Website Design Cost?

[spitfire3416]

Originally Posted by tonygreek

If they do SEO for the sites that you posted, they're not very good at it, missing the most basic things.

Don't let 6-8 weeks indicate anything re: effort levels or what they're actually doing with your site. There is no way any of those linked sites took much time at all to do (the custom builder's site could be up and running in 2 hours) , so this is their lead time to get to yours, or have whoever they outsource to, turn it around to them. I mention the outsource aspect as it's a very common thing and it would explain why the three sites are so inconsistently coded. Large companies that provide web design services almost always use a specific framework to build their sites, whereas this does not.

Yelp's reviews might help you as well. Scroll down to the web design reviews. Their web hosting reviews are generally positive, but the design reviews are decidedly not. http://www.yelp.com/biz/inmotion-hosting-los-angeles

Thanks this is a big help. So how much would you say this is worth then? Im sure i can haggle down the price if i mention all these things your telling me. Also, I checked the yelp reviews in that link, who's InMotion? The name of the company doing mine is web hosting hub
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[tonygreek]

Originally Posted by spitfire3416

Also, I checked the yelp reviews in that link, who's InMotion? The name of the company doing mine is web hosting hub

The web sites you listed were all done by InMotion. WebHub simply resells InMotion's services, so that could also account for the lead time. So, what you look forward to is having multiple layers, and two different companies, between you and whoever is creating your site.

My advice? Run.

[spitfire3416]

Originally Posted by tonygreek

The web sites you listed were all done by InMotion. WebHub simply resells InMotion's services, so that could also account for the lead time. So, what you look forward to is having multiple layers, and two different companies, between you and whoever is creating your site.

My advice? Run.

Do you recommend a better design service? I'm willing to pay $700 for some place to do it as long it looks good and doesn't require much of my time. I really don't have the time to sit down and figure this stuff out, otherwise I would just get wordpress or something and play around with it.

[PaperCutter]

Originally Posted by spitfire3416

30 minutes/month for updates and maintenance through the first year
ownership of the site after the initial year

When you say ownership of the site after the first year, that sounds shady. You should own the domain name and the website is the deliverable. It sounds like you're in limbo for a year.

As for the 30 min/month for updates, that's great if a) you're going to use it and b) you're ok with an outdated model of managing your content. It's 2013. There are so many platforms out there (Wordpress, Hubspot, etc) where your web company can set up the framework but give you the ability to modify text and photos. A website is your storefront, you should have the keys to it.

[PaperCutter]

Originally Posted by spitfire3416

Im sure i can haggle down the price if i mention all these things your telling me.

If you get someone to sell you a Hyundai with a cracked engine block for $500 less than their asking price, you still have a crappy car rusting in your driveway.

[greg8872]

As already mentioned, depending on what you want your site to do (ie be a FINDABLE site by those looking for your services vs. being an online brochure for people who already know where to find your site) makes a big difference.

Some of the solutions listed, with example sites, well either they don't care about the SEO aspect, or they don't mind the additional effort needed to get found from lack of onsite SEO.

I loved PaperCutters reference to the car. It was great.

Always check with people who have been customers for at least 6 months, if not a year, that are seeking the same results you are. Any company can flip a crap site and then get a great referal from that new customer. It is the long term that matters (and this goes same for SEO "quick fixes")

-Greg

[spitfire3416]

Originally Posted by PaperCutter

When you say ownership of the site after the first year, that sounds shady. You should own the domain name and the website is the deliverable. It sounds like you're in limbo for a year.

As for the 30 min/month for updates, that's great if a) you're going to use it and b) you're ok with an outdated model of managing your content. It's 2013. There are so many platforms out there (Wordpress, Hubspot, etc) where your web company can set up the framework but give you the ability to modify text and photos. A website is your storefront, you should have the keys to it.

i'm thinking about going through a friend of a friend that does web design. who did you use to make your site? was it a design service or someone you personally knew?

[greg8872]

Originally Posted by PaperCutter

When you say ownership of the site after the first year, that sounds shady. You should own the domain name and the website is the deliverable. It sounds like you're in limbo for a year.

Considering that it is an upfront payment that is being deferred for a year, I can see where they would do this. This legally prevents a client from getting services, pay one month, then move the site to another host and say 'screw you' to the original developer.

Generally speaking though, the domain and actual "content" (what is client submitted) is still always theirs, just the rights to take the site design would be restricted. Some other places, you never get full ownership (ie, build a site with 1&1's site builder, you can't just take the site and move it, as you don't have license for images their templates use).

[PaperCutter]

Originally Posted by spitfire3416

i'm thinking about going through a friend of a friend that does web design. who did you use to make your site? was it a design service or someone you personally knew?

I hired the same local graphic design company that did my logo to do my site. They designed the overall look and feel and then brought in a web developer to make it work. Overall I'm pretty happy with it, although there are a few small details that were missed. I'm probably redesigning my home page this year so when I have that done I'll also have a punch list.

greg, I apparently missed or glossed over the fact that the site wasn't going to be paid for up front. My bad.