The number one concern in any organizations quest for a new website is the cost. Everyone generally wants the best work for the cheapest price. I would say we see 4 out of 5 clients base most of their decision on the price. Sure some things like features, quality, and experience come into play. It just seems price always outweighs the others for many clients new to professional web design.

I wanted to take a chance to openly discuss how we come up with our prices.

Good web design costs good money. There is no way around it. Just the other day we picked up a new client, who thought our first proposal was too high, and went with a friend of a friend for a fraction of the price. You know this person, its your mom’s-co-worker’s-son’s-friend’s-cousin. They always swear that they can do $3000 worth of web work, for $500 and a smoothie. Here is the issue we hear time and time again, they get started, the project gets rough, and they walk away.

Here are the things that we take into account when we bid on a project.

The base:

We all start somewhere. We know roughly from our initial meetings how many hours are needed for planning, design, code, set up, and so on. We use this base for an hourly rate. We rarely ever share this rate, or the hours planned with you. The way we see it, this is our business, and we feel that if we disclose this info, it will usually be seen as a negative.

We are quick and we are pretty efficient. If we showed you the hours, you’d want a discount, or if we showed the rate, you’d flip out too. We are not over priced, but so many potential clients want to see rates between $50 and $75 per hour. Anyone who charges those rates, is often slow,  or overbid the hours to make up for it. We keep things honest. So we may charge more per hour, but we need a lot less hours than your friend’s-neighbor’s-uncle.

The meetings and hand holding:

We know that this is often a new experience for many organizations. Since the last site is often built by a volunteer, CEO, receptionist, or janitor; this is a big scary step. We always plan a few hours to walk you though every step of the way. We don’t set a limit on this time, but do try and account for it, this way you get the attention needed no matter what.

The polish:

Depending on the website size and needs, we often plan time for polish. This is extra time spent on every detail. We will get in and analyze everything. Not all sites need this. Its kind of like the difference between a good carwash, and a full detail. The differences are noticeable when you look close. We always judge the degree of polish needed when we review your needs. Sure we want every site to be the best. We also know not every site has the budget for this stage.

The content:

We would love to insert content for every site. We can make sure that all content is read through, and updated by a copy writer, and then polished up on our end. We will assess your needs for this in the beginning. If you can afford it, its one of the best things for your site, SEO and visitors. Otherwise, we often deliver content ready sites – where you will be able to enter in your own content using a sweet content management system, and our guidance.

The knowledge & experience.

You do pay for this. Its not an extra fee, but built into our other processes. We ask the right questions, and set up good milestones to achieve great work. Our client we told you about in the beginning of this post, who went with the cheap guy, told us that the original developers never asked half the questions we did. And they had tons of headaches because of their lack of planning and experience. We know this because we are now working on that project, cleaning up your uncle’s-dentist’s-sister’s web work.

The moral of our story.

You get what you pay for.

You will rarely find a car that claims it’s ‘just like a BMW’ and has all the same qualities. Usually it has some small features, details on paper that make it ‘just like a BMW’, but at the end of the day, its not. And a test drive of both will prove that.

So go, test drive. Ask to see live portfolio work. If the portfolio stinks, its probably the combo of a bad developer and client trying to make something work for cheap. Ask for references. Since most of our clients come to us from word of mouth, they already know about another clients experience, but we still openly share references with anyone who asks.

While a lot has shifted to the web, I still dont think the world of paper will go away 100%. 

Both the New York Times, and Seth Godin mentioned recently that newspapers are dying. Godin went as far to say that by 2012, no significant newspaper will be printed in news print. 

So being the environmentalist, tree-hugging hippy I am. Im glad. I think newspapers (and phonebooks while im at it) are a HUGE waste of paper. Most readers skim for articles, and I would guess they never read most of the paper. So now what? 

While I’m glad they are going away. I still want to know how most newspapers plan to survive (if they plan at all). In our town of 30k people, we have at least 4 unique news sources. 3 have a printed medium, and online presence, while the 4th is online only. Who will survive? How does one news source gain the readership of enough people to pay the bills? Have they ignored the naysayers from the 90′s too long, and are now scrambling to find a foothold online?

