If you are a business looking to go online and put your first business website in place then there are a wide range of prices and options out there and to be honest it is very confusing and there is a wide range of prices often for the same thing. However here are some questions that you should ask when you do contact a website design company to understand the basis of the costing.
Does the Price Include Hosting and Domain Name Registration
Make sure that there are no hidden costs for domain registration and for hosting. If the cost includes domain name registration ask that this price be for a 5 year registration and not for a one year one so you wont be hit with a renewal fee the following year. Also ask how much the exact hosting fee and where it will be hosted. Many companies inflate this cost to make extra margin.
Will I Be Able to Edit the Site Myself
Being able to edit the page content yourself is really useful if your marketing message changes regularly. If the answer is No then ask how quickly they can implement edits and if here is an additional charge for these edits once the site is signed off (usually there is). Try and negotiate a flat monthly fee if you do plan to submit a lot of edits. Ideally your sire would have a content management system (CMS) that would allow you to do this yourself.
Yearly Support Fee
Male sure that you understand if there is a yearly support fee and what this entails. I usually give first 12 months for free and then charge a small fee for future years. Many other companies differ on their approach.
Payment Terms
Find out if there is a deposit and what he payment and contract terms are for the site. Most businesses will expect a 20-40% deposit in advance.
