10 Tips to Get the Most out of Your Website Budget

1. Want free web design? You can do it yourself. Create your web page as you want it to look in Microsoft Word. Create a special folder somewhere on your computer to hold all of your files (there will likely be several per page). Then from the File menu, choose Save As. In the Save As dialog box, choose the folder you just created for the location, and type an appropriate name. Then, in the Save as Type dropdown, select "Web Page (.htm, .html)". Then click Save. You can then zip up this folder and upload it to your website. Free!
2. Not ready to go that far? What you are really paying for when you hire a web designer is the person's time and expertise. Therefore, the more time they spend on your project, the more expensive it will be. One of the biggest things that can add cost to a project is changing your mind late in the game. So take your time to figure out exactly what you want upfront, and THEN start work.
3. Always ask for a detailed statement of work. This is sometimes called a “scope document.” If I said I'd sell you a car for $10,000, would you take it? Maybe, but you don't know if its a brand new Audi or a 76 Yugo. The details make a big difference in whether or not you're getting a good deal. Yet many web projects are bid out on a one-paragraph description of what is to be done. That leaves a lot of room for interpretation. You might think you're getting amazon.com and in fact you get something that looks like your 8-year-old nephew did it. Make sure it's all spelled out in writing. That way both parties have accurate expectations. After all, it doesn't do you any good to hire a person from a really low bid and find out down when they say they're "done" that it's not something you can use. Which brings me to:
4. Know your budget and your expectations. There is a huge amount of variation in what an “e-commerce site” or a “content management system” means. That is a good thing for consumers, since there is also a huge range in budgets and time available to devote to the project. Tracking back to the automotive analogy, my friend Allen says it’s like buying a car. “Do you want a Mercedes or do you want a Ford?” And in some cases, do you want a Yugo? The difference would be that the car salesman knows when you walk into his Ford dealership that you want a Ford. The web developer has no idea. So don’t be afraid to tell them “I want something that gets the job done for now and we can add the bells and whistles later,” or “I want something top-of-the-line, the best you can come up with.” Or maybe even “I want the bare bones, least expensive site you can give me that has these functions.”
5. Ask for a quote, not an estimate. This is especially important if you have a tight budget (and who doesn’t?). If you get an estimate, you will likely be billed for the developer's actual time. Most developers are honest and will make every effort to stick to their estimate, but there are a few who will give a low estimate to get the job and then far exceed it. A reputable developer will often be willing to give you a quote for the project rather than bill you hourly based on their actual time. Ask for it -- it could save you money.
6. You own your domain name. Again, this is one where a few bad eggs ruin it for everyone. Remember that even though you have hired someone to set up your website for you, you still own the domain name and you have the right to pack up and move it to a different hosting company or a different developer if you want to. Just remember, there is no guarantee that another developer will be able to use your existing web code. You may have to start from scratch, but this can be worth it to get out of a bad working relationship.
7. You should be able to choose any hosting company you want. Sometimes people will try to sell you hosting services along with your development. You don't have to take them up on it. Shop around and see who offers the best deal. Many of them are going to turn around and hire your hosting out to a big company like LightEdge or HostMySite anyway for a hefty markup. Also consider the availability of support and level of professionalism. You may not want your web developer to be responsible for keeping your web server up and hacker-safe. If you have a problem, do they have a 24/7 system in place to handle your issue? Personally, I’d rather have a big company with a whole team of people working on that. Your call, just remember the two don't have to go together.
8. Have a long-term plan? Tell your developer. This is especially important if your website “does stuff” like allows people to schedule appointments, buy products, or login and view their accounts. Why does it matter? It’s like building a house. If you know you’re going to finish the basement in a couple of years, it makes sense to plan ahead and put the plumbing and electrical stubs in the concrete while it’s being poured. That way, you’ll save money when you actually do go to complete the project. It can work the same way with development. If your developer knows what you’re working toward, he or she may be able to design the system so that it can more easily accommodate the changes you are going to want down the road.
9. The three most important words: always, sometimes, and never. As you’re scoping out the project, the developer will probably ask you questions about your business processes. Many of these questions will be in the form of “Do you ever _____?” or “Is there always a ____________?” Think about these questions carefully. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone through a meeting, designed a process in response to the answers and found out after the project was rolled out that the client meant almost always. The only time when almost always is as good as always is when you don’t care if the system correctly handles things when the exception arises. Otherwise, if it happens even once, the developer has to write code to handle it. While this might seem annoying when you just want to get a system up and running, it can actually be a good thing. Taking care to handle these edge cases will make your system more robust and useful in the long run.
10. Know who pays for the oopses. There will inevitably be things that don’t work quite right the first time. Some of these are due to miscommunication, some are due to developer error, and some are due to things that the client forgot to mention that they needed. Your developer should fix their own errors for free, and in a timely fashion. This is why it is important to have a testing period so that these issues can be worked out before you have customers pounding at your cyber-door. Make sure this is agreed ahead of time. As for the other two types, the customer is often responsible for bearing the cost of the additional development needed, much like if you were renovating your house and suddenly discovered that the roof was leaking badly. Discuss what will happen in these situations with your developer ahead of time so that you are both prepared.