Everyone loves a good deal. It’s in our nature as humans to be attracted to the cheapest option. For example:

  • The cheapest electrician’s work becomes a fire hazard
  • A bargain phone that you bought becomes unusable after a month of use
  • The soles of your $5 hiking shoes rips off after your first hike


This is exactly the same thing when it comes to website design. It’s hard to resist the temptation of low prices, but going cheap isn’t exactly the best option. Let’s check out why spending money on a “cheap” web design service can actually be a waste of money.

Reasons You Want a Cheap Web Design

 

 

Why do you want a cheap website design?

  1. Your budget is tight. You want a nice website, but you don’t want something that would cost you an arm and a leg.
  2. You are posting your products and services on social media. Your website is just there for “formality.” So you don’t need to spend more than a couple bucks on your website.
  3. You think having a website gives you no value. But for the sake of just having a website, you go for the cheapest option.
  4. You have basic (or even advanced) skills and experience in making websites. Besides, there are ready-to-use templates available. So you want to build your website yourself.
  5. You have a friend who does web design for cheap. The offered price is just too good to pass up.


These are all valid reasons why you would want to settle for a web design service with a bargain price. But is settling for a cheap website design really worth it?


Disadvantages of Cheap Website Designs

 

 

1. Cheap = Untrustworthy


An effective website can cost you at least several thousand dollars, which can be unaffordable for most small or new businesses. It’s tempting to just forget about building a website and focus on promoting your business on your social media alone.


But here’s the thing: without a website, you’ll be losing credibility, the ability to attract new leads, and the overall “core” of a business in today's day and age. You don’t have an online presence where you showcase your company, prove your credibility, post reviews, and attract leads interested in your products or services. I mean, it is 2019 and most people are reluctant to trust a business without a website, let alone buy their products or services.


Social media serves a different purpose---it provides a channel to interact with your audience, hence the term “social.” Social media is a great tool for keeping your audience aware of special news, offers, or promotions. Promoting through social media involves a different strategy versus building a web presence.

 

2. Unprofessional

Your website is a representation of your business online. Viewers’ impressions on your website have a big impact on your business.


If your cheap website fails to provide good user experience, viewers would most likely NOT convert into leads/sales. A poor layout, difficult navigation, non-functioning features, broken links, slow loading speed---all contribute to bad user experience. Furthermore, if your website does not adhere to basic SEO (search engine optimization)  principles, your website will have difficulty ranking in a search engine results page (SERP), making it difficult for you to get new visitors to your site.


3. Limited Functionality

You might think that creating your own website can save you money. After all, there are cheap or free DIY (do it yourself) templates out there, right? No need to have extensive web design experience. Just register for an account, choose a template, customize it a bit, then it’s done! Right…?

Well, the problem of using pre-set templates is that they can be extremely tough to customize and make “your own.” Your website looks unoriginal and similar to the thousands of other websites that use the same template.


By their nature, pre-set templates are not scalable or flexible. But scalability and flexibility are critical to just about every business. Your site needs to be able to adapt to the many changes and evolutions in your business. Template websites usually lack the customization options necessary to support these adaptations.


And that’s not all. Do you have the expertise to make custom changes and updates, or fixing bugs, deleting malware, or troubleshooting domain registrar issues? Can you read and alter HTML code? Do you have the time to monitor your site’s performance? Is your site secure? Only experienced web designers can do these effectively without putting your website at risk.


4. “Friends & Family” Discount

 

 

You may have a friend who can design your website for next to nothing. That’s great! But is that friend a real expert in web design? Is he up to date on the latest technology and trends? Has he been keeping up with his skills? Even if he has, does he have the resources and support systems to develop and maintain the website once it is live?


You see, a “finished” website is really just the beginning. What you actually see is just the front end of the website. There is an entire system behind it---a system that requires constant maintenance and improvement. Even the best websites have teams of specialists needed to keep them up and running. That costs a lot of money, technology, continuous training, and manpower---resources that only bigger, well established companies have.


Independent contractors, in general, don’t have these resources. Most of them only have an upgraded computer and perhaps, their stock knowledge, to create your website. There are no quality control protocols or after-sales support.

 

If a price is too good to be true, then it probably is. That’s why it’s never a good idea to go for the cheapest website builder out there. You get what you pay for, and cheap price equals cheap quality.


You get the best bang for your buck if you choose to go with an affordable website designers who offers additional support. Now, they may not be the cheapest, but they’re not the most expensive either. What you should be looking for is a service provider whose offers fit within the upper limits of your budget. With affordable website designers, you get a great website that won’t break the bank.