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It is no secret that techniques for good website development and design are rapidly evolving as web designers work to outdo each other to give their clients the best possible advantage. Though it is not necessary to include all of these, here are a few elements that have emerged in modern web design which you may want to consider.

It is no secret that techniques for good website development and design are rapidly evolving as web designers work to outdo each other to give their clients the best possible advantage. Though it is not necessary to include all of these, here are a few elements that have emerged in modern web design which you may want to consider.

Website design can seem like a large investment for a new or small company and costs can vary greatly depending on what your specific needs are. Although it may seem tempting, you should not choose your website design company based only on price. For many potential customers, your website will be your first impression – and a less expensive but poorly designed site may end up costing you much more than a well-designed site that came at a higher investment.

While we can clearly not give a proper price estimate here, we can list a number of considerations that will affect the cost of a website.

Hosting requirements
Website Scope
Content Management System (CMS)
Website Extras

Hosting requirements

Who will be hosting the website? Do you want us to do it or have you made other arrangements?

Website Scope

Simply put, what do you need to make your website effective for your business? If your company is small or your message is very straightforward, a basic website may be all you require. But if there are many different facets to your business, you likely need more. Remember, you can always upgrade as your business grows!

Content Management System (CMS)

Having a website with full CMS can mean a pricier initial investment but it means that you will be able to manage your own content, so if you have a business that will require frequent updates, you’ll be able to do those updates in-house and likely save money in the long run.

Website Extras

Lots of website design today has additional features such as shopping carts, social media and blogging features, and chat features to name a few. It is important not to go overboard – adding extras just for the sake of extras. Whatever you include on your website should make sense to your business. Our experienced website design professionals can help you with this.

If you’ve spent any amount of time searching the web, you’ve likely seen very good websites as well as very bad ones. There is a clear difference between a website made by an amateur and a website which has been developed by a team of professionals.

If you have questions about what your business website should include and what it should not, feel free to ask us during your consultation. We will only recommend features that make sense for your business and we will do our best to steer you away from things that don’t make sense.

Your website could be one of the most important investments that your company makes. Not only is it your first impression, but it will be available 24/7 and will be an invaluable sales tool. By taking the time to determine your needs and then work with professionals to see your vision become a reality, you will see your return on investment.

Performance and Flexibility
You Don’t Own A “Free” Website
Free Sites Generate Less Traffic and Conversions
Professional and Unique Design
Customer Experience
Secure and Trustworthy

Performance and Flexibility

Each business has specific needs. But by using so-called free websites, you may not be able to design a site that meets all of those needs. You’ll end up with a limited space and might not be able to include all the features and plugins that you’d like.

There is also performance, speed, content, etc. All of this takes time and effort. Why would somebody be willing to put in the time and effort for free? If they were really good, they wouldn’t be trying to lure customers in by offering their services for free.

You Don’t Own A “Free” Website

The sites that you can design yourself for free, are not owned by you but rather by the company whose site you use to create them. This has a number of drawbacks.

First of all, you are not going to have a custom url. Instead of your url being CompanyXYZ.com, it is more likely going to be something like CompanyXYZ.cantaffordarealwebsite.com. Not exactly a way to inspire consumer confidence!

Since you don’t own your site, you will have to abide by the terms and conditions the free website company sets out. If you break them – even inadvertently, you might find they have removed your site from the web.

Also, have you ever wondered how these companies make money if you’re not paying them? It’s usually by placing ads on YOUR site. This might be ok for a personal blog, but not for a business website!

Free Sites Generate Less Traffic and Conversions

Most companies that offer free websites tend to be less trusted by the major search engines. This puts anyone who uses them at an immediate disadvantage when you are trying to get a decent listing position in search results.

Even when visitors manage to find you however, if your site appears cheap and generic they may be hesitant to do business with you.

When you invest in Toronto professional web design however, all of these issues can be avoided.

Here are some of the reasons why you should consider hiring a professional.

Professional and Unique Design

Professional designers will make your website unique. There are billions of websites on the world wide web, and many of them look exactly alike. Branding is extremely important in business – the better the brand, the higher your chances of success.

Of course, all of this requires time and creativity. This is why you should work with a design team that is willing to listen to your goals and requirements so that they can come up with a custom design tailored just for you.

Customer Experience

You’ll need a site that is user-friendly so that visitors will have a good experience and want to come back. Think of the number of times you try visiting a webpage, only to have it crash your browser – or what about sites that you find confusing to navigate. Do you want your website to do that to other people? Hiring a professional team can help to ensure that this will not happen. Visitors should be able to find whatever they’re looking for without any hassle.

