there is the option to have it checked by a content specialist (naturally at an additional cost), always seize this opportunity. The specialist knows exactly what requirements the content for your website must meet and, moreover, looks at your content with a fresh perspective.
The services of the content specialist naturally also influence the final price on the quotation.
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There is no such thing as 'the price' for a custom website. After all, the product is called a 'custom website' for a reason; it can be implemented in so many different ways that no two quotes will be the same. The final amount on your quote depends on the specialists a web agency has in-house, the services the agency offers, the personal contact, the complexity of the website, and the extras you desire as an SME entrepreneur (such as content and online marketing).
Best4u is one such company that can support you in all the areas mentioned above. We work with various products to be of service to every entrepreneur, large or small. Here you can read all about our options. Would you like to discuss your wishes personally with one of our advisors? They would be happy to come by, without any obligation, for a cup of coffee and an informative, informal conversation. Call 0575 512 125 or send an email to sales@best4u.nl.