What is the difference between an expensive website and a budget one?
In the modern world of the Internet, a website has become not just a business card of a company, but also a key tool for attracting customers. However, not all sites turn out the same, obviously. Moreover, there are a lot of offers on the market – from a simple 30,000 to sky-high 1,2,3 and more million. Why is that? – the customer will think when choosing a contractor.
Let's look at the difference between a budget website and an expensive one. Let's consider what is hidden behind the price tag of the future project. Why does one site cost “as much as a sandwich”, while another costs “as much as dinner in a restaurant”? And what are you actually buying with that money?
By spending 15 minutes on this article, you will definitely become richer and smarter and will not make the mistakes of thousands of people who are no longer in Internet marketing!
In short, then…
Budget website – lifelong dependence on advertising
By choosing a budget option, you'll likely save money in the beginning. However, such a site often requires constant investment in advertising. Why? Yes, because budget websites are usually built on constructors or templates, and for search engines these projects do not represent authority and without advertising they simply will not work for you. Every day you will have to invest money in advertising campaigns to attract visitors and potential buyers from the first pages of Yandex and Google.
Expensive website – an investment in the future
On the other hand, an expensive website, although it requires a large initial investment, can become a real “golden antelope”. Such a site is designed with SEO core and a reliable sales funnel in such a way as to attract and retain visitors without constant advertising campaigns. It is optimized for search engines, has quality content and design, making it useful and interesting for visitors. As a result, an expensive site can generate leads and sales even without advertising.
Now let’s look at the bolts and cogs of the whole essence of creating the cost of cheap and “luxury” sites.
Expensive versus budget website: let’s understand the difference
In the world of web development, there really are many options for creating a website: from budget to premium. Let's look at the example of the key stages of creating a website, what makes up the price tag.
Team composition
Budget site: usually created by one or two freelancers without a clear specialization, who watched the online course “how to build a website on Tilda” and that’s it BASTA =) Usually these are eight-armed semipods that perform a lot of tasks for a team of specialists, but sometimes it turns out, so to speak, not very well… Everyone should do their job and be a pro at it, right?
Dear site: There is a large team of specialists who know their business from A to Z.
Project Manager – a link between the customer and the development team. He controls the implementation of all stages of work, monitors the timing and quality of task completion.
Marketer analyzes the needs of the target audience, creates a unique offer and website promotion strategy.
Copywriter creates unique and interesting content for the site that attracts, sells and holds the attention of visitors.
Designer is responsible for the visual design of the site: creates a unique design that will reflect the brand ideology and make the site memorable.
Frontend developer (layout designer) turns website design into working code, making it adaptive and optimized for various devices and browsers.
Backend developer deals with the “internal” part of the site, creates functionality that makes the site operational and user-friendly.
Design Specialist (SEO specialist) at the first stage of website creation analyzes the market, studies competitors and forms the structure of the site, taking into account all SEO requirements. His task is to create the basis for the team’s further work. After development is completed, the SEO specialist carries out final optimization so that the site meets all search engine requirements.
What's under the hood of these beasts?
Launching a website – landing on the “engine”
Budget site: simple and cheap engines or designers are used, for example, Tilda or WordPress templates. We're not saying they're bad, but they're limited in functionality and won't always do the job you want.
Dear site: It is possible to use Laravel or React frameworks, and such as CMS Bitrix. The needs of integration with other systems, for example, with 1C or marketplaces, are taken into account; you can “screw in” almost all the goodies that please your heart.
Start of design and development goals
Budget site: usually starts with the question: “What do you want to see on the site?” Well, I would at least ask why it is needed… A freelancer rarely goes deep into the client’s business processes, relying only on the information provided. The plan is often template, without taking into account possible adjustments. “The site is ready, you can use it” – training and support are often not provided. It’s complicated and nothing is clear.
Dear site: is developed as a tool to achieve business goals. The team doesn’t give a damn about what you wanted to achieve as a result of your work. Goals are specific, measurable and results-oriented. After the site is launched, the customer is trained, warranty support is provided, and recommendations for further promotion of the site are provided. This is what we understand, not an approach, but a suitable one.
Content preparation
Budget site: it’s impossible to freeload! Often, free stock photos or, worse, random images from search engines are used, which can lead to copyright infringement. Texts are often “borrowed” from competitors with minor changes or reformulations. Originality and SEO optimization are not taken into account. Let us remind you that plagiarism is punishable by law, and this is oh so expensive;) It will hit not only your reputation, but also your pocket + you can get a prison sentence. Let’s not scare you, it really happened.
