We all love to save and we all look for bargains. Whether it’s about trying out a fancy diner or checking out the sexy LBD that you saw in the mall the other day- we hunt for a price off for everything we choose to try, buy or hire.
But, in doing that, we tend to ignore a basic truth- quality doesn’t come cheap. And that rings true for the web designer you are planning to rope in for your website as well. If you want to get some real bang for your buck, you have to be prepared to pay that “buck” too. Otherwise, it would mostly be like the embarrassing peek-a-boo that you get on bargain socks bought just a couple of days ago.
Ironically, the term “cheap” could be illusory. What apparently seems to be an affordable deal given the low upfront payment can soon bog you down with multiple expense pockets- in the guise of hidden charges or extra problems. It’s likely that a so-called “cheap” bargain would cost you more than a straightforward reasonably expensive hire. Put simply, the odds are low that you will barely receive premier craftsmanship and impeccable professionalism from a cheap designer.
The post below offers a brief on the key reasons why you shouldn’t focus on cheap designers for your website.
The game is lost before it even begins
Your website is your primary representative before your online audience. Also, there is no dearth of businesses like yours vying for attention in the virtual space. These factors demand only the best design for your site to help it stand out in the crowd. A cheap designer is usually an inept one and hence can’t support your site with industry-leading work. The end result will be a sloppy website hanging at the lowest rung of the competition before you even step into the market.
A truly professional website design is not a work of chance. Rather, it requires comprehensive know-how in the art and science of design and extensive industry experience. A leading web designer has spent months and years in honing his knowledge and skills. Do you think it’s justified for him to offer his master craftsmanship at a dirt-cheap rate? Won’t it be a sheer disregard for his expertise? So, it’s only natural that a seasoned website designer would charge a reasonably substantial fee if she agrees to create a stellar and competitive website for you.
On the other hand, a cheap designer is mostly an amateur one. He lacks the colossal industry knowledge and experience needed to create an award-winning website. As a result, he would be flexible to keep his rates low to secure design projects in this fiercely competitive market.
The bottom line is, a cheap designer is a bad bargain for your website. if you want quality design, come out of “cheap” fixation, lest it will only take you to the abyss.
Downtime disaster
If you want your website visitors to stay on your site, you have to make things truly inviting and comfortable for them. If a testimonial video or a product image takes forever to open up, your visitors won’t think twice to switch to your competitor’s website.
So, yes, one of the most crucial aspects that separate a professional website from a sloppy one is blazing uptime. And that requires premium plug-ins that do cost a substantial amount.
Now, if you hire a cheap designer, your site will only get cheap plug-ins. The designer will look for tools that your payment can cover. He won’t certainly get you those industry-leading plug-ins out of his own pocket. So, what would you be left with at the end of the day? A frustrating website with disastrous downtime affecting stability and pushing customers away.
It’s only wiser here to invest a considerable amount in a professional designer who will make sure to arm your website with top-notch plug-ins and excellent uptime. It will make things more inviting for your visitors and propel your traffic and conversion rate.
Website security will go for a toss
No matter how visually attractive your website is, it can’t keep visitors if the site's security is in a vulnerable state. Cyber frauds are increasing at an alarming rate of late and phishing or hacking is more common now than ever.
A professional and seasoned web designer holds the industry knowledge and experience on tackling advanced security threats and keeps your site safe from cyber frauds and attacks. They have been in the industry for a considerable time and have vivid ideas on various kinds of website security issues and their preventive care. Moreover, they update themselves regularly as per the current website security strategies to ensure the most state-of-the-art defence for your site. If you are flexible to invest in them, you can be assured of a powerful website that can promise a safe browsing experience for visitors.
But, cheap designers are usually the inexperienced ones. They barely have substantial knowledge of the different website security issues, their preventive care and the solutions. Put simply, a cheap amateur designer can’t build up a strong website which could be formidable enough to stand tall against cyber attacks. They mostly depend on risky coding techniques which make your site vulnerable to menacing security disasters. No need to remind you that compromised security could ruin the chances of good traffic big time.
Not your maintenance messiah
A professional website calls for timely maintenance to stay on top of the game. There could be security issues calling for immediate assistance. Smartest website owners also ask for regular preventive maintenance care to eliminate risks of security problems. Long story short, even the best websites will call for expert maintenance assistance time and again. And any problem here could spell doom for the overall website.
A bargain designer can’t assure you the desired timely maintenance assistance that you need to keep your website up and running over the course of time. These fly-by-night designers are notorious for their unprofessionalism; it’s hard to find them once the initial project is complete. They lack commitment towards clients and hardly bother about work ethics. In other words, if you are going for a cheap designer, odds are high that you will find them around when your site needs a maintenance job. And a poorly maintained site can never impress your customers.
On the other hand, a leading designer will usually be around when you will need maintenance calls. A seasoned web designer understands the significance of regular maintenance for a professional website and assures prompt assistance whenever required. Also, an experienced designer holds extensive knowledge of website maintenance services which is another thing you might not get from cheap designers.
After-service support ain’t in his dictionary
This is possibly one of the worst outcomes of wasting money on a cheap site designer.
FYI, your website requires timely updates; a site design is never a one-time affair. Over time, you might need to add a blog or launch new pages for new collections. Most importantly, you will have to upscale or redesign your site to match up with changing market trends. If not anything, the CMS core will need an update every single month. In fact, without timely updates, the site could be more vulnerable to security threats as well. If you don’t up the ante, your website will only be left out as dated and unprofessional.
So, what does it call for? Solid after-service support from your web designer so that your site is always on the radar. But, cheap designers are generally fleeting amateurs and lack the maturity of a committed professional. More precisely, they fail to fathom the significance of after-service support for their designed website and generally are not available once the initial website has been done. So, you can’t expect to find their support every time your website needs an update. It will leave you with no choice but to waste time looking for another designer who will agree with the updates.
Professional designers guarantee dedicated customer support and timely updates even after the initial project has been done. They might charge a little more than bargain designers but it would be worth the penny spent.
Paperwork? Sorry boss!
Documentation is significant when you want a professional design service. You will need papers to specify the codes, plug-ins, updates and legal clauses related to the design and maintenance of your site.
A seasoned designer is a disciplined and ethical professional. He will strictly adhere to all the needed documentation and paperwork required to keep the whole project organized, legit and efficient. An orderly documented approach goes a long way to save headaches and time, especially when the site needs an update later.
But a cheap designer doesn’t abide by such professional work standards and doesn’t give a damn about the needed documentation.
Finally, to quote Oskar Schindler from the legendary “Schindler’s List”- “Nice Things Cost Money”. Mark.The.Words.
Hexadesigns is a Kolkata-based web design company. Hexadesigns develop and design websites, e-commerce, custom software, and mobile apps and work on search engine optimization. Through this blog, we share insights and tips for our readers and clients.
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