Should you use an off-the-shelf website package or invest in a custom marketing website? The answer is always ‘it depends.’
Let’s first define a ‘custom’ website. Chances are you can’t afford a truly ‘custom’ website. That means custom developed specifically for you. A hand-coded website made with long hours from a team of developers is expensive. That’s for big business, and even they will use pre-made solutions in a lot of cases.
A custom-made website made with WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, etc., is something you can afford. You will see a wide range of prices though—some very cheap and some very expensive. I don’t think you will see a lot of value at the extreme ends of the range.
You get what you pay for; some say that buying a $500 website is probably not a good website. I have seen exceptions to this, but it is rare to find a good reliable website for less than a few hundred. Do-It-Yourself is an option. If all your budget allows is spending around a few hundred for a website, then I would do it yourself. If you need resources for that, read my other article about building a website yourself.
At the other extreme end, I have seen websites cost $10,000 that I can make for $3,500. I’ve never worked at an agency, so I’m not sure about their costs or pricing. It is tough to stay ahead of the game in this business, and there is almost always a better way of doing things.
Let me illustrate a common situation at an agency. A web developer at an agency may have found a solution to a problem that is more affordable to the client. Still, the developer would have to get buy-in from the team leader, the accountant, the account manager, the presidents, etc. At an agency, there are many people involved in a web project that may not need to be or even provide any value to the client. Staying current is difficult and staying fluid with your processes is a way to keep current. Staying fluid and agile is difficult for some agencies.
I feel like agencies see websites as brochures for the business or a marketing tool. A website should be doing so much more than being a brochure for a company. These days there are so many affordable solutions to so many problems that there’s no excuse to be overpaying for websites anymore.
Yes, a custom-made website is worth it, but don’t overpay for it.
You should get multiple quotes for your next web project. You’ll likely see the most value from the companies that provide a quote that’s in the middle of the pricing stack; someone like me, but I have also seen some good quotes from smaller agencies. I think you’ll likely see the most value for your dollar from smaller agencies. Small teams are agile and able to make decisions quickly. It’s also been my experience that the small teams are more focused on being proactive in finding solutions to problems.
