What Constitutes Affordable Small Business Website Design?

When you're looking for affordable small business website design services, think about the big picture. Don't get suckered in by a tempting price with expensive baggage. Often, I find that small business owners don't factor in the total cost of their website because they're unfamiliar with the process and all the things involved - maybe it's their first website.

For all you rookies, you may want to look at companies like Web.com or Set My Site that cover all the costs associated with having a website. If you're new, it's often easier to let one company handle all your expenses then going with multiple companies just to save a dollar or two. (Tip: The only cost you don't want to bundle is your domain registration and hosting. Keep those with separate companies.)

No matter what company you finally decide to go with, be sure analyze their offer. Web designers and web development companies often push the value of their upfront price. But are all those "affordable monthly payments" due upfront for a year's worth of service? And what about the other costs associated with your website? Affordable small business website design is more than just the upfront price. There are a lot of other costs involved with having a website. Here are some important questions to start with...

• Is there a down payment? If so, how much?
• What do I get for the down payment?
• Does this include my hosting? If so, for how many months?

And here's the biggest catch often associated with "affordable small business website design" - updates. How much will it cost for updates or changes things to your website? How does the pricing work?

These costs can really add up. A lot of web designers will charge anywhere from $20 to $150 an hour. Did you consider that in your affordable small business website design budget calculations? Your business changes and your website will need to change with it. Whether it's a holiday special, announcements, or new products, you want to keep your website current and up to date without breaking the bank. Questions to ask regarding updates include:

• How much do updates cost? How does the pricing work?
• Am I able to update the website myself?
• Will your web design software allow another web designer to update my website?

Affordable small business website design is only affordable if the total cost fits your budget. If your designer is not including all the costs, how affordable is it really? You need to ask the right questions to get the full picture.

There's a lot of small business web designers out there. Some of the affordable small business website design companies that I recommend are Web.com and SetMySite.com. They do a great job of providing small businesses with affordable website solutions... but more importantly... comprehensive solutions. Do some research and find a company that works for your needs.