A while ago we spoke about the importance of having a website, but we should have added an important rule: Cheap website design can cheat you out of more business than having no website at all. Sure it’s important to get a website up for your company, but if you are serious about your business, you need to take your website design serious too. Using cardboard templates, wizards or testing your limited HTML skills is not the place for a professional website. At the same time, you are not required to pay a small fortune to get up and running.

I know I know, the question you now have becomes: “What is a fair price for a website?” But is that a question that makes sense? It’s all relative to how complex your website is, what features you want and how quick you need it. A good website designer will ask you these questions. You also need to ensure you have a plan for updating your content in the future. Nevertheless as a guideline, it is fair to be charged roughly $25-50/hour or about $250-500 for a basic site. We must caution you once again, this is price varies widely on what you need and the level of expertise of the designer.

Before you go to hire website design help, we suggest first you think about the elements you wish to have. The next step is to treat the process as anything else you would. Ask to see past work or see if you can talk to current/past clients. Don’t be afraid to shop around. Remember that building a website is not usually a set and forget job. Make sure you have someone you can call on for tweaks or a way to make changes yourself. We also recommend you select a company or person who will be around in a year or two. Most of all, make sure you are comfortable with who you select. They will be interpreting you and your company to all your internet visitors. You need to make sure you trust the person who will translate your vision.

Oh, and as bonus tip. If you don’t have a domain name, and the designer gets one for you, make sure the ownership is in your name and with your email address. If ever you decide to move to another host or web designer, you want to be able to do so without having to track them down or to negotiate to get what is rightly yours.

If you decide not to pay for website designer, we highly recommend you avoid the templates from hosts and ISP’s, and seriously think you should consider using WordPress as your website platform. Sure it will take a bit to learn how to do what you need, but the output will be 100 times more professional and unique then most of the templates out there. Remember, your website is a reflection of you and your business. If you want to be successful, look like you already are. If you put out a sloppy unprofessional website, people will have trouble taking you seriously. Unfortunately, this is the new norm. So don’t be quick and cheap. Put some thought (and money) into your website plans. Good luck!

If you have a tip to share, or have a question, leave it in the comments below…