So here it is, Earth day, and I’m torn. I’m glad to see less paper waste, but I’m also stuck on how to fix the issue of bringing a newspaper online, and how to market that client so they have the same readership / revenue that they once had. Is it even possible? 

I dont actually offer any answers today, but I hope to address these issues soon in future posts. You know, just incase one of our local news media sources wants to engage us in marketing and web development to aid their transition.

The following passage is an exceprt from the book It’s Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want to Be, by Paul Arden.

It is quite easy to get approval if we ask enough people, or if we ask those who are likely to tell us what we want to hear.

The likelihood is that they will say nice things rather than be too critical. Also, we tend to edit out the bad so that we hear only what we want to hear.

So if you have produced a pleasantly acceptable piece of work, you will have proved to yourself that it’s good simply because others have said so.

It is probably ok. But then it’s probably not great either.

If, instead of seeking approval, you ask, ‘What’s wrong with it? How can I make it better?’, you are more likely to get a truthful, critical answer.

You may even get an improvement on your idea.

And you are still in a position to reject the criticism if you think it is wrong.

Can you find fault with this?

This is a great quote, and something that we discuss often here at factor 1. Which is why we have been sending out this project feedback survey to all of our finished projects. So far the results have been positive, But I want to hear ways we can improve.

Do you want to improve your business? relationships? products? if so How are you finding criticism?

Factor 1 Context: Matt & I have been friends for a few years now. We started collaborating on creative projects together while he was still at his first place of employment and while I was a pastor in a local church. Those early years helped us refine some of the products we deliver today. Matt, as many of you know, is a pretty uber creative dude. Together we decided last year to officially join forces as “Partners”; we’re pretty pumped about what the future holds for Factor1.

Personal Vital Data: Married w/ 3 awesome boys (www.Russell5.com) – I am older than Matt by almost a decade; I am younger inside than I look on the outside – passionate about Mtn. Biking – excited to get up each morning and make a difference with my life – need to begin each day with a Starbucks coffee fix (Venti Pike’s w/ room for 1/2 & 1/2 + 3 raw sugars just in case any of you should need to order if for me)

Professional Skills: – VARIED – for Factor1 I bring business & creative development skills to the table. Most of my practical skills as they relate to our clients are in Marketing; helping you reach your audience & customer w/ a high degree of impact.

I hope this helps you get a flavor of the ‘other guy’ at Factor 1. While there are times when Matt & I vary in our styles & approaches to challenges put in front of us you can know 2 things for sure:

1. our partnership is rock solid w/ the unified goals

2. we aim to deliver creative, original, excellent & high impact products for every one of our clients

For some of you out there in business or leading a non-profit I certainly hope not. However, chances are really good that your web site is seriously effecting your credibility with the very audience you would most like to reach. Regardless of your end pursuit, your web site communicates MANY things (not always positive) to the very people who you would like to engage. Consider this, your web site is like the clothes you wear + the words that you say – it needs to have a purposeful look and a crystal clear message!

When you stand face to face with your potential consumer you are certainly mindful of what your first impression is and the key words that will come from your lips in your first meeting. Why not have your web page do this as well? Some common pitfalls (as Matt noted here) are easily avoided when you engage a professional design company. The DNA of your organization will now be able to come through. The look and feel that you have worked so hard to achieve in your store, office, product or worship space can now be caught from the web. The power and importance of your message can be clear among the clutter. And, perhaps most importantly, your potential audience won’t CLICK AWAY or tune you out because your web site has the ‘built on my home PC’ essence.

Let me show you 3 examples contrasting ‘professional development’ from ‘personally designed’. I think you will be able to see clearly which sites best communicate credibility.

Do some thinking on your web site today!

Custom Bicycle Makers

http://www.henryjames.com -VS-  http://www.endorfinbikes.co.uk

Cigar Stores

http://smokemorecigars.com -VS-  http://www.fumarcigarsusa.com

Non-Profits

http://www.centralumc.com -VS-  http://fh.org

1. Who is your audience?
   location, age groups, demographics, etc.
2. Why are they there?
   research? purchase? contact?
3. What are your top 5 goals of the site?
   increase sales, increase awareness, PR.
4. Once its up, who will maintain the content of your site? you, a staff member (if so how?), the web design firm.
5. How will your market your website
   Search engines, ads, social media, grass roots word of mouth
6. Who will be building it?
   you, your brothers son, a fly by night freelancer, or maybe a quality design firm
7. What is your budget?
   $500 or $5000. Set realistic goals. Good sites do not cost $500.
8. Can you read testimonials, or speak to references of the web firm?
9. Who will be writing content and supplying the photos?
10. What should your domain be, and who will be hosting it?

