Good question. After all, web designers are a dime a dozen. So why work with me, when you have so many to choose from?
You may want to consider this:
1. Your website needs a lot more than design:
There are several things more important than the appearance of your website. Usually, these either cost extra or are not available at all:
The right layout/sequence – does your website communicate – at a glance – enough information to hold the first time visitor’s attention? Do you have the right info and the right prompts at the right time? Or is it just some information thrown out there?
Also, does your website display correctly on phones and tablets? Or is it difficult to read? or do some elements overlap, making it look unprofessional?
Search engine optimization – the things you do to make Google aware of your website, and what it is about.
Social media optimization – what does it look like when someone shares a page from your website?
Usability – is it simple and logical to use, or is it tricky to find some of the info the visitor needs? You will be surprised at how confusing it can be if your web designer insists of reinventing the wheel.
Website load speed – having a slow loading website can cost you visitors. The internet has made us unreasonably impatient.
NOTE: If the appearance of your website is all you are worried about, ask yourself this: If you have to buy a vehicle for your business, will its looks (and price) be the only thing you worry about? Or would you look at things like running costs, practicality, safety, braking under load and reliability?
2. YOU control your website:
Many web designers “do everything for you” – from registering the domain and hosting, to maintaining the website while they do.
But what if you are unhappy with their service? What if you have a bad month, and you really don’t want to fork out several hundred dollars on a monthly service fee for the website?
If you don’t control your website, the person who owns is has the right to delete it if you do not pay. One of my clients had that happen to him.
Another client got drawn into a three-year service contract. She had to pay it in full to regain control of her website.
I don’t hold my clients to ransom. Your website is your property. Once you paid for it, it is yours to control.
3. Your website is built with free, common, popular tools:
Many web designers use paid tools like Dreamweaver – which means that, if you need to make any changes to your website, you need to have a designer with access to the specific tool it was built with.
Others – who use WordPress (I do too), make use of paid templates and plugins to facilitate specific features. But…
Those plugins and templates have annual license fees. These designers buy developer licenses on those plugins and templates, so it costs them a small amount per website they build. But if you have to pay for all of them yourself…
One client ended up having to pay more than $200 in one go for plugins, and on top of that she had to pay me for a redesign – because the original template was no longer available, and had ceased to function with the current version of WordPress.
(WordPress evolves continuously – much like the operating software on your phone. From time to time it all has to be updated.)
Some other designers use expensive platforms – like HighLevel (starting at $299 per month) to build website quickly and easily. But what happens to your business if THEY go out of business?
Having learned all of that from experience, this is how I do it:
a. I only use free tools – there are thousands of plugins and templates to choose from. However, when it comes to templates, I use two specific ones, and then add a free plugin which allows me to build custom pages, headers and footers.
b. I only use tools that are popular, and have been available for a number of years. Many WordPress developers create new plugins and templates, only abandon them (stop updating them) after a year or less. Using tools that have been around for a long time drastically reduces the risk of your website suddenly not functioning as it should.
Aside from all of the time I had to find replacement plugins for clients because something stopped working, there were also several occasions in which I had to rebuild the entire website because the template was no longer compatible with the latest version of WordPress, or was no longer available at all.
In short:
What I do costs more. But…
a. Once it is set up, the future costs are minimal. Fair enough, WordPress, the plugins and template has to be updated from time to time, and new backups made. Personally I would recommend once a month, but for some small business owners that is not always an option.
b. You control your website. If you choose not to run the updates on your website at any given time, your monthly cost will be just the hosting. Depending on where your website is hosted, that can be as little is $3 per month.
c. what I do covers a lot more than the design. You will not be buying “an empty shell”, or a series of lifelong problems.
Ready to talk? Have questions? Contact me.
P.S. I am not a web designer. Web designers build websites that look good. I build websites that WORK.