Popular (Unpopular) Truths
In our industry, popular thought is that you hire a designer, and then tell them what to do. This simple myth is why many people do not hire a design team, because they don’t know how to tell them what they want. But that is why you hire a professional. An amateur gives you want you want, but a professional gives you what you NEED. Here are some very popular posts and responses Phil has been involved with that honestly explains the truth behind the design process, and also, how people ought to think about their own sustainability in a very chaotic economy.
As a web designer, I will say for the most part that it is not the website that is probably the problem. It’s the idea of saving cost on the website that IS the problem. Most people I design for say they have “no idea” how to develop a website, and then once the contract is signed, all of a sudden they dictate how the website should be built. That is not how web design should be. You don’t tell a doctor how to remove your appendix, do you? Professional designers have spent many years analyzing code, noticing what works and what doesn’t, researching demographics, etc…And we often see what is best for a business because we have an objective view of it. But how often do we hear “I don’t think that is necessary!” or “That is going to cost HOW MUCH to do?!”
*sigh*
Look…If you are worried about the “cost” of your website, you are missing the whole point of having one. A design spearheaded by a professional may cost you more than what you were looking to spend, but it will pay off ten to twenty fold in return on investment. So if your website is not doing what you wanted it to do, you have to ask yourself this one question: “Did I not let the professional do the job I paid them to do, or did I argue because it was going to cost too much, and I didn’t think it should?” I understand what Brian Reynolds below me is saying. but my company specializes in making small businesses look like bigger businesses, and level the playing field for the concerns mentioned…But a client has to trust the professional and the process, or else they get what they have always had: Something amateur. I know the biggest complaint about competing with big business is that they have “deep pockets”. But at one point, they were a small business just like you. The only difference between yesterday’s market and today’s market is those now big businesses understood that “the only want to make money is by spending money”, and I would add by spending that money wisely and let the professionals give you what you need, not what you want. When people try to cut the cost of how they present themselves to the world, it shows…Trust me. You know it, and so do we all. No amount of SEO will save you if you screwed the look and navigation of your website. You can lead a horse to water, but if you do not make that water look tasty and relevant, that horse will go find another well to drink from…And that well will usually be the bigger company who realized when they were a smaller company that they needed to let the professionals do their job, the job they spent years doing, and worry about the cost later. I know I will get flack on this, but sometimes the truth sucks. After all AT&T (Bell) was up against Western Union when they started off, and now the only time we hear of Western Union is when we need to wire money to some shady store in the middle of a street you wouldn’t want to be caught at in the dark. AT&T believed enough in themselves to invest in themselves wisely…Do you? That is the difference between small business and big business…The reason big business has “deep pockets” is because they invest in themselves, and get the right people to do their job without being told what to do all the time. It’s the difference between the “big picture” and “sweating the small stuff”.
My business started off with my own money (which was actually below $500), and we are now in competition with big design firms across the country…We even have some of their former clients…It’s not because we spent a lot of money…It’s because we spent our money wisely, and listened to other’s who were guiding us in those early days. Sometimes it means “this is going to hurt your pocketbook for a while, but it will pay off in the long run”. Just because the internet enables others to find you faster, does not mean they will like what they see. Let’s face it, many small businesses don’t look like they take themselves seriously, because they are cutting costs of the very thing that will get them noticed. These days, it’s all about presentation…Not just getting client’s to your door. Top placement means nothing if the one who clicks in does not like what they are seeing…Or even worse, have to dig for what they see.
I think if it is a company saying that, but charging for the “Over Deliver”, it is a crappy strategy…It is making it so other companies who put their cards on the table up front are being told by clients, “This company charged this amount and delivered just as much for FREE…So what kind of discount do I get?” It really is deceptive. I know with my own company, we have been accused of that being our strategy, but that is not the case. For design, every project is unique, so it comes with stuff we may not have been aware of at the beginning. Do I throw in those “extra” details that make it the way it should be? Absolutely! But that is only because our designs are the face of our company…Not because it is a strategy. But to use it as a slogan, I think it is just to the point where people expect it now, so it is pretty pointless…On that, I agree with Maury Kosh. Every company SHOULD be doing that, but not as a “strategy”, but more for “sustainability”.
I am going to play a bit of hardball here…There used to be a sign I saw hanging up in my mechanic’s shop: We offer services good, fast, and cheap. Pick any two. “Good and Fast” will not be “Cheap”. “Good and Cheap” will not be “Fast”. “Fast and Cheap” will not be “Good”.
People never haggle the high price of Starbucks coffee. If they want it, it’s worth it to them. The same thing goes for any consumer good. What I have come to understand from the perspective of the creative and design industry is that when one person sells their services lower, it hurts the industry as a whole. Look at the WalMart model and how small businesses are dying out. Same principle. Why go anywhere and pay what it’s worth if it is just going to be rolled back soon due to bulk buying?
People need to make a living, and it is not the client who determines how the person providing the services lives. As a visual design company, we set our prices the way we have because it accounts for our equipment, which goes through a great deal of wear and tear with each job. People don’t often understand that, but when I do explain it to them, then they get it. If they do not understand, that is fine. They don’t have to. For each client that has only price in mind, rather than the quality of the end product, there are plenty of people out there who will satisfy that…Usually people who have just gradated design school and need a portfolio. That’s the ONLY reason folks get design cheap And that’s ok. We don’t need to have every client in the world. In a way, we are giving those who just graduated a chance to hone their skills and the client a cheaper service. Win-win.
But for every client we turn down due to the “cheap” factor, we usually get 3 more who agree to services at our already reasonable costs. I find if I spend too much time trying to sell a client that wants “cheaper”, I am ignoring others who may feel our services are worth it. Often the ones who choose to work with us find they are surprised that even though we charge a lot by the hour, the end price is much lower than they expected. That’s because people are paying us for our experience as well as our skills. If you pay us $75 an hour for a service and it gets done in 4 hours, it is still way cheaper than someone charging $25 an hour and taking 20 hours to complete. I guess it all depends on how much the client values themselves, you, and what you provide in the end.
However, that does not mean I am cold-hearted. My business partner and I do assess each client on a case by case basis, and have often offered services at lower prices for people starting out their own business, elderly, people who are struggling, etc. But if I did that with every company or person that asked for something “cheaper”, I would be out of business. That has to be the qualifying factor for any business or independent worker…To keep the doors open and the lights on. So if you do offer at a lower price, let them understand they are on the “low priority list” to others who are paying full price, but you will make sure that the overall quality of the job is impeccable. If they do not understand that up front, you are probably dodging a bullet.
Reach Out!
Keep Looking!
Get Social With Us
Isn't it silly not to use Philly?
© Philly Puddy Designs until the end of time…
So don’t even think about it.