We all know the story of “Goldilocks and The Three Bears” where a young woman named Goldilocks inadvertently stumbles upon the three bears’ house. While there she tastes porridge, sits in chairs, and tries out beds. In each case, she determines that the middle of the road option is the best.
This story has given rise to the “Goldilocks Principle.” The principle states that something must fall within certain parameters, rather than being at an extreme, to provide maximum results.
People have applied the Goldilocks Principle to economics, engineering, and many other disciplines.
If you have an SMB, this principle also applies to choosing a web design company.
The Goldilocks Principle and Web Site Costs
If your company needs a website, using this principle, you have three options.
You can go with a company that promises:
(1) “Free” or low-cost websites
(2) Mid-priced options
(3) High-priced websites for large corporations
If you own a small-to-mid-sized company, which is the best way to go?
Do-it-yourself or low-cost web sites? Too cold!
Let’s first look at the free, or relatively inexpensive, websites. Several large web design companies that provide build-it-yourself- options offer them.
They usually offer a variety of online tools and templates to help the user build a website. These companies may also offer ways to increase your website traffic and sell online.
Sounds great?
Well, no—not really. These types of websites have several major drawbacks, and I mean major.
Most of these companies own your site. You will pay monthly fees for its use that will never go away for as long as you use your site.
That doesn’t sound too bad. But it is.
If all goes well, and you want to upgrade your site to accommodate your growing business, you can’t. You can’t move it off their server or have a web design professional come in and revise the site.
The web design company owns your site. So, if you want to change companies, you can’t take your site with you.
Here, you will have to hire a web designer and start from scratch, building the new site that you should have had all along.
Complaints about these inexpensive websites include:
- Unexpected billing problems, including higher than expected monthly chargers
- trouble canceling subscriptions
- Poor customer service with no one dedicated to your website
- Problems using website building software
- Uninspiring template design options
- Loss of business files when using their databases
- And the complaints go on
Also, who will write your content? Unless you’re a website content writer with SEO skills, it won’t get the results your company needs.
High-Priced Website Development companies? Too hot!
Websites charges vary, with very expensive websites costing upwards of $150,000.
Companies that have many high-priced web design teams that are needed for highly complex site designs create these websites. These web design companies are great if you are a large business and money is no object.
But there’s no need to go with a high-priced web design company to get a website that offers great content, design and functionality.
A company that offers great content and technical expertise? Just right!
If you are a small-to-mid-sized company, your website is a critical part of your business. Effective web design is an important and complex matter, but there’s no need to pay the high prices demanded by the more expensive custom web design companies.
But you do want to hire a web design company that has the technological expertise and creative talent to create a compelling website that meets your business needs.
Websites need to have a pleasing design, clean navigation, inspiring content, and be SEOs friendly. They should meet all of your company’s needs.
This may include:
- A shopping cart
- Ability to work with external database interfaces and security
- Back-up to the cloud
- Can be updated by the owner
In short, your website needs the functionality to make your business more efficient and profitable.
In the current market, website costs can range anywhere from “free” to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Small-to-mid-sized companies will do best when going with the Goldilocks Principle for website costs:
When a website is free” or “budget, ” beware—you get what you pay for.
When a website is wildly expensive, you need to look elsewhere.
When a website is market-priced and backed by a company that offers strong technical expertise and creative talent, it’s most likely “just right!”