High-quality web design services have never been easier to find and although this might sound too good to be true, it is possible to get quality at a reasonable price. Of course, the total price you have to pay for a website greatly depends on your deadline and desired features, but the average website is now cheaper to build than in the past. The most affordable sites to build our blogs and portfolios, and even e-commerce stores can be made on a budget if you find the right team of cheap website design providers.
There is also the option of DIY website builders, which are usually free and allow you to experiment with themes and page layouts, but the problem with these is that they work best for personal, but professional purposes. If you plan to launch a blog, they’re great, but if you’re thinking of setting up a company website. Then working with an agency is better because you get bespoke support.
Contrary to popular belief, affordable web design and development services don’t necessarily mean compromising on quality. In fact, in IT, which is a particularly competitive industry, affordable prices are a natural consequence of market adaptation. However, like in any professional client-provider relationship, there are some steps you can take to make sure you get the product you want and get the best possible value even if you’re on a shoestring budget.
First thing’s first: ask for referrals
This applies for every professional service, not just web design, but do make sure you double check your provider’s reputability before starting your collaboration.
Many small web design agencies are active on freelancing websites and you can easily check their track record by reading the reviews on their page. These are hard to fake, so if you find someone who has a 5-star rating, your project is in good hands.
Secondly, you can also look through testimonials and find out what other websites they’ve worked on. Have a look at those websites, see if they match your quality standards and preferred the look and feel and. If you’re not sure, send the website owner a message to ask them about their experience working with the designer.
Be very clear about your requirements
One of the main reasons why so many websites end up costing more than expected that the client added extra features on that were not included in the initial quote.
Cheap website design providers advise their clients to make a list of preferences and features before signing the contract and have an initial discussion regarding the extent of the project. Designers don’t usually charge for small revisions and alternations, but if you want to add a new
element to your website, keep in mind that this will raise the price.
In addition to making the list of requirements, it also helps to prioritize these requirements. Start with the must-have features, the ones that have to be present on your website no matter what. And end with the cosmetic ones that don’t affect functionality. This way, you’ll know exactly where to invest more and where to cut costs.
Pro tip: If you have the time, make a rudimentary mock-up how you would like your website to look like. Even if it doesn’t look good, it will help the designer understand what you want.
Designing for less: the financial perks of minimalist design
There was a time when website owners would include every little feature possible. From blinking text to multiple columns and large background images. In 2019, not only is this unnecessary but also frowned upon. Minimalist websites are one of the most persistent trends in web design and this can work to your advantage if you’re on a budget.
A clean, sleek and simple and airy website is not only easy to navigate but also cheaper to build. A professional site doesn’t have to include a lot of elements to serve its purpose. And blank space can actually help you better send your message.
But isn’t a minimal website boring? Not at all. Minimal websites can be fresh and engaging, provided you populate them with high-quality content and use colors to your advantage. As long as the user experience is seamless and optimized, people will love it. You don’t need large stock images, autoplay videos or large blocks of text.
Give feedback at every stage of the project
Splitting your project into milestones and having a meeting after each one is the easiest way to make sure development goes as planned.
If you see the finished website, in the end, it will be very hard for the developer to go back and fix things. So you should check with them every step of the way. Don’t hesitate to provide honest feedback. And voice your concerns if something doesn’t look at good at you expected it to. Sometimes, this is just a matter of miscommunication and it can be solved easily.
Feedback will help the developers gain a better understanding of what you are looking for and polish the website according to your requirements. This way, the final product will meet your expectations and you will get the most value for money.