I Got A Cheaper Quote From Someone Else

Web design is about providing the solution(s) that enable a business to function in a digital environment while enhancing productivity, efficiency, growth, and sustainability – all within the constraints of cost (budget), scope (process), and time (benchmarks). Every business venture encompasses these factors; web design is no different.

“Fast (time), cheap (cost), or good (scope), pick two” is the trilemma where you can only choose two out of three factors when it comes to making a business decision. If cost is a priority and you choose, cheap, expect a sacrificial outcome with the other factors. You simply can’t have all three.

Talk is Cheap (I mean that in the least confrontational way)

How much time did you spend in conversation with your suitor about the details of their quote?

Did you talk about how your website would be optimized for the best user experience? Specifically, semantic search, E-A-T, and meeting core web vitals? Because these are the things that keep visitors on your site (and of course, the longer they linger, the more likely they are to leave their email or buy something).

These are also the things that Google prioritizes in ranking content, all of which impact a website’s crawl budget (which according to Google, is improved by a fast site) and which, at the end of the day, determine where you show up in the SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages).

Plus, Core Web Vitals are a ranking signal. And we all know that if you don’t rank, you don’t get visitors. And if no visitors, what’s the point of being online in the first place?

On the other hand, Google’s automated ranking systems are intended to rank relevant content that benefits people (vs SERPs) so when creating content, does your content strategy focus on dwell time (pillar posts) or internal linking (multi-chapter posts)? How will the new “website architecture” compliment page structure to help users easily find your content?

Will content be formatted for mobile-first indexing? I ask because Google only crawls the mobile version of websites and they have strict guidelines on ensuring that content remain the same for both desktop and mobile (this also goes for structured data). This means that, unbeknownst to you, should your web designer inadvertently format content in a way that hides content on the mobile version of your website (eg. photos, video, text), it will affect how your website is ranked.

And let’s not forget the significance of serving your website through a CDN (Content Delivery Network) which makes your site faster even before you add content. Something that website builders can’t offer, btw.

And if revenue streams are something you’re interested in setting up, will your website be partial to influencer marketing or alternative partnerships (or both)?

All this to say that, while you may be willing to pay less for a website build/makeover, you really do get what you pay for. I hope you had a thorough conversation about the finer details (not) included in your quote.

And just for kicks, did you happen to talk about the latest Google updates and how they’ll affect your website. (Had to ask.)

Food for thought.

Revisiting the Quote

Have you considered that the “deal” you’ve been offered may be for an inferior service? Just because it walks, swims, and quacks like a duck doesn’t mean it can’t be a goose. Don’t get me wrong; geese are one of my favorite wildlife animals but I think we both know that quality is always reflected by the price. Remember, saving a few dollars here doesn’t always translate into a great deal in the long run.

And sure, you can hire web designers for Wix, Shopify, and other 3rd-party website builders for a fraction of the cost of owning your own website but at the end of the day, you won’t “own” that website and you’ll continue to pay a monthly subscription fee for using the platform. Just saying’.

I know this isn’t about the advantages of a self-hosted website vs using a subscription-based website builder, but the best alternative to avoiding unnecessary monthly subscription fees is to build a self-hosted website. And if you don’t have the time to learn how to DIY the project, you’re looking at creating the budget for someone else to create the website.

The trick is finding a web designer who will work with you to include as much functionality as you need to grow your business while staying within the constraints of your budget. While this is easier said than done, it’s always worthy of a conversation because, you never know who will take the concept of “partner” to the next level. (Ask me what that means if you view your website as a business asset and need help working within your budget.)

If you think this conversation on the merits of justifying the cost of services rendered, warrants your concern about being over-charged for something that you consider important enough to pursue in the first place, consider Chris Do’s perspective on price. 

At the end of the day, if you feel that a cheaper quote is still the sweetest deal to fall in your lap since the self-cleaning litter box, then who am I to convince you otherwise? Do what’s best for your business and don’t look back.