The Cheapest Quote isn’t Always Best
When looking for a quote for your next website or for media work, you will probably be faced with a range of prices, high and low. Today we will investigate whether the cheapest quote really is the best or whether you should bite the bullet and invest a little more in your marketing efforts.
Is the cheapest quote the best?
In short, the answer is no - you really do get what you pay for. Here at After Digital we have had many businesses approach us, desperate for us to fix disaster websites and pieces of artwork after opting for the cheapest quote. In accepting the cheapest quote, you aren’t only placing your website at risk but also your market position if placed in the hands of the wrong agency!
Top tip: when deciding whether the cheapest quote is the best quote for you, consider how long the project is likely to take, how much resource is required to complete the project and take into consideration the cost of the staff completing the project. After this, if you are questioning how the quote is so cheap, it’s very likely this is not the right quote for you.
Additionally, many companies have the flexibility to provide cheaper quotes as they are outsourcing project work to freelancers, other countries with cheaper rates, or they are opting for off-the-shelf templates rather than bespoke designs. As a result, your website/artwork is not designed to a high standard, is not durable, and often has not been tested to display consistently across browsers.
However, cheaper quotes are often a result of the business using a freelancer and it is possible to opt for the cheapest quote and for everything to be okay. We would only recommend opting for the cheapest quote if:
Your project is relatively small. If your project is large in scope and cheap quotes are offered, you run the risk of dealing with inexperienced companies or off-the-shelf templates being used.
Cheaper usually means lower quality which doesn’t conform to web standards however if you have a little bit of coding knowledge and are familiar with html, you could hopefully fix any problems yourself if you have no option but to go with the cheapest quote.
Removing language barriers allows each party to fully understand the requirements of the project and get it right the first time. If you are using a business in another country, make sure you trust the country, are familiar with your consumer rights in that country and take into consideration cultural differences.
Ask for past examples. If you can clearly see the difference the business has made to others within the industry, the cheaper quote may be suitable to accept. You wouldn’t buy a new car without visiting the showroom first, and websites are similar. It’s essential to take the time to research the company’s work and ask for up to date customer testimonials too!
If you are unhappy with any elements of the quote, you should consider a quote which isn’t the cheapest. At After Digital, we do our best to provide competitive quotes for all our work after receiving the brief and scoping the project. We’re confident that you’ll love what we produce for you, and our team of professionals have years of experience so you know your project is in good hands.
We’re more than happy to answer your questions on web design or development so if you need any advice on how we can help your business reach it’s full potential, drop us an email at hello@afterdigital.co.uk.