When it comes to putting together your company's website, hiring a web designer is always the best route, because so much is riding on it.
If you're hoping to show up well in Google's search results, you'll definitely need a professional web design company. That's because there's way more than meets the eye when it comes to playing well with Google's ever-changing algorithms.
By hiring a professional web design firm you'll ensure your website is unique, reflects your company's perspective, is user-friendly, and adheres to the basic principles of SEO. However, the cost of hiring a Columbus web design company could be a concern, so let's discuss the factors that affect the cost of a website.
The experience of the web design firm
No surprise here. Experience comes with a price tag, but as with everything in life, you get what you pay for.
All web designers charge an hourly rate based on their experience, reputation, and skills. On average, a website design company in Columbus charges between $100 and $250 an hour. And like law firms, they track their time in 15-minute increments. When estimating a website, their goal is to cover the hours they'll invest on your behalf.
So it's understandable that making sure they understand the every detail of your project is critical to getting an accurate estimate. If their proposal doesn't detail every aspect of the project, you're sure to get surprises along the way. So make sure their proposals are as detailed as possible.
The complexity of the project
By determining the complexity of your project, a professional website design company can help you set a realistic budget. A simple website – with a few pages and basic features – could run between $5,000 and $7,500. This is compared to a website with extensive functionality and advanced features that could run between $15,0000 and $20,000.
As an example of advanced features for say, a home builder, see the Briarfield neighborhood page here of the website we designed for Romanelli & Hughes. When you scroll down, it features site map of the Briarfield community, with rollovers showing the status of each lot. This is a more interactive feature within each community and adds quite a bit to the cost of the project.
Video on the homepage adds to the cost of a website
We built a website for Shadow Six, a company based in Jupiter Florida, that builds Aquatic Utility Vehicles ( or AUVs). You can't be blamed for not knowing what an AUV is, because it's an entirely new product. See the video montage on the Shadow Six homepage here.
Animation on the homepage adds to the price
If video isn't an option, there's always text animation (not the cartoon-type). That makes the homepage much more interactive, interesting, and can be done with both images and text. See an example of an animated homepage we'd designed for Nashville Regenerative Orthopedics here.
Maintenance and Updates
Websites are not a one-time cost. They require regular maintenance and security updates to ensure they’re functioning properly. The cost of hiring a web designer in Columbus (or, really, anywhere) also includes the cost of ongoing maintenance and updates. Consider this when setting your budget for web design.
Additionally, web designers in Columbus offer other services that may affect the total cost. Some designers offer SEO services (Search Engine Optimization), content creation, and branding services. These services increase the overall cost of your website, so consider the services you'll need and how they might affect your budget.
When hiring a web designer, consider all these factors
To ensure your web design project stays within your budget, determine the complexity of your project, request detailed quotes from the web designers, have them call out ongoing maintenance costs, and identify any additional services you need. By doing this, you'll find that hiring a web designer in Columbus who meets your requirements and budget will be much easier. With no surprises.
