That's what I saw when looking at a competitors website......
At first I was annoyed because I felt that it was an accusation against me and I've always kept my prices fair - they're not a price at all they are an investment in your business. That's not simply word play either.
Then I thought that how do they know whether another website designer is charging too much unless they know what is going into a website?
They've certainly not contacted me (as farIf you're comparing websites then need to make sure that you're comparing the services and the results otherwise it's like comparing elephants and bananas. as I'm aware).
I can't say why other website designers charge what they charge but if you're interested I can tell you why I charge what I do.
Nah you're probably not interested.....
Oh you are..... you sure?
Because I'm worth it. (Sorry to use the line from a well known hair product brand).
It's true I am worth it. But Karen, I hear you say, you would say that wouldn't you!
Actually no, I wouldn't. One of many things I get from my Dad (including long eye lashes) is my honesty.
It's also a no because it's taken me a long time in this website design business before I really started to value my knowledge, my services, the results I get for my clients, my customer support (I will respond to a client who's in a panic on a Sunday morning at 7.30am though luckily that doesn't happen often), and that I listen to my clients and create new services based on the feedback they give me that serve them.
They loved my training but they could forget it so they received training manuals.
Some clients don't like to read, they like to be shown, so now they have training videos as well as manuals.
They don't have time to keep their website up to date because they are focussed on their business, so I introduced WordPress webcare plans.
They created a DIY starter website when they first started their business and are not sure what to do next - no worries, I'll move their website to WordPress taking the content with it, and create a new website for them to suit where their business is now. I've done this for Concrete5 to WordPress websites and for Wix to WordPress websites too.
I don't create a one-size fits all website because I know that it rarely works. (I know that from clothes too since I have both boobs and hips and it's tough to get a good fit from cheaper stores). It's okay to have a cheap starter website or DIY website when you're starting out but not when your business is a business and no longer a hobby or a side hustle.
It can be sad when a business is struggling with its website because the website is poorly designed or doesn't have good foundations to build on. We all know what can happen then.
I could also say that my charges are what they are due to insurance (my business is fully insured although in 10 years I've only been asked about insurance twice), I attend courses because I believe in Continuing Professional Development and these cover website design, social media strategy, content marketing, to name a few I've completed.
Yes, I use software to build websites and yes that is quicker than it used to be when websites were coded by hand (I still remember those days), but websites now have to be quicker to load, and fully responsive (so they can be seen on multiple mobile devices) and there are a lot more websites competing for the same amount of space. Websites are not "build it and they will come" so when a website is built, the businesses vision, mission and goals all need to be taken into account. I take a holistic approach to creating websites so that my client will get the results they want and deserve.
Other website designers charge too much. That's where we started. Maybe some do. Maybe some charge so little that they're unlikely to stay in business very long.
What other website designers charge is none of my business. That's their business and this business is mine.
I'm looking for business people who want to work with me to create a website that works with and for their business.
If that sounds like you, let's connect with a complimentary 15 minute chat about your business and website.