We’re asked a lot of questions about us and our jobs here at V3 Media. Some of those questions tend to crop up repeatedly to the point where we thought “Hey, why not just make a post about this?” We’ve pared it down to these six big ones you need the answers to.
1: How much does a website cost?
This one is tough because every single website we complete is different and done to the customer’s particular needs and specifications. They may have previously hired a developer outside of our company so there would be no way to gauge if they were doing their job properly. They may also be shopping based on price alone and not factoring in what’s most important:
- How much experience the potential web designer has and REALLY understands everything it takes to develop and maintain a website properly
- How they are going to get support and look after things after the website is done
- Is the web designer experienced enough to do the job properly and on time
- Who has the rights to the website after it has been completed
The latter in particular is a sore spot because we’ve met people who find out they don’t own their website and then are left to pay double than what they needed to spend just to get it back—or they’re left to pay more for an entirely brand new website. We could talk endlessly about this, but we think maybe you should brush up your knowledge on the subject in our other blog post here.
What’s important to know is that the cost of every single website is done based on each particular customer’s situation—handing you a price alone will undermine the important of a website or its being done properly. This is why we highly recommend you contact us for consultation on the overall website rather than trying to buy a website based solely on price. We want you to have a website you can be proud of and that works, rather than paying dearly down the road for one you end up hating.
2: Can you get me to #1 on Google?
This is another hard one to answer, because honestly…no. Nobody ever guarantee that your website will automatically reach #1 on Google, and most certainly not on search terms that matter. That is impossible to ask of anyone involved in website development and design, because there is so much more to it than just launching a website and expecting to reach #1 without any further effort. There are many factors that come into play in your such as the need for perfecting your online content, the need to be on social media, and the need to just have a good website. There are things that affect your search engine ranking that you have control and some you don’t. Again, this is why you don’t shop for a website on price alone – you need someone who knows what they are doing.
3: Can I change anything after the website is finished?
Absolutely! If you think there’s something that needs to be added or removed, it’s your call. When we build your website, unlike other companies it is 100% yours to use as you see fit. You can change the content, add a newsletter option, update the plugins…whatever. It’s important to always understand what it takes to maintain both the website itself, but the software and plugins as well.
Speaking of plugins though, here’s a question we don’t get asked often enough that we should:
4: Who is responsible for keeping my WordPress software and plugins up to date?
All too often we have clients come to us because their website stopped working, or it got hacked because nobody told them to keep their software up to date. In some severe cases, the website is past the point of saving and it’s cheaper to redo the website entirely.
We do have solutions to this issue for people with WordPress websites so they just don’t have to worry about it! These solutions come in the form of our Healthysite Management Agreements. By signing up with one, the maintenance aspect of managing your website such as backups, updates, and even content updates are left in capable hands rather than adding time to your day by having to worry about them yourself or fixing something that broke when you tried to make a change.
5: Will my website be mobile-friendly?
There’s a lot more to it nowadays than just having a mobile friendly website. There are so many different devices and screen sizes that you have to be aware of the bigger picture and the effect it has. Obviously, we do recommend making a website mobile-friendly. It will keep your bounce rate low and your traffic high. To ensure that your website works on everything, it needs to be responsive. Having a website that is not responsive can also affect your search engine rankings. As the number of users on mobile devices increases, different sizes of desktop and laptop screens are also emerging and your website has to be fluid and fit all of them. The bottom line: we only make responsive websites that will work on all devices.
6: Does my business really need a website?
You’d be surprised at how often we do get asked this. The answer is short. Yes.
Got a question for us that we didn’t address here? Let us know! Send us an e-mail or call us at V3 Media. We’re more than happy to answer any further questions you have about websites or even provide you with that free price quote you’re looking for!