We all want major returns on minor investments. And spending money on a great website is certainly an investment.
So how much money should you spend on your web design project?
Just like anyone else, I’d love to invest $100 and get $10,000 or more back. Those would be great returns on a relatively small investment.
But such outsized returns are usually reserved for rare occasions. Like when some lucky soul wins the lottery.
Unfortunately, those kinds of returns aren’t a reality for 99% of the business investments anyone makes.
If you play penny slots at the casino and win $10, you’re killing it! But the money you put into the machine is small relative to the return.
Reality check: You get out what you put in
For the vast majority of business expenditures, returns aren’t exponentially larger than the amount invested.
If you find a way to win thousands of dollars off penny slots, CALL ME!
Instead, monetary returns generally line up with what you’d expect relative to the money spent.
But returns on an investment are rarely exponentially outsized relative to the money put in.
Setting expectations for web design pricing
When it comes to investing money in your website, it’s helpful to consider what kind of return you expect to receive on the back end of the deal.
The answer to that question may help give you an idea of how much money you might wish to spend on your website to get the kinds of returns you’re hoping to get.
How much money do you expect your website to bring in?
Suppose your business plans on making $5k this year, spending $5k on a website to help you do it would be overkill. It’d be silly to make an investment where you only plan to break even.
But if your business plans to make $50k, $100k, or more in a year, spending a few thousand dollars on a website to help you generate that revenue doesn’t seem crazy.
Without context, the thought of a website costing $10,000 or more might seem ridiculous.
But if you know a $10,000 website is for a construction company that charges hundreds of thousands of dollars for its jobs, that investment suddenly looks like a drop in the bucket.
A company selling products or services with that kind of price tag makes their money back many times over with the first job they land due to their website bringing them the lead.
How long would it take for your website to pay for itself?
With the construction company example in mind, consider your products and services. If you were to hire a web designer for a $3,000 project, what would it take for you to make that money back?
When I pose this question to clients, the answer is typically something along the lines of:
- I’d need to land “x” number of jobs (photography sessions, lawn care contracts, booked appointments, etc.
- I’d need to sell 50 items from my shop averaging $60 per sale
- It’d take me 3-4 months to make that money back if nothing changes
A new or redesigned website has the potential to speed any of these along.
When you ask yourself how much you should spend on your website, consider how quickly you’ll make your money back (and then some).
Nearly every time someone goes through this exercise, they feel more comfortable about spending money on their website. Because they start to see putting money into their website as an investment instead of an expense.
If you’ve never thought of spending money on your website as being an investment, it can be mindblowing.
Hard-working websites cost more than simple brochure sites
A lot of work goes into delivering a website optimized for conversions (i.e., a site that brings you leads that eventually become buyers). I call that a hard-working website. A website with that caliber of responsibility can’t be built with a minor investment. At least not by me anyway.
A tremendous amount of skill and attention is required to deliver a website that will help your business make more money. Much more so than what’s required to deliver a simple brochure website.
Therefore, you should expect the price tag for either kind of website to scale according to the returns you expect on your investment.
- Hard-working sites = bigger investment and major returns
- Simple brochure sites = minor investment and minor returns
Expect the price tag for web design services to scale according to the returns you expect on your investment.
How much does Matchless Web charge for web design?
All my sites start at base prices of:
- $2,500 for simple brochure sites
- $7,500 for eCommerce, Membership, or Learning Management Systems (LMS)
Prices increase from there if optional services are added (i.e. copywriting, content marketing strategy, and SEO).
If you’re looking for the lowest price possible, my prices might seem too steep. For that reason (among others)…
I’m not the right web designer for everyone
I’m not the right fit for everyone. I like it that way. But I’m well positioned to serve clients who value quality and need their website to help grow their business over time.
It’s no secret you can find someone to give you a low price for virtually any kind of website you can dream up. Post a job request for bids on a website like Fiverr or Upwork and you’ll have no shortage of freelancers willing to “race to the bottom” on price in hopes of winning your business.
Just keep in mind, cheap websites come with their own unique costs, And you’d be wise to weigh those costs before making a purchasing decision for your website.
^oooohhhh, a mysterious statement full of suspense. What could it possibly mean?
If you’re looking for a brochure website that can act as an online billboard for your business, you’re looking at a minor investment. To be clear, I don’t say “minor” to make light of the small amount of money we’re talking about. My base price of $2,500 isn’t a small amount of money. Not to me anyway.
As I’ve said, minor investments get minor returns. So when I refer to a “minor investment”, I’m talking about the potential that investment has to impact your business. And it’s simply a matter of fact. Smaller investments can only do so much for your business.
I can build fantastic brochure websites. But there are plenty of people out there who can build those kinds of sites for cheaper than I can.
So if that’s the kind of website you’re looking for, I may not be your best option. But…
I can deliver the best website you can get at my price point
I love working with clients who are serious about getting great returns on their investments. If you like to see a good investment go a long way and like knowing that your site is built correctly by an expert who wants to help your business make more money – we should talk.
Whether it’s a brochure site or a more advanced site with robust marketing integration, I’ve got you covered.
Contact me today so we can brainstorm ways we can work together on your website project.
Until then, if you need me, I’ll just be here smiling at my screen like a doof.
