Ever hired a web designer? Please share your thoughts and help us with our biz plan

Altbiz

Hi all,
We're in the process of putting together a business plan for our next 3 years. We're a web design company and our adviser has asked us to do some research into our market and potential customers.

It'd be a big help if you could give even a quick answer to a few questions;

A key part of this business plan will be our pricing strategy. As I'm sure you know, prices vary massively with web design and cost does not always correlate with quality. To date we've priced based according to what we think most people would be happy to spend, with ensuring that we're delivering what we believe to be good value for money. However we've never actually properly reached out and asked people what their view on this is, so your input would be a big help.

1. What price range would you be comfortable spending if you were investing in a simple brochure website (e.g 5 pages, no intricate functionality). You can get a website for anything between free and tens of thousands, so what price range would be a good balance of affordability and confidence in getting a good end product?

2. What would you expect to pay for hosting and maintenance? (e.g x/year). If you wish to share what you'd expect for this in return, please do.

3. What qualities would you most value from your provider - for example; cheap rates, quick communication and availability, strong technical/design expertise?

4. How have your experiences been with website designers in general? Do you feel you've gotten a high level of service and value for money, or have you been messed around or ripped off? What would have made it better?

Many thanks, any help would be much appreciated.

It wasnt me123

I'm a sole proprietor for foot care - just started this year in my own clinic - I'll give you some info - not sure if its exactly what you are after.

Sorry for the long post.

1. What price range would you be comfortable spending - I was lucky to get assistance through my Local Enterprise Office (LEO) - I received a grant to the total of €600 and my website provide charged me €750. I had to get 3 quotes for LEO.

2. What would you expect to pay for hosting and maintenance? (e.g x/year). I pay nothing extra, I manage it myself.

3. What qualities would you most value from your provider - for example; cheap rates, quick communication and availability, strong technical/design expertise?
All of the above. My website designer was local (very important when you are rural), great communication, happy to help if I email him (I've done that about 3 times) - not sure he'd be so happy if I was emailing twice a week, every week. I have had people like LEO, Microfinance Ireland etc, view my website and they were impressed.

4. How have your experiences been with website designers in general? Only website designer I have professionally dealt with and he was great - I would recommend him to anyone - very competitively priced and very easy to deal with.

If you were lodging your business, it might be worthwhile getting your name in with LEO (if that's the type of business you want) and also BOI do a Founder Friday networking night every couple of months around the country - a very interesting, networking, commonly focused people, I really enjoy it.

Altbiz

Thanks very much for the reply, glad your project worked out well for you. Interesting to hear about your experience thanks and LEO grants are very handy alright!