How to Budget for a Web Redesign
We understand that websites can get expensive, but they are vitual to modern business. Take some of our budgeting tips into consideration when planning for a redesign.
You and your team have decided that your current website isn’t quite cutting it. It’s looking a bit drab and could use a makeover. It's great you've realized it and are ready to do something about it, but now comes the hard part: coming up with a budget for your website redesign can be more difficult than you initially expected.
Businesses can spend a little or a lot when it comes to revamping a stale website, and the final cost usually depends on a number of factors, including such variables as the total amount of pages being created, the level of design quality needed for those pages, and the overall level of technical difficulty associated with the buildout.
An easy answer to the question of how much to spend on any web design work is “as much as you can afford!” But the reality is that there are many different factors that will need to be taken into consideration when it comes to determining a final budget for the work, making finding a final number that works challenging. In the end, a lot will depend on the type of business you are in. So let’s take a look at some of the major considerations you will need to address when tasked with formulating a web redesign budget.
How Extensive of a Redesign Is Needed?
This is probably the most important factor in determining how much to spend on redesign work. An honest assessment of the efficacy of your business's current website will need to be made before any budget can be created. You’ll need to determine what is working and what isn’t with your existing web presence. Does your site only need a slight tweaking, or is a full-blown makeover needed? If your site was built many years ago, it’s most likely that the site needs to be completely modernized, and your project will essentially be starting from scratch. For that, you will need to budget accordingly.
How Will You Measure Success?
Determining the metric by which you measure success for your website can help guide you through the redesign budgeting process. Is your main goal to increase overall traffic? Are you an online vendor that derives the majority or all of your sales through an e-commerce site? Perhaps you generate most of your revenue via third-party advertising, and you need to revamp the look of your pages to attract businesses. Pinpointing what a successful web redesign will mean for your business can get you a lot closer to determining your budget.
How Much Will You Be Charged for the Redesign?
Once you have determined what you want out of your website redesign, you’ll need to find great people to do the work. Usually final cost is determined by the estimated number of hours required to do the work, but different developers have different rates. Offshore web companies can charge anywhere from $10 to $30 per hour, while higher-end US firms can charge anywhere from $60-$200 per hour or more.
Web design firms you contact should give you an itemized estimated breakdown of the costs involved. An itemized list might include charges for planning, UX, programming, and testing and launch. This list can of course be shorter or longer, depending on requirements and the individual needs of the business. The most important thing is to be aware of all the potential costs—usually based on time—that might be incurred so that you are not surprised by the final bill.
Let the Award-Winning Professionals at efelle Help You Create a Great Website!
If you think your business is ready for a website makeover, let the web designers and developers at efelle, an award-winning digital agency based in Seattle, Tacoma, Redmond, and Bellevue Washington USA, help you improve your online presence. We approach each project with an eye towards market-driven results. Contact us at 206.384.4909 or send us a few details so we can send you an instant quote!