{"id":10217,"date":"2022-11-15T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/?p=10217"},"modified":"2023-10-11T09:14:15","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T07:14:15","slug":"our-tips-for-beautiful-but-affordable-web-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/our-tips-for-beautiful-but-affordable-web-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Our tips for beautiful but affordable web design"},"content":{"rendered":"

You can only make a good first impression once. That applies to everything you do, but especially to your website. But... you also do not want to pay through the nose for your web design. So how do you reconcile these two requirements and make an unforgettable first impression without breaking the bank? We will help you make the right choices for professional but affordable web design.<\/p>\n

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Do you want to create your web design yourself or outsource it?<\/h2>\n

No doubt you have already thought about having your own website. Or perhaps you are considering taking your existing website to the next level. But you are still hesitating because you are put off by the cost.<\/p>\n

But how much exactly does it cost to get your own website? Well, we have good news for you: an attractive website is actually not that expensive. Both building the website and hosting it are very reasonably priced.<\/p>\n

In this article, we will focus on the cost of web design, as well as on the look and feel of your website.<\/p>\n

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Download our beginners guide<\/h4>\n

In our free e-book \"Build your own website: Get started with your own professional website\", we cover everything you need to know before you build your own website, from start to finish, including the costs you can expect to pay.<\/p>\n

-> Download it here<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Building your own website with a website builder or a CMS<\/h2>\n

What you do yourself, you usually do better. But mostly cheaper \ud83d\ude09. And the same holds true for creating a website. The simplest (and least expensive) solution is to build your website yourself.<\/strong> And to do so, you do not have to be a computer geek and code everything from scratch. After all, there are many tools available to you these days: website builders<\/strong> and content management systems<\/strong> (CMS) like WordPress.<\/p>\n

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Website builder: ready-made web design<\/h3>\n

A website builder has all the basic building blocks you need for a fully functional and professional website. It provides you with pre-made web designs that come in the form of beautiful templates. And some have even been created specifically for your sector or product \u2013 it does not get any easier than this!<\/p>\n

With only a few clicks, you can fully customise these templates. Just replace the default photos with your own, add your own texts and your website will be ready in no time at all.<\/p>\n

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Get started right away with a beautifully designed website thanks to SiteBuilder templates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

With a website builder, any person who is a bit crafty can whip up a professional-looking website in the twinkling of an eye.<\/p>\n

For a not too complex website, this is definitely the best option, as you have a predictable all-in price. So there will be no nasty surprises afterwards. Even the hosting (i.e. the infrastructure your website will be running on) is included in the price.<\/p>\n

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Tip: Choose SiteBuilder from Combell<\/p>\n

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The main advantage of Combell SiteBuilder is that you immediately know how much you will have to pay. Because you choose a package that includes website hosting, the use of templates and photos. And you get all that for a fixed, monthly fee.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Check out the SiteBuilder options<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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CMS: starting from a professional theme<\/h3>\n

A Content Management System works similarly to a website builder. One of the most widely known CMSs is WordPress<\/strong>, but Drupal, Magento and Joomla are also commonly used.<\/p>\n

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All you have to do is pick one of the tens of thousands of themes available, then add features such as a contact form, social media buttons, and your website is ready: you can now add your texts.<\/p>\n

The big difference is that WordPress is even more flexible than a classic website builder: you can choose from thousands of themes, which are all responsive (i.e. adapted to all screens), as well as countless plug-ins (both free and paid) for all sorts of features.<\/p>\n

Because of its many features, the learning curve is a bit steeper though, so it takes just a bit longer to get to grips with WordPress.<\/p>\n

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You can also read:<\/p>\n

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<\/a>Which CMS should you choose for your website: WordPress, Joomla or Drupal?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Outsourcing your project after all<\/h3>\n

Cutting costs is one thing, but spending time on your web design also comes at a price. So you will always have to weigh up how much your time is worth and whether it would not be preferable to hire someone to help after all.<\/p>\n

If you start working on your website single-handedly, it will take you quite some time before you achieve a professional-looking web design. So, the question is, would you rather spend your precious time on developing your company than on designing your website? Or would you like to have a fully-fledged website, but are afraid that creating it is beyond your capabilities?<\/p>\n

In such cases, you can decide to outsource the building of your website. And do not worry: it will not necessarily cost you a fortune. In this article, we will give you some tips to help you choose an affordable web design agency.<\/p>\n

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Having your website designed by a web design agency<\/h2>\n

Are you really not comfortable dealing with web design yourself? If so, you can decide to have your website created by a freelancer or a web design agency. They will help you with professional but affordable web design \u2013 provided you make the necessary arrangements in advance. And do some preparatory work yourself.<\/p>\n

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Choosing the right web design agency<\/h3>\n

Who will you hire to create your professional website? There are a lot of web design agencies out there offering affordable websites. Choosing the right (and affordable) web designer who can work out a budget-friendly web solution for your business is not easy. Below are some factors worth considering when making your choice:<\/p>\n

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1. Find the right match<\/h4>\n

Everything starts with finding the right persons\/agency for the job. The more they are a good match for you, the easier and faster you will get to the desired result. And this will also be reflected in the final invoice.<\/p>\n

Check out the portfolio<\/em><\/strong> of several web design agencies in advance. Visit the websites they have created so far. Do they all look the same or are there some original creations? Are they made for a particular business sector?<\/p>\n

If the agency specialises in accountants, for example, and you run a catering business, you need completely different features. That makes the design work more complex and can drive up the price.<\/p>\n

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2. Think things through before getting started<\/h4>\n

Web design prices can vary enormously. But keep this in mind: what your website needs to do will determine how much it costs to have it built.<\/p>\n

First of all, focus on the purpose of your website, the reason why you want to take your business online. Having a wonderfully beautiful website is great, but that alone will not make your visitors want to return to your website and convert them into customers.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span>Decide what you want your website to do<\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

So it is important that you know what you want, and what your website needs to do. Some offline preparation is thus in order. Remember: the more preparation you do, the smoother the collaboration with the web design agency will be, and the more say you will have in the process.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span>Bring up your business plan and style guide<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What kind of business do you have? Who are your customers? What are your services and your marketing plans? A professional web design agency will rely on that information to make your website a very efficient tool. Without that information, your website will not really stand out and may even be a big waste of money.<\/p>\n

Do you already have a corporate identity? The style of your new website will have to be representative of your company online, which is why you should start from your own logo and colours. Collect previous visual applications and show them to your web design partner so he or she can use them as a basis to develop new ideas.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span>Explore the web<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What do you think is a beautiful website? Find examples of other websites that have a particular feature you would like to have on your website as well, or other websites that you find visually appealing. Just like when you create a mood board when decorating your home, you can also create a mood board to communicate your web design requirements.<\/p>\n

When you show this to the web designer, he or she will be able to tell you how much everything is going to cost, and what is feasible or not.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span>What do you want on your website?<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A list of must-haves and nice-to-haves will help the web designer understand what your priorities are. This will make it easier for you to keep costs under control.<\/p>\n

It is also best to have all your content written in advance. Nothing is more likely to kill your budget than constantly having to update your content. Of course, you can also have your copywriting done by your web agency or someone else, but then you will most probably incur additional costs. Even if you decide to go down that route, briefing your copywriter effectively is key to limit (re)writing.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span>Carefully consider your photo strategy<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Free stock photos are simply not done, as they will make your business look stingy and unprofessional. Nice stock photos cost money. But why not hire a professional photographer (or a photography student)? You will soon find that photos taken by them are quite affordable. And they will also be cheaper than if your web designer has to go buy them.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span>Also, make sure to put the following on paper:<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n