It may be tempting to save money when building a website because it is intangible, but the opportunity cost of having a cheaply made website might set you back more in the long run. In this article, we go over the reasons why it is wise to invest in quality web design.
First Impressions Matter
Despite people saying not to judge a book by its cover, people naturally do. That’s why cover letters matter, and why people dress nicely for interviews. First impressions are often the last and only impressions one gets to make if they are unpleasant. Websites are no different. A professionally designed website that utilizes high-quality visuals, even those sourced from stock photos, immediately builds more trust and credibility than one that appears cheaply made.
User Experience is Just as Important
A website’s first impressions might get people through the door, but a pleasant user experience is required to keep them engaged. Additionally, with people consuming information on the go, having a website that works seamlessly on phones and tablets is paramount to a company’s success.
Consider this, if you and your competitors provide similar quality of products and services at similar prices, but one’s website looks significantly better and easier to use, which one would the consumers choose to do business with?
Future-Proofing
The market is constantly evolving, and so are your business needs. Having a website that is modular and scalable ensures it can quickly and cost-effectively adapt to future changes. While this approach to web design does require a greater investment upfront, the subsequent revenue increases and cost savings often offset the initial cost.
This is precisely why, when setting up product catalogues for our clients, we always go the extra mile by integrating the e-commerce module. This ensures that if they ever choose to start selling online, we can make that transition rapidly, without the need for extensive rework.
Maximize Search Visibility
To maximize a website’s chance at ranking, search engine optimization needs to be incorporated into its design. Trying to optimize a poorly made website as an afterthought is usually an uphill battle that’s costly and ineffective.
Get it Done Right the First Time
Most of us have probably bought something before and regretted not getting the better quality alternative because we wanted to save money. Then we ended up spending even more money buying what we should’ve bought in the first place. Websites are no different. We’ve had many clients come to us because their previous websites didn’t meet their needs, but they could’ve saved some money if they had their sites done right the first time.
Conclusion
It takes time, resources and skills to build a website properly, which is why quality websites cost more. However, when you invest in web design, you are investing in your business’ long term success by avoiding opportunity cost and future-proofing for changing business needs.
At Project Pi, we design quality websites, and make them affordable by offering payment options. So if you’re in the market for a new website, contact us to see how we can help you grow your business. We are local to Kelowna, British Columbia, and Regina, Saskatchewan, but we can work on your project remotely wherever your business is located.
