Author: admin-HMD

So, how much should and how much does a website design cost?

This is an important question and I do get this asked all the time by potential clients who come to meet with me in our design studio and the answer I give to them is the same each and every time. What type of web design are you after and what do you want your website design to achieve?

In real terms, if you are a business owner and want a functional and effective online presence you really do not have to spend huge sums on money to get a great looking web site design that is also search engine friendly.

Working with a web design studio like Hopping Mad Designs means that you are getting real value for your marketing dollar when you embark on the journey of choosing your next web designer in Sydney. Sure, there are heaps of designers out there offering websites for next to nothing, but going down this path can and will only lead to major issues further down the track.

Over the years in business I cannot begin to tell you about the number of calls/emails I get from small businesses through to larger companies who have gone to a cheap web designer only to be left out of pocket, without a working website.

Think of this in terms of buying a car. If you want a basic run around car, that will get you from A to B with a minimum of fuss, but without all the added extra’s such as leather seats and air conditioning, you are going to be paying a base price. However, if you are looking at making a statement and want a little bit more of that ‘ wow factor’ you are going to have to pay a bit more for say a European brand or a top model in the Japanese series. These will be fitted out with all the extra trimmings, bells and whistles and will get second looks for other motorists and people in the street.

This is exactly the same for web design. You can pay as little as you like ( this comes with a huge warning which I will talk about later on) or you can pay that bit extra and get a web page design that users online will notice. For a business looking to get an online presence the choices are limitless. There are an enormous amount of web package design studios offering sites for little over $100. Most of these sites will be a template style website and your business website will end up looking like every other site online. But, if you want to compete for the attention of internet users ( who are all becoming that much more web savvy) you have to go for the more expensive option, and use the services of a a professional web design studio that is able to design and deliver a better than average website.

Another perspective is you get what you pay for. I have again heard this numerous times with potential clients. They will do the ring around and speak to the same web companies that are on the first page of Google, like us, and say that they are able to get a website designed for $450.

And I always have the same response; you get what you pay for.

If you are comfortable with a very basic online website and are happy to have a site that looks exactly the same as most other template websites on the market, then that is ok. You should possibly explore and go with that option.

But, if you are wanting to get noticed and have people look at your website then this is clearly not the best option for your business. I am literally amazed with the number of phone calls I get on a weekly basis from business people who have gone down the cheap n cheerful path only to end up with big problems.

Following are a few issues you many encounter when going with the cheaper web design.

These web companies will quote low just to get you into the front door, virtually buying your business, but you will be slugged for each and every design change you make that is not included in the original quote.

And believe me, this will be charged at an hourly rate and there will be no room for negotiation. The reason why you will want so many design amends and changes is because of the poor quality design that was given to you in the first place. This is due in part to lack of design experience and the in ability to get a proper brief from you in the first place.

Having a cheap website means that you are going to look like the guy next door. You may even have a site thats got a similar look and feel to your competitor. This is just not on as being unique and having a point of difference is important when it comes to marketing your business online.

There is the temptation, I know, to save money if you are setting up a business and are looking to trim start up costs, but penny pinching on your web design and development is a bad mistake.

Perhaps look at cutting costs elsewhere and invest a bit more into your digital strategy.

Most of the work is off shored to a third world country where labour and wage rates are so much cheaper. There are just so many issues and problems associated with this that I would occupy this whole blog talking about it. But let me put this in plain terms, every one I speak to about this, has had a very bad experience. I cannot recall in my  years here as director of Hopping Mad Designs one good or positive comment about their dealings with these cheaper web development options.

Each individual story has its own nasty ending and each person swears blindly that they will never do this again. The problem here is that there are so many new businesses starting up, who are totally naive about the pitfalls ahead of them that they go blindly into this, believing that they are just getting a good deal.

The purpose of this blog article is to hopefully educate those people reading this so they wont make the same bad judgement call. All it takes is one phone call or email to a design studio like Hopping Mad Designs and this can be avoided.

Their level of customer service is poor. Remember what I said above; you get what you pay for. Well, this is what will happen. Phone calls will not get returned, deadlines will be missed, artwork will be wrong, design will be totally off brief ( if there has been any design), the list goes on and on. Paying next to nothing means exactly that. Nothing. at the end of the day –  you will be lucky to get anything and lucky if you get a functioning website.

