Affordable Website Design Exeter

When it comes to getting a new website, cost is always going to be a major factor.

We all want good value for money. We also want to make sure that for the price we pay, the website will achieve all of our objectives.

There’s an old saying; “Once you know what you are trying to achieve, the answers to all your questions are obvious”.

Choosing the best web designer for you is no easy task. We live in an age when everyone and his dog are claiming to be web designers. So how do you go about picking the best one for you and for your budget?

Is a one-man band too risky? is a full blown Agency too expensive?

So let’s begin by looking at some of the factors that might influence who you might choose to design your next website in the Exeter area and how you can ensure you get the best value for money.

How to choose an affordable website design that works for you?

The first step is to split the project into two parts, one is the look and feel (often called the brand) and the other is what the web site is trying to achieve.

The key to getting value for money is to first establish what you want the site to look like and what you actually want to achieve,

A good understanding of these two things will make it much easier to compare prices.

Getting the right look for your affordable website design

Great-looking websites do not need to cost a lot of money. However, a good working relationship between you and your web designer is vital in order to achieve the right look and achieve all of your objectives.

Before you brief your supplier, it’s a good idea to have two or three websites that you have seen that you really like the look of. This will make it much easier for your chosen supplier to understand the look you are going for.

A good designer will also be able to talk you through the functionality of the site and what tools are available to increase conversions.

“The Customer Journey” is everything and you will never have a better or more effective marketing tool than your website.

It’s also important to look at what your competitors are doing and the style of writing that they use. It’s vital that you come across as the leading authority in your field as it will obviously lead to a lot more work.

Many of our customers are a little nervous when it comes to looking at what their competitors are doing.

Don’t be!

Rest assured that your customers will be looking at your competitor’s websites and choosing who they think is best. You need to know how you compare if you want to get the business.

Often the look and feel of your website is often an extension of the company’s personality. Bearing in mind that the website will be “selling your business” 24 hours a day 365 days a year, it is important to get this right from the start.

You may already have a brand identity, even if it is just the colour and font style that you use on your business card. The website will certainly play a leading role in establishing the look and feel that your customers are exposed to when they visit the site.

A great website can achieve great things. It can make you look like the market leader even though you may have only just started up in business.

Finally, don’t forget that visitors to your website will be viewing it on computer screens, tablets and mobile phones. Since the design has to change to suit each device, a website will have at least 5 different designs – not just one.

With 65% of people now viewing on mobile devices, it’s vital that each design works effectively.

Making sure your website achieves its objectives

Let’s imagine that the key purpose of your new website is to generate as many new customers as possible. This means your website is going to be fundamental in gaining new business.

This will mean that the cheapest website may not work out being the cheapest in the long run.

The cheapest website will be the one that generates the most leads.

If you have a website made for say, £500 and the phone hardly rings, clearly that was not a cost-effective decision. It may have been a cheap website but it is costing you money every single day in lost business opportunities.

Think about what each new customer is worth to you. If they buy more than once what is the lifetime value of each new customer? Once you have a number in mind, it can be much easier to set a realistic budget for your new website.

We measure affordability both in terms of overall cost and in terms of how much business it will generate or how the brand will represent you.

This is the opportunity to take your business to a whole new level.

Getting the website content right

A website comprises only two things – words and pictures. “Content is King” and it’s vital that your messages resonate with visitors to the website.

Creating content is certainly the part that small businesses struggle with most. We are more than happy to help in this area if you feel that copywriting and search engine optimisation is not your strong point.

Here are a few leads as to what to consider before contacting your web designer:

• How many pages would you like your new website to have? Ideally each product or service should have its own page if you want the site to rank on Google.
• Do you have existing content related to your business e.g. flyers, newsletters or adverts?
• Do you have photographs of products or services you have provided for previous customers? How good are they?
• Do you have testimonials from existing customers related to your products and services?

When it comes to photographs for the website this is something we can help with.

Library images which are professionally taken are frequently used in great design. There’s no doubt that you will have great pictures of your work that can be used on the site but some things are best left to stock images. Using a shot of the person that actually answers the phone as opposed to the image we have in our mind of who answers the phone would be a perfect example of this. bIt also means you don’t need to update the website when staff leave.

Okay, so there’s plenty of food for thought here.

Hopefully, this article gives some insight into the things to consider when designing a website.

Next Steps…

Please take a look at some of our portfolio to see some examples of our work.

You will see we are focused on great design and achieving great results.

Our friendly Exeter based team would love to discuss your next website. So give us a call today at 01392 980012 or 01494 730000.