Why Cheap Web Designers Often Disappear

by Pete Wright | Sep 1, 2024 | Small Business Advice, Web Design, Web Development

Everyone loves cheap web design — until they learn that it takes far more than low prices and fancy graphics to build a business website that works. That can be a hard lesson about cheap web design risks, but it often gets worse. Because cheap web designers often disappear.

This can be a touchy subject though, so let’s be clear: most experienced web designers I know are talented people who only want to help. That said, experienced web designers are rarely cheap web designers.

Still, I have just spoken to yet another distressed small business owner. His cheap web designer had left him in the lurch with a broken website and no access to fix it.

Other business owners had told him this was “typical” of “flaky” designers.… Read the rest “Why Cheap Web Designers Often Disappear”

Small Business Web Design – Common Mistakes

by Pete Wright | May 8, 2024 | Small Business Advice, Web Design

Effective small business web design means business

Effective small business web design is now critical to almost every small business. In fact, until you have your own business website, most potential customers won’t see you as a credible business at all.

Why is that? What makes a business website so special?

Small Business Web Design Matters

Your website is a key marketing vehicle for your business. It isn’t just a shop window. It’s an international travelling sales team, with the ability to sell 24/7/365 to customers in their own homes in the moments when they are most interested in buying.

Think about what it would cost to achieve that coverage with a team of salespeople. That’s the value a website provides.… Read the rest “Small Business Web Design – Common Mistakes”

Affordable Websites: How To Set A Website Budget

by Pete Wright | Apr 23, 2024 | Web Design

Affordable Website Budget Small businesses and startups are often keen to find an affordable small business website design service — but what makes a website “affordable”? How do you set a website budget?

That mainly depends on whether it’s a personal site or a business site.

Why? Because while personal websites often cost money, successful business websites do not. In fact, contrary to the hype of DIY platforms and cut-price cowboys, a cheap business website can easily cost you more than a professional one.

Personal Websites Are Not Business Websites

Personal websites aren’t built to make money. So traffic isn’t their priority, and even if monetised with ads or affiliate income, that isn’t their key goal. They aren’t expected to pay for themselves.

… Read the rest

Professional Web Designer or DIY Web Design?

by Pete Wright | Apr 12, 2024 | Small Business Advice, Digital Marketing, Web Design

Hiring a professional web designer pays for itself

Hiring an experienced, professional web designer offers huge advantages over relying on DIY website builders or cheap web design services. Yet many small businesses still cripple themselves by falling for the false economy of cost-cutting on this business-critical investment.

So, put simply, here’s how the key benefits of professional web design compare to those other options:

Saving Time vs Wasting Time: Time is not free. It’s the only thing you can never buy back. Professional design is not fast, but learning to do it well enough to compete takes far longer — and you are competing with firms who hire professionals. DIY site builders may look like a shortcut, but buying a spanner won’t make you an engineer.

… Read the rest

How To Start A Small Business Website: The Essentials

by Pete Wright | May 29, 2023 | Small Business Advice, Digital Marketing, Web Design

Planning to start a small business website

If you have a small business, or are thinking of starting one, you’ll need an effective, affordable small business website. There’s a lot to consider though — and many small businesses fail because they’ve overlooked one or more of the essentials. So here’s how to start a small business website.

Ready? Let’s begin!

What Every Small Business Needs

First, there are a few things every business needs. Hopefully you’ve considered these already, but let’s cover them briefly, just in case.

A Good Offer And A Realistic Target Market

Effective targeting is vital for sales.

The key words here are “good”, “realistic” and “target”.

Startups often hope to sell something they like to “everyone”. That rarely works — especially if no-one else sells anything similar.… Read the rest “How To Start A Small Business Website: The Essentials”

How To Avoid The Cheap Web Design Trap

by Pete Wright | Jan 30, 2023 | Small Business Advice, Web Design

A lot can go wrong with cheap web design – and often does!

Small business owners often think cheap web design will be enough to promote their business online. That’s understandable, but there’s a catch.

Underinvesting in your website will cost you far more in the long run. It can even cost your entire business.

Over the past 25 years, I’ve helped many small firms recover from this mistake. So I’d rather help you avoid it.

Still, that does not mean every website needs a five- or six-figure budget. After all, my budget web design and affordable web design packages cost far less than that. What it does mean is that simply seeking the cheapest web design you can find is likely to cripple your business.… Read the rest “How To Avoid The Cheap Web Design Trap”

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