I am not just writing this because of the competitive nature of the web industry. We don’t want to compete at this level and we certainly cant. I am here writing this, to help those poor individuals ( out there trying to make a decent living), understand about the options available to them.

They might think that they are smart and prudent business people because they have struck up a cheap deal, but hopefully they are reading this and hopefully will heed this advice. So do not expect phone calls or emails to be replied to promptly and never expect that your website will look anything special. these are the cold plain truths and you should really ask yourself this question; is it worth all the angst and aggravation?

If you want to compete online, you need a website design studio that will be able to rank your site. website ranking on Google is the combination of both on page ( what they see on the actual site) and off page ( what you dont see). Getting your ‘on page’ programming absolutely search engine compliant will ensure your website has the best chance of ranking. If you are getting a website that has been churned out in a production like manner then the chances of your ‘ on page’ SEO frame work being completed correctly are very minimal. What this means for you and your business is that your website will not get as much traffic as it could possibly be getting and you will be missing out on those important new business phone calls. Basically, you have started off on the wrong foot and this will have consequences for your business later on. In most cases all the so called work that has been completed will have to be re-done again, this time, properly.

What are the advantages of paying just that bit more for your website design?

The advantages certainly outweigh the disadvantages. Here are just a few:

This is your business and if your website is your shopfront to the world then you need something that’s not only going to be attention grabbing but a site that is going to be a reflection of your business and its culture and style. Only a web design studio thats trained in the art of website development will be able to facilitate this properly.

By taking a proper brief from the outset, and implementing design accordingly, your website should last you years and act as a very powerful marketing and sales tool.

Nothing comes close to having a great looking website ranking well on Google and for this privilege you have to pay accordingly. This just does not magically happen. A lot of time, effort and years of knowledge are combined to make this happen.

You get superior customer service. Calls are returned promptly and emails are answered. No one goes missing in action and your web designers are held accountable for the entire project. You get to meet with them face to face and things are not entirely done in the virtual world. Basically, if you are prepared to pay the price then you will get a premium design combined with great customer service. It will make a huge difference.

You will have a better chance of your web site ranking if the whole process is handled by web developers who know how to program CORRECTLY. Give it to a bunch of amateurs and you will not rank, let search engine optimisation experts work on your site and your website will work much better for you now, and in the future.

Paying the right amount now and getting your site designed and coded correctly will see your web traffic increase with sales leads as well.

Because the cold calling market is so saturated, you may have to make well over 100 calls to get even the smallest nibble. And, even when people say yes to receiving information from you, they are doing this just to be polite to get rid of you. Don’t be fooled into thinking that just because someone says yes to receiving an email from you that they are at all interested. The lesson from this is that you do not have to put yourself through the misery of cold calling anymore. There are now thanks to advances in technologies and the internet, new ways to reach out and get new business. Following are a few great new marketing ideas that you should start implementing into your business, rather than spend fruitless, miserable hours speaking to people who do not want to be contacted. By adopting these strategies you should start to see results immediately and in turn see sales and revenues rise. Save your nerves and reduce your stress by never having to cold call again.

Get a new website design for your business.

This is a no brainer. All businesses need a website, and if you have not got one yet, then you are really doing damage to your business. A website is now the fundamental cornerstone of your business and it is the first place that consumers, new clients ( if they can find you ), will turn to, to do a bit of research about you and your product or service offering. If you cannot be found online then you are a ghost and you might as well close your doors. Unless of course, you have such a great name that people come to you purely out of your reputation. Most businesses and companies are not in this fortunate position and need to have a web presence that clearly reflects their business, their personality as well as a strong visual presence to attract users.
Alternatively, if you currently have a website and you find that it is not working for you ( perhaps it is a few years old) then think about getting a complete website overhaul. In fact, you should be looking at refreshing your site annually. There are huge benefits to this which I will discuss later on in this article under SEO.

