Why a budget is important

Reasons why a budget is a good thing and why you shouldn't be worried about disclosing it

We are regularly involved in the pitch process, so we know what goes into preparing proposals and recommendations for a web project. If the project budget is not outlined from the outset it's just guess work trying to establish the best solution for that company or individual. To quote the old adage, "There are many ways to skin a cat" likewise there are many ways to build a web site. We always say that there is a solution for every budget and we genuinely believe that. However, what you want to achieve and how you achieve it is often dictated by your budget.

How does knowing the budget help?

It's quite simple - if we know what your budget is, along with your business requirements, we can work out the best solution for you. There is little point us working out a solution aimed at a £15K budget if you have £5,000 available. It just saves wasted effort and allows all of the companies involved in your RFP (Request For Proposal) to have a level playing field. It's quite frustrating to find out that the custom built ecommerce solution you have presented is overkill as the client only has small budget and would be better of with an ebay shop! Where the budget is smaller we would suggest working smarter, not harder. So for example, use tools readily available for some of the sites functionality. For example we suggest things like; - Use the Google maps API for showing the locations of items or people. - Use Flickr to manage your photographs and integrate it into the site as an RSS feed.- Use You Tube or Vimeo for managing your site video content.- Use basecamp for managing your clients area. We can build bespoke alternatives to all of these tools, but they obviously take time to develop and cost money. If the budget is tight and compromises can be made, the available tools are usually more than capable of doing the job.

A set budget means keener quotes

As a customer, you want to get the best price possible, and so you should. We understand why you would want to keep your budgetary cards close to your chest - however it doesn't always work in your favour. By not giving a defined budget you will probably end up with a veritable cross section of quotes from the companies involved, as each one suggests a different solution. It's simple economics really, each company involved is likely to charge similar amounts for similar things - as we are likely to have a similar hourly rate and similar overheads. By defining your budget you are more likely to get similar proposals and suggestions for the work required; meaning you can concentrate on establishing which is the best solution for you and not just the cheapest one.

Won't you just quote for the whole budget?

In some cases yes, we would aim to build you a solution that meets that budget, in others we recognise that you need some of that budget for other things. For example, in the case of a new web site, with a new domain name, you will need some of that budget for advertising. There is no point in spending all of your budget on the web site if no-one can find it for 6 months. Why not spend less on the web site and put some money aside for pay per click advertising, some paid for submission directories or perhaps some SEO work to obtain back links?

Consultants

We want to give you the best solution we can, the solution that maximises your return in investment and ultimately brings you the most business. If that means saving money in one place to allow you to spend in another then so be it. We consider ourselves to be consultants on your project, not just the company commissioned to design and develop the web site for you. P.S. Don't forget to mention if VAT should be included in your budget or not!