Our favorite part of meeting with new clients is hearing their ideas, and as a custom design and development firm, we’ve been asked to create every “bell and whistle” one could imagine. Whether it’s integrating different platforms together, adding a widget that forecasts the weather, or my favorite, welcoming users with the infamous pop up talking head, we’ve pretty much seen it all. Lucky for you, we have over a decade of experience collaborating with clients in Iowa and around the Midwest, and we know how to work with you as the client to distinguish what is helpful for end users and what might just be unnecessary clutter.
How much will my website cost?
Although it might not be the first thing in your mind when you meet with us about a website, we like to get this figured out early on for good reason. If we know your budget, we can we work together to stay within it! As a business owner myself, I know the importance of every dollar you spend, and when planning out your website, I want to make sure the features you request will add value for you as the client. We base project costs on the time it takes to build each feature, and every feature and function added will affect your schedule, costs and influence the overall quality of the resulting product. For instance, if you would like to create an e-commerce site to rival Amazon, it is important to consider the resources Amazon has to accomplish their goals as compared to the budget you may have to work with. It’s better to budget in enough time to build the core features well so we can build a good base for the future than to try to squeeze in every feature that is possible today.
What should I put on my website?
A common assumption is that an additional feature will always make the site better, but the question to ask yourself is — how? How many more page views, leads, or new members can a feature that we build produce? How much money can we ultimately help you generate as a direct result? When evaluating a feature we like to spell out benefits in terms of cost, short term advantages and long term value. Each new feature requires resources to design, build and maintain. Let’s take some time to evaluate your goals and work together to develop the perfect solution.
How long will it take to build my website?
Although a simple question, there’s not a simple answer. How long it takes to build your site depends on your site’s complexity and scope of work. It also depends on how you work with us to stay on track for project completion. Nothing can throw a monkey wrench into a project faster than the statement, “Oh by the way… I just remembered it needs to do z, on top of x and y.” If you’re building a three bedroom home and decide you need four bedrooms during the build, it is going to take some extra work. The project managers work to keep everything organized and ask the right questions, but features added mid-project will eat up additional time and resources. Ultimately, we need to know what is to be completed, by whom, and when, to build and keep your timeline on schedule.
What if I have new ideas?
Any modern website we develop is designed to change and grow with your company. In working together, new ideas often come up, and your website wish list may grow. If your project is bigger than your current budget or timeline, let’s consider developing these new ideas in phases, prioritizing what you need now, but may want later. Although it may be tempting to delay a new site to add features, keeping an old and outdated website going will cost you business daily. Launch your new site now, and we can keep working on those smaller, additional features as time and budget allows.
Let’s get started!
How do we work with you as the client to make an inspirational site with excellent return on investment that’s finished on time and on budget with all these moving parts? We’ll assemble a team of experts that have your needs in mind and who will work with you each step of the way. Give us a call, bring your idea book, and I’ll introduce you to the team.
Don’t forget to register for our upcoming lunch and learn! Join us Tuesday, August 25 to learn from local experts about digital marketing. Register here!
