Common Web Design Questions
How much does a website cost?
Great question, and possibly our most asked question. Website designs can cost are all over the board and range based on developer expertise, level of development complexity, functionality, and custom design work needed to accommodate the design.
There are many components to a website build that have an effect on this final cost, such as:
- Development & Programming
- Copywriting
- Graphic Design
- SEO Service
- Hosting & Server infrastructure
- Support & Care
- Content or page count
- eCommerce functionality
- Third-party integrations
The above are just a few of the items to consider. Our approach is simple. Make use of what we have, build to scale, and not in excess.
Most commonly, we build NAP websites (Name, Address, Phone Number), one-page websites, and Landing Pages (on new or existing websites) costing from $350 to $2000.
5 / 10 / 20 page website with or without e-commerce stores and range from $2000 to $8,000 depending on your needs.
Not sure what size site you need? Contact us. We’re happy to review your project and help you determine the best path.
What's the average cost of a website designer?
Similar to the price of a website, it really depends. The cost of a web designer can range from $500 to $10,000 or more, depending on the complexity and customization of the website. Hourly rates for freelancers typically fall between $60-$150, while project-based fees can vary significantly. Several factors influence the final cost, including the website’s complexity, number of pages, custom functionality, and the designer’s experience.
That experience is the key. Do your research! Read the reviews, look at their site examples. And don’t be afraid to ask for more site examples. Most designers would love to share another project with you. You can see a few of our website design examples here.
Should I pay for a web designer?
Hiring a web designer to build your website can save you so much time. I think that’s really easy to forget.
You need your time to run your business and do what you do best. In many cases, build-your-own website services like Wix, Squarespace, and GoDaddy builder can be confusing and take time to master. Especially WordPress, which is the most common result that will pop up in your newsfeed or AI answers. And I promise, it will be both frustrating and time-consuming. Instead, spend your time making money and advancing your goals.
You’re also purchasing the experience and expertise of the designer you decide to work with. No, you don’t need a designer, but it will make your life easier.
What's your hourly rate?
Our standard development and consulting rate is $150 an hour, and $250 per hour for immediate off-hours / overnight assistance.
Not everything is billable. We’re happy to review your requests or project to provide an accurate proposal or recommendation.
What are the costs associated with a website?
Additional costs outside of our proposal can include:
- Domain
- ADA-compliant software
- Continual maintenance and care
- Marketing
- Plugins (micro-applications)
We include Hosting & Care in all of our proposals. Curious about what that includes? Click here!
How long does it take to build a website?
Good question! It really depends on the scope of the project (requests), the amount of time deliverables are provided, and the existing project load.
Now, we only have control over one of the above, but most commonly, a 1 / 5 / 10 page site can be delivered in 1 to 2 weeks once an accepted proposal, deposit, and deliverables have been provided.
Do I need one multiple pages or a one page website?
This answer really depends on your services, marketing efforts, and demographic. Obviously, a multipage website allows for additional layers of content and marketing for an expanded range of content.
One-page websites consolidate the content into a smaller page count, keeping costs lower on the development end in terms of page template design, but also keeping your audience on a single page.
Both have their place. In terms of SEO, we have a best practice/intro guide on what SEO is.
But the answer isn’t the same for everyone, and we would rather look at each project individually. You can also check our blog post, which has more pros and cons of the two.
Do you build eCommerce websites?
We do build e-commerce websites! From simple invoice payment forms to a more complicated store with conditional products and third-party integrations. We’re happy to review your existing store or new project idea.
What is SEO and do you offer SEO services?
SEO is Search Engine Optimization. SEO is used in the process of improving your website and social profiles to increase its visibility in search engines such as Google, Microsoft Bing when people search for products, terms, services, etc.
There are lots of different things that can be done to improve your rank in a search engine. Most people want to be “top” or the first result when searching for a keyword.
Marketing agencies can use paid ads to assist in getting you into the “sponsored results” you see when searching.
Outside of paid ads, you can use organic SEO tactics to improve your spot.
