Price Per Page Websites Demystified and Explained

The Myth of the “Price per Page” website

Often I get leads from our website requesting what it would cost to build a website with a specific number of pages, a recent example of this is below, the question is:

“Hi, Can I get a quote for a 4-5 page website for a recruitment agency? The following would be needed: a file upload and a data entry page where candidates can enter their profile. ”.

I can certainly appreciate that not everyone is privy to our industries pricing models, that’s not at all my issue. I’ll still take the time and reach out to each and every lead. Even if it’s to try and educate them that the number of pages these days don’t matter. It’s all about the strategy, amount of content, functionality and the value you’re providing to your site visitor. Not how many pages their website has.

What does perplex me, however, is the fact that organizations in our industry are pitching sites based on pages. Do a quick Google search and you’ll find a bunch of “package” website sellers right on the very first SERP’s page.  “Get your very own 5-page website for $299.99!!!” 

Well, what if I wanted a 6^th, or I want social integration or I want to sell products or or or…

Selling pages is silly because it doesn’t provide value, it doesn’t address your brand strategy. There’s no focus on messaging and most of all it leaves out your goal conversation approach.  These days, the tools available to us allow our clients to create as many pages as they want with relative ease, so drop the parameters and focus.

Some of the most visually appealing sites I’ve come across are enormously deep but miss the mark in terms of getting me to the end goal. Whereas other site are minimal in nature but do exactly I suspect. Regardless of the number of pages, big, small, it simply needs to meet the objective.  

Here’s a great example from Sony USA. The goal of the page is to convey the artistry that goes into their product design.  They do this utilizing great visual contrasts throughout different areas on this “one-page” Website. http://discover.store.sony.com/be-moved/,

Visually this one-page website clearly articulates Sony’s goal which is to highlight their thought. Engineering and creativity process that goes into each one of their products.  The use of literature sparingly, integrate videos and amazing high-resolution images of their products.

To summarize, when you’re about to embark on your digital strategy. Go in with an open mind and without the barriers of working within a number of pages.

One a final note, Google is one page… 🙂

• Don’t focus solely on the financial investment at the beginning, focus on your companies’ goals and find out how you can achieve them within a budget reasonable to achieve the end result. Not saying the budget isn’t important because of course, it is, but it shouldn’t be the only driving factor.