07.14
I decided to write this article because I have been getting complaints from clients that web designers are quoting all over the board with their proposals, from $65 an hour to $125 an hour. I try to explain that this depends on the size of the company they’re speaking with and how much overhead they have. It’s common sense that if a web design company is larger, has a large office and an onsite staff at all times, they are going to be on the high end, if not the very high end of the pricing spectrum. This is because they have a lease to pay for, electricity, internet connections with fast dedicated speed, phone service, a technical networking staff, desks, chairs, printers, office supplies, trash cans, butts in seats and most likely a receptionist routing calls. This type of web company is going to be in the $125 an hour range and maybe even higher.
I prefer to stay lean and let my staff work from the comfort of their own home and even in their pajamas if they like, I really don’t care as long as they get the work done each day and I can see they’re online working. This technique puts us at a very competitive advantage over the larger web firms and doesn’t limit me to hiring only what the local market has to offer. My team is hand picked for their specific skill sets and are located in various locations across the Country and Canada. The one thing I do prefer is to stay within 3 time zones so at most I lose a 3 hour gap in time when we’re all online together. I have virtually no overhead, only my internet connection, my power and my personal bills to account for. On top of this, I have a happy team who loves not having to commute, pay for gas and limits our carbon foot print.
This allows us to stay in the lower pricing spectrum for web design cost. We charge a midrange price of $85 an hour up to $110 for custom flash. This price structure has been working out very well for us and for our clients, because we win bids over our competitors on a constant basis.
There are a lot of things to consider when looking at building a website and considering the web design cost that will be associated. The single most important piece that is going to save a client money is having a project-discovery document with a flow chart, because this means the client has done their homework and know exactly what they need, how many pages, and how they want the navigation to function. This saves us web designers from having to meet with client, consult them and build the spec doc from scratch, saving valuable time.
I explain to clients that it takes a specific amount of time to program a certain feature, that time costs money and the more complex features or functionality they have the more time it takes. The math never lies, numbers are numbers and they always add up to a cost based on hours required. It’s a simple equation, Time + Hourly Rate = Project Cost. Go with a larger company and pay more, go with a smaller independent company like us and pay less, the choice is the clients and how comfortable they are with you getting the job done.
So in closing, if you’re looking for a quality Orange County web design company who is affordable, knowledgable and trustworthy, then give us a call or go to our website and complete the Detailed Quote request. We look forward to making your ideas a reality.
Aaron Hemmelgarn
1-800-658-0113
