I get that a lot as a WordPress designer – the question, "So, how much for a web site?"
Asking me, "How much for a web site?", is like asking a builder, "So, how much for a house?" There's no way to answer that question without answering a bunch of other questions. Like these:
- How many square feet would you like?
- How many rooms?
- Block or wood frame?
- Garage? One-car? Two-car? Boat? (Nice!)
- One story? Two story? More?
- Low ceilings? High ceilings?
- Windows? How many? What kind?
- Shingle roof? Tile roof? Metal roof?
You get the idea. Approaching a builder for a quote presupposes you've put a bit of thought into your own house project. Fortunately, a good builder will help you identify and answer other questions you may never have thought to ask.
It's no different with a web designer. He or she will need some specific info, so be prepared to answer questions like these:
- Purpose of the site?
- How many pages?
- Who supplies copy, images, artwork?
- Static HTML or a content management system?
- Social media integration? Facebook? Twitter? More?
- Planning to edit it yourself? Or rely on a webmaster?
- Incorporating audio? Video?
- Do you want a blog?
- Do you want SEO?
- Do you want site and page analytics?
- Do you need e-commerce?
- Deadline?
Equipped with this information, a good web designer can finally answer the "How much?" question with a bit of precision.
WordPress designer Robert Pitts of Lakeland, Florida, is the owner of Web Designs by Robert G. Pitts, which specializes in the WordPress content-management platform. View the company's "No-Surprises Pricing" policy.
