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In this article, I will list 12 problems with cheap websites that will cause you to spend more money to fix them in the future. Since over 42% of websites are built using WordPress, I will focus this discussion solely on that platform, although this concept applies to virtually any platform.
You get what you pay for
As a small business owner, budget constraints are always present when it comes to looking for a new or updated website for your business. It's completely understandable that you want to find the best deal, but focusing solely on price rather than quality and experience can (and usually does) have expensive consequences. Investing in a high-quality website from a trusted local freelancer or agency may be more expensive initially, but it will save you time and money in the long run.
When I talk to business owners, one of the first questions asked is “How much does a website cost?” While this answer is completely valid and requires a completely different discussion, looking at price alone and cutting corners should not even be considered for your business.
Cheap Websites: A Deal or a Disaster?
If you were looking to purchase a used car, you probably did some research before visiting the dealership and know that the particular model of vehicle you want costs around $20,000. While you're looking around, you'll also see a similar model for just $10,000.
Is your first thought: “Wow, what a great deal!” or “Um…what’s wrong with that?”
Of course it's the latter. That's because we're trained to be skeptical when things sound too good to be true. But for some reason, when it comes to a website, people seem to think that the cheapest option is a perfectly acceptable one, when in fact it is the worst option in most cases.
Your business is your livelihood, it is the way you support yourself and your family. You wouldn't trust a worn-out car to take you and your family on a road trip across the country and back. Then why would you entrust your business website to a cheap website designer? A business website shouldn’t be viewed as an expense… it’s an investment in your business. A cheap website is a terrible investment…don’t make that mistake.
Here are the 12 hidden costs of cheap websites
trade-offs
Unless the web developer is paid a lot to build it, he will cut corners where he can. This usually means free versions of the website builder, free themes/layouts and plugins used for your new business website. The problem is that many free plugins are underdeveloped and unsupported, which can lead to security vulnerabilities. While this is a great idea to get the job done as quickly as possible, the problems these “quick fixes” cause in the future could be very expensive in both time and money.
BAD USER EXPERIENCE
Most people are naturally cheap. And those looking for a cheap website most likely also have cheap hosting on servers like GoDaddy, Bluehost, Hostgator, etc. Substandard hosting, uncompressed images and poorly written code lead to extremely slow loading times that negatively impact your customers' user experience, but also on your search engine ranking.
DON’T FORGET ACCESSIBILITY
Ensuring that your website is accessible is extremely important as this not only ensures that people with disabilities (including those with visual impairments, hearing impairments, or cognitive or motor impairments) can use and navigate the website effectively, but it also helps you and Protect your company from expensive lawsuits. Most low-cost designers don't even follow basic accessibility principles, such as providing alternative text for images, captions for videos, clear navigation labels, and ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers. Investing in experienced designers who understand the importance of accessibility can ensure your website can be used by everyone while protecting you from lawsuits.
SLOW LOADING TIMES
Many of the cheap websites are templates that have been used by hundreds if not thousands of customers. This makes it easy for a designer on a budget to swap out just a few elements in the template to make the website look “like yours.” The problem is that a poorly designed website can lead to frustrated users who can't find what they're looking for and leave the site before converting, costing potential sales.
SAFETY RISKS
Free themes, layouts and plugins are often developed and maintained by individuals or small groups of developers. The WordPress platform itself constantly releases bug fixes and security updates for its software. When these updates are released, plugin developers must check whether the patch affects their plugins and make adjustments. Because they are free, developers typically lack the resources (or desire) to provide regular updates or fix security vulnerabilities in a timely manner, leaving the site vulnerable to attacks by hackers. While there are dozens of measures that can be taken to protect against this, such as masking logins, regular backups, etc... chances are good that a cheap website build won't include these.
NOT MOBILE FRIENDLY
With over 90% of browsing activity conducted on smartphones these days, a mobile-first mindset is absolutely critical to reaching customers. With cheap designers often comes a lack of testing the design on different devices or at all. If you don't ensure that your users have a good website experience on their mobile devices, you will definitely lose business.
UNRELIABLE SUPPORT
Cheap websites are just that… a website. Once your work is done, the designer moves on to the next project and leaves you alone to deal with problems with your new website. Without a dedicated customer support team, you're left with the task of dealing with technical issues yourself or paying someone else to fix them. And of course you can forget about updates to your website.
NO TEST PHASE
There are several phases in the web design process, and the final one, the testing phase, is arguably the most important. The testing phase is not only extremely important, but also time-consuming. Again, time is money, and unless you're paying the designer a lot, that's one of the corners that gets cut. Not testing a website properly before launching can result in a poor user experience, which could potentially cost you business.
NON-SCALABLE DESIGN
Every entrepreneur's goal is to expand and scale their business, expanding their reach (and profits) far beyond what they ever thought possible. The problem with a cheap build is that if your company grows quickly or if you want to expand your website's capabilities in the future, a cheap website may not be able to keep up, resulting in a complete tear down and redesign. Depending on what your business is, having your website down for weeks or months can be devastating to your plans.
LACK OF EXPERIENCE
Experience is something worth paying for. A cheap website designer may lack the experience and skills necessary to create a professional-looking website that can compete in today's market. You also deal with many different types of customers, they may not have experience in your industry, which can result in a poor user interface and experience. All of this ends with you losing customers and profits.
QUANTITY INSTEAD OF QUALITY
Many cheap designers rely on completing as many projects as possible in a short period of time, rather than investing the time and resources necessary to create a truly high-quality website. As a result, many use pre-made templates or copy and paste designs to speed up the process, resulting in websites that lack originality and are often riddled with typos, broken links, and development errors that negatively impact the site's functionality or user experience can.
THE LANGUAGE BARRIER
Keep in mind that many of these designers are based abroad, where the cost of living is much lower and our US dollar goes much further. You may lack clear communication skills, which can lead to misunderstandings or miscommunication before, during and after your project. You'll often be in different time zones, meaning you'll be limited to 1-2 questions/requests per day. When you're awake, you're asleep... and vice versa. This slow back and forth can mess up your timeline and cause significant delays to your project.
Finally
While this list certainly doesn't apply to every cheap website build, overall, you get what you pay for... especially when it comes to web design. Working with a budget-friendly designer may sound tempting compared to other options, but often it will cost you more in the long run if they produce substandard work.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I offer free design and marketing consultations and am happy to help you avoid the most common pitfalls when finding the right designer for your business.
Thank you for reading and good luck on your business journey!
