This comprehensive guide on website development packages is designed to simplify your decision making.
Developing a new website for your business is an exciting endeavor that can yield tremendous benefits if done right. However, the process can also get overwhelming fast. With so many options, platforms, features and providers to evaluate, how do you decide what works best for your specific needs and budget?Let’s explore the key factors to consider when selecting a packaged website solution:
Determining Your Business Goals and Objectives
First and foremost, you need crystal clarity on what you want your new website to achieve. Common business goals for having an online presence include:
- Generating more leads and sales
- Establishing credibility and trust
- Improving customer service levels
- Streamlining operations
- Creating new revenue channels
Other pivotal questions to ask are:
- Who is your target audience? Understand their pains, needs and behavior
- What actions do you want site visitors to take?
- What features will add maximum value for users?
- What level of traffic do you estimated?
- What is your budget and timeline?
Having clear website objectives and KPIs will allow you to convey your requirements effectively to potential web development partners.
Choosing Between DIY vs Custom Website Builders vs Web Development Agencies
Once your goals are defined, the next big decision is what type of website development team you want to work with. Here are the usual options:
DIY website builders: This do-it-yourself option allows anyone to launch a website without coding skills through drag-and-drop site builders like Wix and Squarespace. The tradeoff is less customization and performance.
Custom website builders: Providers like Webflow offer higher-quality templates focused on customized design. However, you still do most of the upfront work.
Web development agencies: Full-service agencies like ExoGrow Solutions offer end-to-end support – from planning to design, programming and launch. This complete ownership gets you the most tailored solution aligned seamlessly to your business requirements but is typically the priciest option.
Carefully weighing the pros and cons of each approach based on your internal capability, requirements and budget will steer you towards the right resource mix.
Selecting Core Website Features and Functionalities
Now here comes the fun part – the features and functions that will make your website distinctly useful for your audience. With the sky being the limit, restraint is key in the initial stages. Focus only on the features that are vital for an exceptional first release. You can always build upon your digital foundation incrementally.
Some no-brainer features include:
Responsive design: Ensures a stellar viewing experience for users on any device – mobile, tablet or desktop. No more pesky zooming and scrolling.
Contact forms: Allow website visitors to get in touch easily regarding any queries, requests or feedback.
SEO optimization: Improves organic search visibility through clean site architecture focused on relevancy.
Content management: Provides easy CMS tools to add, edit and manage website content without developer dependency.
E-commerce functionality: For an online store, shopping cart integrations, multiple payment methods etc. are a must.
Prioritizing website elements that directly map to your business objectives saves time, money and effort while upholding user experience. STILL ADD HERE
Comparing Website Development Packages
Professional web development agencies offer a range of service packages to choose from – right from basic brochure sites to complex web apps and portals. Comparing the inclusions across different packages helps identify the best value.
Here are key aspects to examine when evaluating options:
Scope of work – What all is covered end-to-end in a package from strategy, design, UX, custom programming, testing to launch support?
Core features – How do features compare between packages? Are there limitations?
Design complexity – Number of custom design concepts, revisions allowed etc.
Security – Specifications of security measures applied
Responsiveness – Supporting mobile, tablet in addition to desktop
Performance guarantee – Page load speed, uptime guarantees, if provided
Post-launch support – Is ongoing maintenance and enhancements included?
Price – Overall cost considerations and payment models
Let’s analyze sample website development packages from leading web development firm ExoGrow Solutions on these assessment parameters:
Bronze Package
- 3 page brochure site
- Contact forms
- SEO metadata
- 100% responsive
- 1 custom design concept
- Content upload
- SSL certificate
- 6 months maintenance
Silver Package
- Up to 10 pages
- Lead capture integration
- Custom programming
- Social media links
- Blog functionality
- 2 design concepts
- 1 year maintenance
Gold Package
- Up to 20 pages
- Advanced CMS (WordPress)
- Form integrations
- E-commerce capability
- Custom workflows
- Priority support
- 2 years maintenance
Platinum Package
- High-traffic portal
- Complex web app development
- Phased milestone delivery
- Load testing
- Accessibility compliance
- Dedicated accounts team
- Multi-year maintenance
Evaluating such tiered packages against your specific requirements makes choosing straightforward while allowing room to scale up efforts. STILL HERE
Considerations for E-Commerce Websites
For online stores and marketplaces, appropriately robust technology is non-negotiable. You need platforms designed for enterprise-grade performance, security and scaling capabilities.
Besides factoring everything we have covered so far, additional e-commerce-specific package considerations include:
- Built using SaaS or On-premise
- Bandwidth needs
- Inventory management capability
- Multiple payment gateways
- Control over site content
- Multi-vendor capability
- Sales reporting and analytics
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Returns/refunds handling
Solutions like Shopify make launching simpler but come with lesser control compared to Magento, WooCommerce or custom-built options. Review priorities before locking any e-commerce website packages.
Getting the Best Deal: Cost vs Value Analysis
Finally, let’s talk budgets. Website development costs vary based on all scope considerations we have covered so far. Generally simpler brochure sites start as low as $500 while complex platforms with custom programming can run over $100k.
While everyone loves a deal, assess true value-for-money thoroughly before making cost-focused decisions:
- Are cheaper agencies making concerning tradeoffs on security, performance or after-sales support?
- Does the agency offer cost transparency and price protection?
- Does lower pricing equate lower expertise that can bottleneck your digital success?
- Does the provider offer a total cost guarantee by capping endless hidden charges?
Asking such pertinent questions helps uncover any tradeoffs being made on key parameters core for your goals under the garb of discounts.
The Winning Package = Aligned Services + Demonstrated Expertise
That concludes our detailed playbook comparing parameters for picking ideal website development packages tailored to diverse business needs.
The winning combination ultimately includes offerings accurately aligned to current and future requirements along with demonstrate, proven expertise across:
- Strategic roadmapping workshops
- Result-driven design
- Custom programming aligned to security best practices
- Seamless UX and UI
- Reliable ongoing support
This powerful mix of strategic vision meeting impeccable execution is hard to find. Yet the results are transformative when you do. The best solutions vault your digital presence into a valuable business asset driving actual ROI vs. just an online brochure.
On that closing note, wish you the very best in your hunt for the perfect web development partner! Reach out anytime if ExoGrow Solutions can be of assistance bringing your digital ambitions to reality.
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