Times change and so does the consumer base and this has to be reflected in your online image, that is your website. If your look and feel does not evolve with the market then you will and this is a certainty, loose business to your competitors that may have a funkier, more stylish look and feel. Think of it like a hotel. If you are on holiday wouldn’t you prefer to stay at a modern hotel with all the add on facilities, like a gym, pool, internet access, rather than an old 1970’s style hotel with a old bed and fan. People gravitate to more modern, contemporary and dynamic styles and your website design is no different. A new look will impress your old clients and attract new ones if your marketing strategy is right. If your site is optimised for the internet and online rankings then you should start to see your listing rise on Google and this in turn will bring in the inquiries, meaning you never have to cold call. All you need to do now is find the right website design studio to turn this into a reality. A word of note here; be extremely careful about who you align yourself with when it comes to web design companies. There are just so many web companies online that making the right choice is going to be fundamental in the way your site is perceived and ultimately its success. Keep these points front of mind when looking for a web studio:

– find a web design company that is prepared to have a face to face meeting and go over a proper design brief. Remember, your aim is to get the phone ringing again and to do this you need to deal with people that know how to design a sales driven website.

– Don’t just go with the cheapest option. There is, I know the temptation to say to yourself that times are tough and you need to trim down on marketing. But, this is the opposite. Spend more money on your marketing, including your website and get it properly done. Cheap and fast web solutions are absolutely pointless and will do nothing to lift your online digital profile. Might as well forget the whole exercise and go the beach instead of wasting your time. Only a web studio that has a credible design history with a solid design back ground should be offering advice to you. Anyone else is just there to take your money, and deliver sub standard web templates that will only turn people off. Being tight now, will just cost you more money in the future. So open those purse strings and get real about web design and about what’s feasible for your business.

– Speak with your web designer/s and explain to them clearly that you are having issues with your current site or that you need a site to get inquiries happening. Be honest and open about your expectations and try to be as clear in your brief as possible. Also, be very open minded about what can be done and be prepared to accept the fact that you might have to completely change your image both offline and online. The aim here is to bring about changes that will have a positive impact on your business, so be accepting of the advice as you should be dealing with professionals who do have the answers. Being negative, close minded or taking the easy cheaper path is not the way to go at this stage. Adopt a broader, open minded philosophy and be aware that you will have to take risks and be bold to turn the slump around.

Think about your branding

Think about the following questions carefully:
What does your marketing or sales material say about you and your company?
Is the logo a relic from the past, handed down over generations?
Is the owner reluctant to make any changes to the logo because hes scared to do anything.
You don’t want to get any new brochures printed because you got thousands printed 10 years ago and there are still some left in the basement.
You got your cousin to design a logo 5 years ago free of charge but it does not look professional.
Our older clients like our marketing and sales brochures so changing them might offend them.
If these sound familiar then you are fooling yourself that you can get out of cold calling. Sitting with old and out dated collateral just further distances yourself between your business and a new market base.
A good idea is to chat with a graphic design company to discuss ideas and see how you can give your company branding an overhaul and bring it into the 20th century. I have seen so many examples over the years here at Hopping Mad Designs the power and positive benefits to a business just by simply giving the logo and some sales material ( brochures, flyers, business cards ) a new revamped look. It really can give your business a complete revitalised and energetic overhaul it needs to again be competitive.

Have you heard about Social Media?

Your kids are on it, your staff are on it but your business is not and this is a big issue. No one has explained social media to you and just the thought of it makes you uncomfortable.
Lets draw another comparison with other technologies. Look at email, slow to take on board but after a while everyone had one. It was common place and part of the business process. If you didn’t have a email address you were a dinosaur. Email is so common place that sending things via snail mail is now becoming more uncommon. This is the same with social media, slow to begin with but this will eventually outstrip all marketing mediums and platforms. If you are the type of person who wants to stick your head in the sand, hoping it will go away then you are wrong. And I must emphasise wrong. The uptake of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google + will mean that most marketing campaigns will be conducted online and through these sites.
The barriers to entry of are easy and you can have your own business Facebook page up and active within a couple of minutes. Rather than be afraid of these new technologies, embrace them and look to them to reach out to a whole new potential client base looking for your product and or service.

Does the word copywriter mean anything to you?

