Nowadays, when you’re speaking of the costs for a custom website, the prices are all over the board. Some require huge build fees, while others darn near give it away to charge a high monthly fee. Either way, I will break down our web design and SEO packages here, and will give you an understanding of why you’re paying; and for what.
Facts About Website Design and SEO Today
The vast majority of our clients come off
SEO and Google (as you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that’s how you find us, too). With a zillion website designers these days, pretty much anyone can “build” a website. And if you don't already know, SEO stands for "Search Engine Optimization". But since Google still has around 90% of the search engine market share, you may as well call it Google Marketing, really.
As you probably know, there are A LOT of web design software options available to build a website these days. Most are trying to make the process easy, but often lack the necessary tools to really penetrate the Google search results.
I will state a clear fact, not all websites are built the same. While that may seem obvious, the point is, there’s a reason why certain websites always show around the top of Google…and it’s RARELY no accident anymore. And now, you have AI that is literally creating entire websites based off certain criteria. I will tell you from experience in testing beta AI-driven websites, they don't perform well on Google...at all.
So with that being said, just because you got a deal on a website doesn’t mean that person did you a favor. As an SEO and web design consultant of 23 years, I can say you usually get what you pay for, believe it or not.
In fact, there are times I may turn down a client or recommend another. While rare, I have found instances where they already have solid SEO in place on their website. So if I’m basically redoing the site for the same results…I will be honest, it’s probably a waste of money. I don’t SELL people here, I fact find. And by that I mean I don’t want to do business if they bail 6 months later. It’s really a waste of time for both parties. We’re trying to establish relationships that last long-term.
At the end of the day, for all of my clients (minus e-commerce), their goal for their website is to be a lead-generator. If your website isn’t bringing you business, what are you paying for really?
SEO Web Design Packages
So I will state again, that the vast majority of my clients came to me because they wanted better SEO for their website. And in recent years, many have come to use our
Google Business Profile SEO as well. Truth be told, when you have a website AND Google Business Profile tied together right…it’s the gift that just keeps on giving.
If you’re in the service industry, for example, this should be your best ROI every time. If someone needs your service, it’s no secret they’re going to pick up their phone and Google whatever services you offer. And if you’re NOT in the 3-pack of Google Business Profile Results OR missing from the top 3 to 5 in Google…you’re probably missing out on A LOT of leads.
We RARELY do ads here for our clients to get leads. 99% of what we do relies on the organic search results from search engines. Again, it’s all about that ROI.
And normally, we charge based on the amount of SEO that will be necessary in the future. So for example, if I’m working on a service industry website in a small area…often the competition is weak. So you can easily slide your website high in the results and enjoy the ride.
But I do have a lot of clients in areas with A LOT of competition. I do a lot of
fishing charter web design here and it’s common for a harbor to have hundreds of competitors for the same service. So in this case, it’ll require more time to establish your website in the results.
The Website Design and SEO Packages We Offer
Our pricing for web design and SEO is pretty black and white. We charge a fixed rate for website design, and then we determine your monthly fees (based on needs).
All of the websites we build start with around the same fee structure, with a few exceptions including E-commerce. Building an e-commerce website RIGHT normally takes almost double the time of a regular website. But when done right, the results are typically quite profitable.
We recently upgraded one of our client’s websites,
PK Lures, for example. The goal for that website was for a SIMPLE and EASY shopping experience for all those online. And since, the stats of that website has skyrocketed (including the conversion rate).
We offer an affordable rate for our web design, as we work with A LOT of small businesses. The last thing I want is to take money from a small business and not deliver results. Many small businesses can’t afford to make a big mistake, and the website designer you choose is vital.
Even today, we do have some websites that we only charge $99/month. If you think that’s a lot for an SEO-optimized website, you’re not going to want to see what many offer for the same services, and it isn’t cheap. I just so happen to LOVE SEO myself and my personality is competitive to the max. I don’t like to lose, and yes, that includes my client’s websites.
And with the majority of our clients, we throw in Google Business Profile services as well. Historically, setting up a Google Business Profile RIGHT was a pretty straightforward process. However, nowadays Google is getting VERY picky with validating new profiles, so we tend to spend more time these days than ever getting them verified.
RECAP on Google and Web Design Today
I see A LOT of companies on social media pushing a lie that “SEO is Dead”. It’s not, at all, actually. But as stated earlier, their goal is to often sell you a high-ticket Google Ads package, because it’s very lucrative and profitable (when they’re charging around the levels mentioned earlier).
And I say this all the time, EVERYONE who’s in the web design industry claims to be an “SEO expert”. It’s so watered down that it’s hardly relevant sounding anymore. When everyone is claiming to be an expert, how do you see through it all???
At the end of the day, how did you find this article? No accident. Search Engine Optimiation is what we do here, and we’ve done it well for over 2 decades. Call me if you’d like to have a free conversation about your online marketing.
