And the answer is… “about the same as a car”
It’s true to say that you can spend almost as little or as much as you want on your car.
The old banger + DIY. If you go for an old banger then you risk the car breaking down or not functioning at all. The old banger might even cost you more in the long run to get working correctly, might be uneconomical and the chances are you will end up scrapping it and swapping for another quite quickly. Your Dad, Brother or Neighbour might say that they can do it up for you – but you will never be proud of this car. It will get your from A to B (just) but you have to wonder what other peoples’ perceptions are of you driving it around.
Good Reliable Car. Once you have reached a certain price bracket you can be pretty confident that your car will work and that its going to last for a while. You will have spent enough money and selected a trusted brand for this car, and without even checking under the hood you will be sure that it is safe and is going to last the distance.
Flashy Sports Car. Finally at the highest price bracket this car is the envy of everybody that you know. People might even say that you have a bit more money than sense when they see you driving this baby! At this price oddly enough, functionality comes at a lower priority and the car serves just one purpose – to show off. These cars are super expensive and actually less practical than the reliable cars, perhaps with less seats and not quite enough boot space for all that shopping!
I don’t think anybody really wants an old banger of a website – these will ultimately cost more in the long run. Any saving here is a false economy.
B Websites are very much focused on the reliable website. Just like a car there are certain things under “the hood” that you might not understand but you can take as standard (like compliant XHTML/CSS, well written code, accessibility, cross-browser testing etc). Our websites will perform for you and will make you more money in the long run.
Finally – the flashy website. This is akin to some of the websites of major companies like Mercedes Benz or Disney. These websites might be flashy but in many respects are less reliable and functional. These companies don’t mind, since for them the website is a statement of status and works at a level of showcasing how expensive their brand is.
So how much should your website cost? What do you think – I would love to hear from you.
