Matt McGuire
By: Matt McGuire – Bayshore Solutions Business Development
Being in business development, often the first question that a client will ask is, “How much does a website cost?” If they don’t ask it, they are at least thinking it. The problem with this question is that it is almost impossible to answer at the beginning of a conversation.
Imagine going into an automobile manufacturer and saying “I’d like for you to build me a car. How much would it cost?” Of course, we all know cars range in price depending upon style, size, features, etc. It is virtually impossible to tell the cost of a car without knowing the brand, style, options, year, mileage, etc. But all cars also usually have the same function – transportation.
All websites are destinations on the World Wide Web. However, much like a car, there are multiple factors that determine the actual cost of a website. What platform is it built on? What type of functionality do you need? Is it an eCommerce site with specific product search functions? What type of security is needed? How are you going to post updates to the site? The list could go on and on.
The challenge is that we all have a pretty good idea about the value of certain car brands and their features. When it comes to a website, two sites could look identical from design standpoint but the overall functionality and user experience could be drastically different.
Until the true objective and functional requirements of a website are established there isn’t a way to provide an accurate price range. I would be wary of firms who are able to produce a cost without talking about functionality. You might end up spending money on a solution that doesn’t actually meet your needs.
When thinking about designing your new website, it can be difficult to view the cost as an investment rather than an expense but it really should be a business investment. This is true not just for eCommerce sites but all websites. Just because your website’s goal isn’t to generate revenue, leads, sales, or referrals does not mean the site cannot help overall profitability of your company.
Sure it is easy to justify the investment into a new website if you know that it will increase sales by 15% or whatever that number would be. There are also other Return on Investment aspects to consider. Think of this example: you are a large service provider and clients continuously have questions about this service. To handle these questions, a large part of your company’s expense is on call center staffing. What if you had a website that was easy, useful, and enjoyable for your clients to be able to access and get their questions answered? A new website that results in 25% reduction in call volume meaning that 25% of your staffing expense was reduced. Even if the website did not generate any revenue, leads, or referrals, it did lead to overall increase in profitability
When we consult with a prospective website customer, this is Bayshore Solutions main objective: finding the right blend of technology and marketing expertise to bring measurable results to your business.
So much like the car market, in the world of websites there plenty of price ranges from Mazda’s to Maserati’s. Bayshore Solutions has experience across this entire range. It is this experience that continuously earns Bayshore Solutions a place on the lists of Top Website Design Firms in the Country according to credible publications such as BtoB Magazine, Advertising Age, and INC. Magazine.
Every company is different and the website is no exception. We spend time at the beginning of each engagement to clearly identify a customer’s objectives, goals, and actions their target audiences perform. We will make an accurate and necessary recommendation based on over 17 years of experience to meet our customer’s unique needs. Some clients need a Mazda, some need a Maserati, and many fall somewhere in-between. As a leader in the industry, it is Bayshore Solutions’ responsibility to help our customers determine these needs and work to develop a solution to meet them. Contact us to get started today.
Matt McGuire is a member of the Business Development team at Bayshore Solutions—a Tampa Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.