Dear site: investments go into the competent selection and creation of content, individual illustrations or high-quality paid stock images, which makes the design unique and pleasing to the eye. Professional copywriters and editors work on the texts, creating sales and SEO-optimized texts that reflect the company’s unique offer. The target audience is researched and content is created taking into account their preferences, needs and behavior. Your conscience is clear, and there are no problems with the law: everything is transparent.
Layout and mobile adaptation
Key stages of website creation affect how your website will look and function on different devices. We are all hostages of our mobile phones. What's the matter here?
Budget site: Freelancers typically work with a limited set of resources. They can use free or cheap tools for layout or assembly on plugins. One person may be an expert in one area, but not have deep knowledge in another. For example, a freelancer may be excellent at layout, but have no experience with mobile responsiveness. The result is moving blocks, swearing users and a site abandoned in the first seconds of loading.
Dear site: resources are available to access premium tools, which allows for higher quality layout and customization. There is a team of specialists, each of whom is excellent in a specific area. This provides in-depth expertise at every stage of the project. The mobile version is a must-have and should be perfect. Thorough testing on various devices and browsers = perfect display and functioning of the site from any “sneaker”.
Technical optimization
Budget site: minimal optimization, all sorts of errors. Oh, and then you will end up with problems, pulling the site from the bottom of the search engines and waiting for the site to load for three hours with errors.
Dear site: detailed technical optimization is carried out, including error checking and eliminating them, filling in metadata, alts, titles and descriptions. This helps robot friends from Google and Yandex index the site and see it correctly, and not in a way that you are not doing what they thought.
Ah, the Internet! This vast expansive desert where every site is like an oasis. But, as in any desert, there are oases that are actually… well, let's say, mirages. And now you, faced with a choice, are thinking: create a budget website that will require a constant drain on your advertising budget or invest in an expensive website that will grow in SEO in search engines and attract free leads to your business?
“Why bother so much?” – YOU ask
The answer is simple: because a GOOD WEBSITE is the key to success! Yes, a site with unique content, pictures and texts, which was created taking into account all the intricacies of search algorithms, is not just a page on the Internet. This is your personal profit generator.
How it works? Very simple:
Your website becomes search robots' best friend. They “see” it, “feel” it and perhaps even “love” it (well, as much as possible for a robot). It begins its journey to the stars (in terms of the top lines of search results) from the very first days of its existence. And, of course, you can connect it with all sorts of promotional tools to speed up its path to fame.
Now let's imagine another scenario. You have created a budget website. He's handsome, he… well, he just is. But for it to work, you must constantly invest advertising money into it. It's like keeping a plant that needs constant watering or it will wilt. And it’s not pleasing to the eye at all, and everyone is thinking: should it be thrown in the trash or should it be tolerated?
Now imagine that you have a website that, although it cost you more, works for you. It attracts customers even when you are sleeping. It does not require constant investment in advertising because it itself is a magnet for customers. Here they are, my money from the site, you say, stroking your pockets your gold card.
But how can you take everything into account and not make a mistake?
First way: become an Internet marketing guru, god and king of promotion. Start understanding every pixel, every tag, every trend. Read a stack of books that quickly become outdated, because in the world of online promotion, trends change faster than hipster mustache fashion. Write a text that every robot will read, and contact a freelancer who, perhaps, was a baker just yesterday. And, of course, hire a SEO who will send you invoices and graphs every month that you may not even understand. In that case… well, good luck to you!
Second way: turn to professionals. Choose a marketing agency, or a close-knit team that knows what it is doing. Set a goal for them and get everything “in full mince.” They will do everything for you, and you will receive your profit and not be fooled about whether the site has “fallen” or is already up.
Fun fact: some agencies even offer to create a website for free!
Conclusion
Think of creating a website like choosing a car. It’s better to immediately get into a reliable foreign car than to “go to the service center” every week with your old Zhiguli car. Well, or tinkering with your Zhiguli car in the garage yourself, which is even worse. It's fun, but if you fix one thing, the other one breaks.
So that you don’t think that we are haters of freelancers, let’s put it bluntly: the choice between a freelancer and an agency depends on your needs, budget and goals. Talented freelancers can be an excellent solution for small projects with limited budgets, while agencies offer a comprehensive approach and in-depth expertise for larger, more complex projects. Regardless of your budget, try to invest in higher quality and unique content.
