Cheaper is not always better

Throughout my career as a web designer, there have been occasions where different clients have brought the issue of price to my attention. For example, "Why should I hire you when Company B charges less?"

In the beginning, I took time to research the company being referenced in an effort to compare my company's rates with theirs. I mean, I'm a fair guy; I want to do good work for my clients without breaking their wallets. However, after years of research on these companies who undercut the market in order to generate more business, I have come to rely on the trusted adage "you get what you pay for."

Let's take shopping for a car as an example. When you pull up to a car lot, you may see a section of cars with streamers and neon signs indicating the "best deal in town!" You're intrigued. These cars are cheap, and at first glance, they look like a good bargain. But upon further inspection and perhaps a test run, you realize that these cars are rusted old junkers who are going to need a lot of fixing up if you want them to last. They also don't come with all the cool bells of whistles of the newer cars, like automatic windows and leather interior. The same idea can be applied to web design. Company A provides a website at $5,000, while company B provides a website at $500. Solely based on the price, you should choose the site for $500, right?

Wrong.

Web companies that provide websites at prices this low afford to do so by taking on as many projects as they possibly can and completing them in as little time as possible. Mass-production of small, short-term products that provide you, the customer, with a cheap, quick solution for your problem. So what should you look out for when shopping around for a web design company?

Company B offers:
Site hosting, monthly updates, consultation, logo design, copywriting... and, hey! Their site has won awards, which you can see clearly on every page.

What you don't see:

• Site hosting with limitations on how much traffic you can receive, how many updates you can make and how large your site can be. Once you discover these restrictions, you'll be politely informed that you agreed to that package and can upgrade for a fee.


• Monthly updates that are likely to be done on less-than-sufficient computers, with less-than-enthused employees, if there are employees at all. You want to add pictures? No problem! You've got ten pictures that need to be resized, formatted, uploaded and...oh, time's up! Did you want to actually place them on the site? That's going to cost extra.


• A consultation that would be better off coming from your mailman. This is easy to spot. Chances are, you're probably receiving information about the internet from a 1995 America Online pamphlet that your hired "web guru" has stored somewhere upon the dusty shelves in his brain.


• Logo design that does not follow print or web standards, basic color rules or branding, nor is it custom designed to suit your business' needs. Whether you sell hand-crafted jewelry or trendy children's clothing, your logo is going to be one-dimensional and not tailored to your cause.


• Copywriting that not only fails at conveying your company's message but also bores your visitors and is littered with grammar mistakes. Once the broken copy is mailed back to you, any scrutiny or change requests will most likely be met with little to no extended effort.


• Site-awards from award programs involving forums with absolutely no users (aside from spam-bots posting trash to confuse search engines), code that is no longer safe or intelligent to use and spelling mistakes that would make any English teacher within a 100 mile radius weep.

In recent years, web design has exploded in popularity. Everywhere you turn there is a new start-up web company that claims to be the best in the business. But don't just take their word for it. Do your homework by checking out each company's current clients and looking at the work they provided. Is it up to your standards? Don't be afraid to ask questions to make sure you're getting your money's worth. And remember, the all-mighty dollar is a powerful thing...don't hire a shady web designer who doesn't have your company's best interests at heart just to save a few bucks.