These are a few questions we ask all new clients, and potential clients. They are some of the most important questions to think through as you get started on building a website.

• Stop assuming things
• Covering all the details
• Get things in writing
• Be clear about action items (what you are saying you will do, or what you expect)
• Emailed commitments are legally binding, and will hold up in court
• Storing and archiving all email communications can be a life saver, do it!
• Always have a contract
• Limit how much you communicate, and what is acceptable communication (a text message or Instant message proof approval is not the same as an email

We had the privilege of having a former art director from the early 80′s with us (sorry i dont recall her name). Because she was around before email, she offered some great insight about what could be the problem with todays creative professionals. Too much communication. Phone, Cell, email, Instant Message, text message, mobile email, twitter, etc. We have 15 avenues of communication, and not 1 single most effective one. She made the comparison that we are becoming a jack of all trades, master of none.

How true this can be. I feel that we are pretty good about sticking with the few main stream lines of communication, i will admit i have dabbled with twitter, and other forms of communication, but after last nights discussion, i think I will keep what I have.

What hurdles have you found in communication? horror stories to share?

I’ll start with my horror story.
In a past career life, i was the marketing department for a real estate developer. We printed signs to go on properties announcing future tenants (target, home depot, etc). We wanted these signs up asap, because they were PR for getting the smaller shops sold.

On all projects in the past, the project manager would approve a sign, which meant print, and get the sign shop to install asap. On this project, a rather large one involving a super target. The Project manager approved my sign verbally, in a hallway passing. Great! print and install right.

Bad things. We later found out that super target was not yet a done deal, and they were pissed at our announcement.

Lesson: Have a proof approval process involving 2 check boxes. Art approval & Sign install date. No verbal approvals.

To this day, we ask for email approvals that are clear in order to move on.

What do you have? lets hear some awesome stories!

In the video they had this sketch.

Here they are describing the process a customer takes as a relationship.

So the M is marketing. Getting the customer to the point of purchase (P). The area after that is the Interaction Design. Most businesses and organizations focus on the M.

So here is where the illustration / video left off. Why is interaction design important? The customer already paid right, so who cares. Wrong. Great interaction design, will feed the marketing side. Look at products with good interaction design, in relation to their marketing.

Examples that come to mind for me: Apple, Nintendo WII, In-n-Out Burgers, and toyota Prius. All barely have to market at all. They have created such a great user experience or product, that word of mouth marketing is free and in abundance.

So the moral of my story (as it often is), Focus on your end product, the interaction design, the customers experience, and the marketing will be cheap(er) and easy.

In the world of web, when we have 25% of the viewers on a small screen, we accommodate to them. We base our site designs to fit to the weakest, least advanced of the population.

Yet in the world of TV, now that 20% of the market has wide screens, the networks are switching to a wide screen format. I sit there on my 32″ 4:3 TV, and stuff is cut off left and right.

Why is this acceptable for TV, but not web?

thoughts?

Email Spam Blocker – Enkoder

This tool is sweet. Hides your email from spammers. Comes in 2 flavors. An online edition, and a newly released application for your desktop. (Sorry Windoze users, mac only). Thanks hive logic for being cool.

Best kids book ever

Yep. its real. Published by Microsoft to promote the Windows Home Server OS.
Found via Inc.

Way cool visual search engine

Being a creative visual person that i am, I found this pretty cool. And I think google should be somewhat worried. Worried enough to buy out veiwzi, and make it googles own.
http://www.viewzi.com/. Too bad its hard to remember to use and spell.

The internet was invented in 1934

The New York times has an article on what looks to be the first concepts of the internet by a Belgium information scientist named Paul Otlet. Otlet even dreamt up online social networking & file sharing. Here we thought myspace & napster were first.