Secure and Trustworthy

Expert web designers have knowledge of the most advanced, up to date security technologies. They have access to tools that they can put on your site to enhance security. This is extremely important if you plan to sell products or services.

Having a website built by professional designer increases your credibility. It doesn’t matter how small your business is, your website can still make your company look important if it’s designed correctly. People know a cheap site when they see one, and the quality of a website reflects the business.

Since websites require maintenance and updates, you will need to work with designers that will still be around in the future. This is why you should avoid offers for “free websites”. It will still need to be updated, and updates require money. It’s better to hire Toronto professional web design teams with whom you can work for the long-term.

The features you need
The amount of up keep and maintenance you will need
Your own knowledge and expertise
The type of website you require

The features you need

Have a checklist prepared of all of the components and features your website will require. Even if you only need the essentials, such as an opt-in feature, simple layout, and a bit of info about your company, you should not assume that you will receive a discount from the company’s standard rate. Just because something may appear simple does not mean that it is easy to implement.

At the same time, if you want a larger website, the price might not be all that much higher. The way designers base their rates vary from one company to the next. Provide them with your checklist to see if they can give you an estimate.

The amount of up keep and maintenance you will need

When working with a web design company, you need to consider more than the initial job itself. For example, how long will you need service? Websites and blogs need to be maintained and updated regularly. Will you be able to make updates yourself? If you don’t have the time or knowledge necessary to keep a website updated on a regular basis, it would be ideal for you to find a good company that can offer you long-term services.

Even if you do plan on making updates yourself, you still might need ongoing support, just in case something goes wrong. Before investing in services, find out about the company’s process for support. How does it handle support? How long will it take for them to make changes or fix errors?

Your own knowledge and expertise

If you do have knowledge of website design, are you confident enough that you will be able to build a professional, quality site? If you have been wondering whether or not you should pay for web design services, then you probably don’t have confidence in your abilities. If you do, then it might be time you are concerned about. The longer it takes for your website to be ready, the longer you will have to wait to start earning money and customers from it. Trying to put together a site yourself can result in errors and setbacks.

The type of website you require

If your goal is to build an online store, it will require a lot more expertise than a personal blog would. If the type of website you require needs a lot of expertise to build it, you will find that hiring a professional design company will save you a lot of time and headaches.

So, is it worth the cost of hiring a web design services company? It is if you want a quality layout and don’t have the time, resources, or expertise to build and maintain a site yourself. Just make sure you do your homework and only work with a company with a good reputation and portfolio. They should offer good customer service and be there to provide you support whenever you need it.

Who Maintains and Update the Site

If you’ve ever had website or server challenges that had the potential to affect your revenue, you know how important good customer service can be. Having the option to speak to a live person – as opposed to just a help forum – can be critically important to your bottom line. A quick response time for support services can mean a revenue difference of hundreds, or possibly thousands of dollars to your business.

We also understand that you don’t want to be having to call technical support every time that there is a change to your business – such as a new product or service, a sale or a price change. For this reason, we offer content managed system (CMS) website design. There are literally thousands of CMS programs available on the market so going it alone can be a daunting task. Using the wrong system, can ultimately slow down your online progress and ultimately be a detriment to your business. This is why our website designers, give you a CMS that is custom designed for your website.

Content Management Systems (CMS) is a way to let you manage your website content without being a web designer. It is a simple, intuitive process that lets you add, delete and change content as your business changes. And don’t worry, the core design of your site will stay the same, so you can’t “break” anything!
Another great advantage of CMS is that it is completely web-based. If you want to make a change to your website, you simply have to log in to your website to do so. No additional software is required. So if you need to make a quick change, you don’t have to come into the office to do so – all you require is internet access.

Furthermore, CMS allows you to make a variety of edits including, changes to content, uploading files such as PDFs and video files, as well as adding, removing or changing photos. You can even create additional pages for your website that will have the same look and feel as the rest of your site.
Our website designers will work with you to ensure that your CMS has the right features for your website and for your business. For example, if your site requires a shopping cart, we will ensure that you get the shopping cart that best suits your unique needs.

And while we provide CMS programs that are simple to administer, we do of course understand that sometimes you may need the help of someone with more technical experience. And we are here to help. Anytime that you run into an issue that you are not able to resolve, we welcome your calls to our help services.

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