Don’t Fall Into The Best Price Trap

So you are in the market for a website.  You do a quick search and see that there are hundreds of options.  How do you choose?  Unfortunately we have seen many companies fall into the “Best Price” trap.  What is this trap you ask?  It goes something like this:  You do a Google search for Boise Idaho web design then contact three or four vendors who ask you a couple of general questions.  They send you a quote and you hire the one with the cheapest price.  The problem is that not all vendors and not all estimates are created equal.

Let us start with vendors.  While many companies claim to be Boise Idaho web design experts not all of them are what they appear to be.  It is crucial to do your homework and ask them some very important questions.  At a minimum you need to know how long they have been in business, do they build the websites in house or do they outsource them (often overseas), are they BBB accredited, do they provide references , do they have a portfolio and what does it looks like.  We have found that the saying “You get what you pay for” is always true in web design especially in Boise Idaho.

Another potential pitfall is the “estimate.”  Every client’s needs are unique which should be to be taken into consideration when quoting and building a website. When you get a quote from a Boise Idaho web design specialist they will spend a significant amount of time talking with you and take into consideration ALL of your needs.  If, however, a vendor spends only a few minutes with you before giving you a quote RUN.  You can be pretty sure they are just throwing out a number they think you will like.  It is actually quite common for web design vendors to intentionally give a low estimate knowing that once they win the bid they can charge you whatever they want.

This leads us to the biggest gotcha of all, the hourly charge.  Most web design vendors in Boise Idaho charge by the hour for their time.  When you get a quote they are making a “guess” as to how many hours your web design project will take.  When you hire someone who charges this way you are essentially writing them a blank check.  They can make their best estimate but they cannot predict with any certainty the actual total.  This means you have no idea how many hours you will actually get billed for.

  • If for example the project takes one extra day at an hourly rate of $100 (8 x $100) your bill is now $800 higher than expected.
  • Now let us assume your project takes an extra week (40 x $100).  That final invoice you are going to be obligated to pay just jumped $4,000 additional dollars.  That is not a risk we would be comfortable taking.

So what is the solution?  Pick the best web designer for the job based on their qualifications NOT their price.  Chances are what may look like a higher price to begin with often ends up being a better deal after the “cheaper” company bills you for all the hidden fees.  Remember a great website is an investment but a bad one is a liability.  Trust me, you will thank us later.

At Oasis Interactive we know you have a lot of choices for Boise Idaho web design vendors.  We attempt to set ourselves apart with the quality of our work, our years of experience, our reputation, our amazing staff, and our BBB partnership.  We even charge flat rates instead of hourly fees so we can provide you with a fixed quote NOT an estimate.  If you are in Boise Idaho or anywhere else in the country we would love the opportunity to have an in depth conversation with you about your web design needs.  We will provide you with a quote and get you on your way to meeting your marketing goals.