Custom web design isn’t always cheap, especially when it’s done well. If you’re a small business trying to encourage growth and success, it can be a tricky decision choosing between top quality custom web design and your budget. 

The good news is there are ways to save money on custom web design, allowing you to feel the benefits of a great website without suffering the effects of unexpected costs. Here are 5 tips the Kartogram team recommend for saving money on custom web design projects. 

1. Talk to your designer - have a conversation with your custom web designer about your brand so that they can understand what your business is all about. The more familiar your web designer can become with your business and the story you want to tell, the more likely they’ll hit the brief first time. Having this conversation with your web designer could save you a lot of money in the long run - minimal need for edits and a prompt end date for your project! 

2. Write your own copy - if you’ve got the time to spare, writing your own custom website copy can save you a reasonable sum from your overall custom web design project costs. If you match your text to the pages on your site map, your custom web designer can directly transfer your copy across to your brand new website. It’s as easy as that! 

3. Set a clear brief - from visual elements like colour palette through to functionality and user experience - it’s important to give your custom web designer as much information as possible about what you want your final product to look like. If you set a clear brief then the expectation for your custom web design project can be agreed before any money is exchanged. You can iron out any details at the very start and save yourself the cost of fixing things later on! 

4. Invest in your CMS - whilst it may seem like an extra expense when your custom web designer mentions a bespoke CMS, in reality this feature can save you endless amounts of money as you’ll find it easier to edit your website yourself. It’s well worth investing early in securing a CMS that will work for you and your business needs - that way, you can learn how to tweak and edit your content and only pay your web designer for the really large updates. 

5. Be honest about your budget - if you’re up front with your custom web designer at the beginning of your project about how much you’re looking to spend, your designer can help to ensure you stay within the budget you’ve allocated. Your designer will be able to advise you about what you can and can’t afford for the custom web design, ultimately saving you money and protecting you from any surprise spend! 

For more tips on cost effective custom web design, get in touch with Kartogram today. Our friendly and experienced team of custom web designers and developers can guide you through the project planning stages and produce high end results within your budget. Learn more about what Kartogram could do for your business by contacting us.