You’re a marketing director charged with overseeing a new website or website redesign. You have a solid handle on your organization’s brand and audience. You have talked with your sales team to find out what they want from a website. If you’re lucky enough to have an IT person on staff, you’ve enlisted her help to define the project. Now, it’s time to find the right web design and development firm.
You do some research, contact a few firms, answer their questions, and sit back to wait for the project estimates. What flows into your inbox, however, seems like you didn’t follow the same process with any of them. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. The services don’t always match up, and the prices are all over the board. Why are your website development project estimates so different?
We certainly can’t speak for every website development firm out there, but we can tell you where some of those differences arise, how we come up with our estimates, and what you should be looking for in a website development partner.
What sets the best websites apart?
Why is the cost from Company A so different from Company B?
This is where it’s important to take a look behind the curtain. Are you getting a bid from a one-man shop that is promising more than they can deliver? Are you getting a bid from a large agency that may be offering more services than you need?
Learn about the people behind the company. Ask to see samples of their work, and find out if it matches up with what you’re envisioning for your project as far as design quality and capabilities.
Don’t forget to look at the details of your estimate. Match up the services to see what you’re getting for your budget. One firm may offer a simple package of design and development only while another might offer a strategy session, design, development, and ongoing marketing activities. Which one of those best fits your needs?
| Services | <$10,000 bid | $30,000 bid |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy session | No | Yes |
| Wireframing and site architecture | No | Yes |
| Design | Yes | Yes |
| Custom | No | Yes |
| Template | Maybe | Yes |
| Attention to all details | No | Yes |
| Development | Yes | Yes (with custom mobile work and testing) |
| Content management system | No | Yes (with custom features) |
| Ongoing marketing | No | Yes |
Look at the details of any website design and development estimate to make sure it covers your needs. Ultimately, you get what you pay for.
We will be honest: TBH Creative is rarely the low bidder on a project, and we’re okay with that. We offer more than just the simple package. As one of the primary representations of your brand, your web presence is important to your company. It deserves more than a quick fresh design; it deserves attention to details in the design, smart content, and error-free/easy functionality all working towards your goals.
Why should you pay more for a strategic web partner?
A website design that is beautiful and cutting-edge is only good for your organization if it meets your goals. A company that offers only design and development may give you a fantastic looking website, but if it doesn’t further your marketing efforts, how fantastic is it really? A strategic partner, like the team at TBH Creative, will take the time to get to know your company, its goals and objectives, and its brand identity. We will ask questions about your sales efforts, and want to learn how the website can—and should—support those them. We want to know about your audience: what do they expect from your website and what will help them take the next step. All of this kind of strategic planning up front will result in a website that won’t just look great, it will work.
We also don’t believe that a website is complete when the design and code are launched. As with any marketing campaign, a website will do more for your company if you monitor its performance and adjust as needed. Supporting your website with ongoing analytics, social media, search engine optimization, and other marketing efforts ensures that your website investment will help you achieve your goals.
We know that our best work and our clients’ best results happen when we incorporate strategy into the process and work together for ongoing marketing efforts.
Simply put, not all website companies are the same. We’re not here to judge the merits of one firm over another or to tell you we are the best. We will tell you, however, to seriously consider what your website can do for your company and then pick the best website development firm to get you there. Don’t trust something as important as your web presence to the lowest bidder. Look for a firm that aligns with your strategy.
We’d love to talk to you about your online marketing needs and how your website fits into your goals.
