Website Creation: Why a “Simple” Website Doesn’t Cost $100

Over the course of my designing and developing of websites, I’ve done a fair amount of work in all the various aspects of putting together a site. I’m no expert by any means, but a good website requires a great deal more time and effort than many people think it does.

This is the 1st part of a 4-part look at my website creation process.

When I say, “I design websites,” some people think “Oh well, that’s simple, give me the right tools and I can too.” However, as one of my friends pointed out, that’s like saying “Give me a paintbrush and I can paint a masterpiece.” There is far more involved in the creation of a masterpiece than simply having a paintbrush and paint. Likewise, there is far more involved in the creation of a good website than simply having a plan and the right tools. Each step of the creation of a website is a multi-tiered process with far more beneath the surface than meets the eye.

Let’s look at a few of the most basic components of any web design effort. For my work, this usually falls into 3 major categories:

1. Design
2. Code
3. Testing and Maintenance

Although seemingly simple, each of these can be a rather long and involved process and often can (should) require it’s own budget. Additionally, each of these processes is worth more than $100 itself. Therefore, a “simple” web design effort (that includes each of these parts) is worth far more than $100.

I like lists. Therefore, let me present a list of the steps I generally take any time I create a website. This will hopefully help to (1) clarify exactly what my job(s) is, (2) show why a good design is worth so much more than people often expect, and (3) alleviate some of the “mystery” as to where my time is spent as I work on a project.

Let’s look at each of these parts in a separate blog post (to save space and your scrolling finger).

I hope you enjoy learning about my design process!

• Step 1 – Design
• Step 2 – Code
• Step 3 – Testing and Maintenance

What do you think?

Did I miss anything? What about your design process? Any tips or bits of advice are always welcome!