Websites are like houses – Part 1

They really are. Ever had a question about your website? Chances are, I can answer your question using the analogy of “websites = houses”. For example:

Q: How much does a website cost?
This is the number one question I get. And for good reason — a well-designed website is an investment. We can’t just slap a price tag on it however. Why? Because websites are like houses. For example, “How much does a house cost?” The answer is… it depends. On many factors. Some of these are:

• the size (5 bedrooms/5 pages)
• upgrades (hardwood floors, granite countertops, jetted tub/flash, photo galleries, illustrations)
• how custom it is (spec home vs custom/templated website vs custom)
• how often you change your mind during the construction process (now you want a pool?/now you want a shopping cart?)
• how quickly you need it done (normal time vs rush)
• other features (balcony, walkout basement/back-end programming, content writing)

This is why most webdesigners will want to talk about your project with you before they can give you an accurate quote. They may be able to provide you with a general price range without any information, but that would probably just be a starting price. Be prepared, because oftentimes you will realize you want features that put you above that price. Just like when you walk into the model home in a new housing development, the lowest price on the billboard outside is just the bare bones of the house, not what you see in the model home.

If you know your design budget, you can share that with your designer so that they can come up with options that fit inside what you can afford (much like a realtor would show you homes that fall within your pricerange). As with houses, with good webdesign you get what you pay for. You would be alarmed if someone promised you a mansion with a pool and equestrian arena for just $100, wouldn’t you? The better you want your website to be, the more it will naturally cost.

So, to answer the question:
A: It depends on your answers to your webdesigner’s questions.
If you are getting multiple design quotes, make sure you supply each designer with the same information in order to recieve the most accurate quotes possible.