Can Start-up Small Businesses Afford Good Websites?

Good website design has never been so complex, thanks to government legislation and ever-developing Google guidelines. 

Basic Bespoke Website for smaller Businesses

Summary of minimum design work

A bespoke website, GDPR-compliant, with basic on-page optimisation, image optimisation, cookies and privacy policy, etc. can take a couple of days to build. Once the client has viewed and tested it, there are often edits, even when the site matches the original brief.

Once signed off, there is work to do before the website goes 'live' including responsive settings for mobile devices (i-pad, mini, i-phone, etc.) and further testing of form submissions.

There are often optional extras, such as links to newsletter subscriptions, displaying social media and other inter-activity.

Time = Cost

Excluding time spent discussing ideas with the prospective client and any research (which could be half a day), a bespoke website will take your technical design team at least three days. Following that, there is usually handover training for CMS sites and a period of customer support.

A bespoke website, then, has a value of between £1000 to £1500 which is higher than most small businesses have budgeted. There is, of course, always room for negotiation.

What are the Alternatives?

Pay-as-you-go websites

At first glance, some website services seem good value but if you add up the cost over two or three years, this often isn't the case. For example, one company offers a 3 page website, from a template (i.e. not bespoke to clients' requirements) for a fee of £250 plus £25 per month for a minimum of 12 months - total £550. This price excludes optimisation (an optional extra cost) which is essential. A website without optimisation would be like setting up a shop and hiding it behind closed shutters.

DIY websites

Some are very good. Wix seems to be one of them - they offer templated designs that can be modified by users with moderate internet skills. The cost is fairly low, from under £20 per month for a business website plan (hosting and a number of features) but you have to do all the work and pay more to get additional functionality. Don't forget that the monthly fee is for the lifetime of the website so, again, it can work out less economical.

About Website Optimisation

This is a major subject which includes the content and meta-data on your website and off-site links to your website, both of which you can improve. Your website designer may be able to recommend an experienced optimiation service or provide SEO plug-ins to guide you through on-page Search Engine Optimisation.

Links to your website can come from Social Media, such as blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and more. The links need to be associated with keywords that are on your website and need to be ongoing - no point posting a tweet once a year!

It's also worth reading as many current Google guidelines as possible, though these can be full of jargon, and dip into your website analytics every now and then. If you would rather be concentrating on your core business, it may be worth contracting a friendly local website review service to provide monthly - or at least quarterly - reports.

If you have questions, post them in the comments, I'll respond as soon as I can. Or contact us.