So you’re looking for a cheap website…

I quite often encounter people who are looking for a ‘cheap website’, pretty much in the same way you get people looking for a “cheap” product or service.  However your online presence is as important as the product or service you offer, so perhaps you should be looking to value your website a bit more.

My response to requests for a cheap website vary, but I will take the time to explain the effects of not valuing your web presence.

Of course the implementation of a cheap website may not necessarily translate in to a cheap looking website. What is a reality though is that a visitor will spend seconds deciding whether your website provides what they require. You don’t have long to capture their attention, so a well designed website gives you a better chance of keeping them interested.

At the same time it’s also possible to go the other way with web design companies who quote at the higher end of the scale.  You may end up with something that looks completely out of place with your potential customers.  You could give the immediate impression that your services are expensive.

What you need to do is take a balanced view of what you are trying to achieve from your website.  It’s the same principal of my previous blog on image quality that you use on your website.

Some simple questions to think about your new website.

• Do you understand your target audience?  For example if you are catering to younger visitors then you should be making sure your site displays correctly in a mobile phone browser.
• What do you want your visitors to do when they arrive?  Are you trying to sell through your site, or do you just want them to pick up the phone and call you.  Your home page should make it obvious what you provide.
• Do you need to keep your website up to date?  Not so important if your product/service doesn’t change, but if you release new products or offerings then you want to be able to easily add them.  For me there is nothing more frustrating than visiting a site with out of date products or information on the home page.
• Should I just do it myself?  Your website may be your customers first interaction with you.  Do you have the design experience to give it the justice it deserves? There are also some simple things that need to be done to ensure that the search engines read your content.

In Summary

One of the key things I have learnt in website design is to value your own online presence.  Cheap doesn’t mean bad, but you could well be missing out on some of the fundamental framework of getting your site appearing higher up search results.

First impressions are everything when attracting new customers.