We do offer these services for each website build. Page Titles, meta descriptions, focus phrases or keywords, and proper heading placement and tags.
Seems like a lot? It is. And there’s so much more. Take a look at our blog post to read more in-depth.
When you’re ready, reach out, and we’re happy to speak with you about your project to improve your SEO and search engine rank.
Do I need a blog?
Yes and no. It depends – personally, for businesses, we recommend a blog. Regardless of whether your services are static or evolving in a dynamic market. It’s nice to provide fresh content so Google can crawl your posts and push this content to readers interested in your industry. It’s a huge plus for SEO.
Is it mandatory for a site to have one? No. Many businesses use social media to reach their audience. And there is a large number that doesn’t engage at all. You know your audience and industry better than most.
However, we still recommend adding a blog when you build out your site initially. You can always add content later.
Not great with words? Maybe try an AI generator or speak with a professional copywriter. There’s a place for both.
What is website maintenance and care?
Website maintenance and care is the attention and time to keep your website working properly, backed up in case there’s an emergency.
We maintain almost every website we build. Items included in care are:
- Storage (local for the site)
- Offsite backups
- WP Updates: Core, Plugins, and Theme
- Support for plugin review or broken items.
- Premium Plugins such as:
- Premium Page Builder License(s) + Add-on(s) license
- Gravity Forms License
- Caching System License
- Image compression License
- and more!
What isn’t covered in maintenance and care? This would mainly be additional design, development, and functionality… basically new functionality.
Content updates? These aren’t included. But we’re always happy to discuss this and what’s best for your business and team.
Does my web designer own my website or do I?
Oh man, great question! See, some agencies love to attract clients by offering low prices for a design. Instead of paying $6,000 up front, they might break it into monthly payments. And this will seem really attractive. But it depends on your contract.
These monthly contracts usually include a line stating that the monthly price will continue or decrease after X months, and that the website will belong to the company. You may own the domain or the images, but the content and framework it’s built on belongs to the design company. And you can “buy them out.”
Boo.
Technically and legally speaking, if it was never in your contract or terms on your invoice stating that you own the content, images, site, and software, then they’ll be correct.
So what about us? What about CRFTD? You own it. Plain and simple. We build it. We deliver it. You can host it with us, and we’ll take maintaining and securing it. Unless you specifically work out an agreement that says otherwise, your website, as long as your invoice has been paid for, is yours.
Do you host email or offer email services?
No, we don’t host email. Email reputation is best left to the teams who can better serve your business directly.
Need a recommendation? Don’t know what service or company to go with? Our friends at Fastek are perfect for medium-sized businesses. Not sure if you fall into that category? Message them.
Do you setup Google Business Listings?
We do! We’re happy to speak with you and get your business listed. Contact us here.
I need help editing my site, can you do it?
The answer is usually yes. We’ll need more information to determine the level of assistance we can offer. Contact us directly, and we can get your site updated.
My website got hacked, can you fix it?
Contact us directly and sooner rather than later. We need to assess the damage and situation, or if you’re currently experiencing an attack.
If you have an email intrusion or are looking for better email security and management, we know someone.
What is the difference between a web designer and a web developer?
Yeah, I know, we’ve mentioned both. Web designers tend to focus on the visual and user experience aspects of a website. Web developers handle the technical functionality and backend coding and programming. A web designer makes the website look good and easy to use, while a web developer makes sure it actually works.
CRFTD is a bit of both. You see, we aren’t full UI/UX or graphic designers. And we aren’t solely coding the backend of sites.
We provide a nice mix of the two with a mix of system administration. Some agencies have people for all three positions, and that can work well for them based on their size.
CRFTD’s selling point is that we provide a beautifully branded website built specifically for your business. We build in the needed functions to capture the leads your marketing and social efforts are sending. Then we protect it at to server-to-site level.
Why do we call ourselves a Web Development company instead of a web design company? Mainly that third service. We do the function and design… but we also support and maintain.
You didn’t build my site, can you host it and maintain it for me?
The answer is usually yes! Some content management systems can’t be moved anywhere, like Wix or Squarespace.