Why a Landing Page Can Cost $500, $2,000 or $10k
You’re looking to get a one-page WordPress site launched and you’re quoted three prices – $500, $2,000, and $10k. Why such a big difference?
I want to start off with an example. Imagine you have a landscape project and you get pricing from three different companies.
You will find similarities in the way a landscape project is quoted to the way a website is quoted.
Company A quotes you $1,000. Most likely, the same person who quoted you will be the only one executing the job. For this reason, it’ll take them a bit longer to complete, they might be juggling multiple jobs, they’ll be working off of your conceptual ideas and they won’t be renting any machines. They might be skilled in one aspect of the job, but learning on the go for other tasks.
Company B quoted you $10,000. For this amount, you’re getting a crew to ensure a faster turnaround time. These guys are subcontractors and are experts in their given roles. Company B works on a project-by-project basis, they are customer-focused, which means you’re getting the attention you deserve. There’s a plan in place, everyone knows what they’re doing and they’re working with excellent tools.
Company C quoted you $100,000 for the same project. They’re a larger company with overhead costs – they have to pay for an office, employees, WSIB, tools, machines and cost of sales. The project is completed much faster with higher quality. Perhaps they’re a legacy brand that’s been around for 20 years. Perhaps there’s a waiting list. You’re paying a premium if this is the case.
Launching a website at a basic level involves 3 different roles:
A marketer to come up with the right structure, keywords, wording, images that will speak to your target audience and will rank well in search engines
A designer that will take your vision and brand and take it to a whole new creative and memorable level.
And a developer who will ensure your site is working properly, loads quickly, looks great on mobile and so on.
A $500 quote will get you one person who’s doing it all.
They’re not an expert in all three fields but they’re capable of doing the job. The site will be simple, which is great if you just want your message out there. This is a great option if you have the bare minimum budget and you’re just starting out.
But be careful, be cheap, pay twice. If your site has issues, confusing wording or just looks unprofessional, it may damage your online reputation and any new website visitors will not return. If there are SEO issues, it’ll damage your rankings in search engines as well. Also, as your business grows, you’ll have to replace this site anyway.
A $2,000 quote gets you three experts on the job.
This means that your site is going to speak to your target audience, it’s going to have the right information on there to help your target users make informed decisions. Your company will stand out from our competitors as the design will be unique and will hopefully get you the sales you need to keep moving your business forward.
This is a good option if you need something for the long term. A site that will be executed correctly the first time around. It’ll work for you and will put your best face forward so that you won’t miss out on any leads. It’ll be the strong foundation on which you can build out your marketing campaigns and get a higher ROI.
So what about the $10k quote?
The cost can be attributed to high overhead costs due to an office lease, using more manpower to work on your project (more designers, developers or professional writers) so that it’s launched in a shorter period of time. If you want to work with a legacy company that has worked with big-name brands, you’re paying for a higher price tag. And if you want to bypass any waiting lists, the price goes up.
What’s the best option for my business?
Selecting the right option depends upon where you are at with your business, your long-term strategy and your budget. I always advise doing things right the first time around in order to save on costs in the long-term. Look for quality and work with people that you feel that you can trust.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of scammers in my industry so to ease your mind, meet with the person or company and check out their resumes or success stories before you make a decision.