If not, then you should really familiarise yourself with what they are al about and what they can do for your business. If you were responsible for all the content that has gone on your marketing and sales material, then it may be a good time to read it again and see if it is still relevant. If is isn’t, then you may need to engage a copywriter or wordsmith to look at all the copy on all your material. If business has slowed down, then it might be that your communication is out dated and poorly written. A professional copywriter with a strong B2B background could just be the tonic to get things moving along just that bit faster. This can be especially true for the website where well worded content can have a huge impact on your search engine rankings.

Have you implemented a search engine marketing campaign yet?

This is an absolutely mammoth area and if you have not implemented an SEO campaign then you are really doing a disservice to your business. SEO is the technique of ranking your website on the major search engines and is really the best marketing tool available today for you to generate new business leads. SEO is something that only a company with heaps of previous experience can implement and before you embark on choosing a SEO company, you really need to take heed of the following few points to avert any disasters.
– never go with the cheapest SEO company. Generally speaking, if they are cheap, then they are cutting corners and will not do a proper job for you./ Plus they may be using really bad SEO techniques which could cause you to incur a online penalty.
– Make sure that the company you deal with can show you their past SEO work and make certain that they are able to point out their own online rankings.
– Never sign a contract with them and only go on a month by month basis.
If done correctly a search engine campaign should and will in most cases get your business ranking very high on page 1. This I believe is your most powerful weapon and you should do everything possible to ensure that this SEO campaign is started without any delay.
You will see the difference this makes to your business and once ranking you will notice those inquiries start flooding in. So if you are at the stage of thinking about cold calling, then don’t worry. Put all that negativity behind you and forget about ever having to do it again. SEO is the real answer and if you start this today you will be one step closer to ditching cold calls forever.

If you are thinking about cold calling and have just read this article and want to learn a little bit more about other much more effective options available to you then please give us a call here at Hopping Mad Designs on 02 9360 8514. After speaking with me for just 5 minutes I can guarantee you that you will ditch cold calling forever.
 

Hopping Mad Designs has helped businesses throughout  Sydney + Australia with their search engine optimisation, ensuring that their website appears at the top of the Google ranking for their main keywords.

We have a team of search engine experts who really understand all there is to know about SEO.

FOR THE BEST SEO ADVICE CALL 02 9360 8514

WE OFFER YOUR BUSINESS A COMPLETELY FREE WEBSITE AUDIT and CONSULTATION

So many SEO companies will over promise and under deliver. They will say anything and offer the most ridiculously cheap SEO packages just to LOCK YOU into a fixed contract that is very difficult to get out of. We NEVER do this.

We look at your website and offer you constructive  SEO advice and offer you a complete fixed price, without ever locking you into long term contract.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION EXPERTS WORKING WITH US.

Hopping Mad works with a few of Australia’s best search engine optimisation SEO experts.

This is very clear if you look at what we have been able to achieve shown in our own amazing rankings and those of our clients.

When you partner with Hopping Mad Designs to run your SEO campaign, you will notice the difference that we can make for your business. We will literally blow your competition out of the water by ranking you so far up those rankings. Don’t be fooled by those cheap and nasty Search Engine Optimisation companies. They offer false hopes and promises.

WE ARE RELIABLE AND TRUSTED BY BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT SYDNEY

Over the past couple of years the SEO industry become tarnished by bad operators.

Working with Hopping Mad Designs means you can rest easy in the knowledge that you are going to be working closely with an SEO industry leader that has been in business since 1998.

What this means for your business is that no matter where you are currently ranking online or whether you have had a bad past experience with a SEO provider, we are able to turn this around for you and get your online marketing campaign back on track in a professional and very timely manner.

DONT GO WITH CHEAP SEO COMPANIES

!f you are even remotely tempted to go with a cheap SEO servcie provider, ask yourself one question. If they are going to cahrge you say $200 per month for your search engine optimisation, then wouldn’t you expect that they do only 2-3 hours work on your site per month?

A decent SEO strategy requires a minimum of 10-15 hours work per month ( depending on the keywords you want to rank for), which is certainly not achievable with such a low budget. Pay peanuts you get monkey’s, but in the case of SEO; pay peanuts and you will get a SEO penalty from Google.

So, basically to get a decent result you have to pay a reasonable amount.