Română
As a web designer, one of the most common situations I encounter is when potential clients focus exclusively on the initial cost of the website, without considering the entire digital ecosystem necessary for success.
I want to share with you a recent conversation with a psychotherapist that perfectly illustrates this situation. Although specific to her field, the scenario is relevant for any professional who wants an effective online presence.
– Hello, I’m psychologist XXX and I would like a website to present my services.
– Hello! I’m happy to help. I have extensive experience in creating websites for psychologists and psychotherapists.
– I would like a site similar to this one…
– Perfect! I’ll analyze the example and send you a detailed offer today in an Excel spreadsheet. In this spreadsheet, you’ll find all the activities, modules, forms, and pages of the website standardized so you can understand the price calculation as easily and transparently as possible.
– Thank you, I’m waiting for the offer.
– Hello, regarding the sent offer…
– Hello!
– I saw that the price is 650€. It seems very expensive to me!
– What price were you expecting?
– I don’t know exactly, maximum 300-350€.
– I understand. Let me explain the price structure.
– Please do.
– The offer includes the cost of licenses for all modules used on the site and legal taxes. If we subtract these, the amount for the actual work reduces to approximately 300€.
– So you, as a web designer, basically earn about 300€ for my website?
– Exactly. The rest are fixed costs and taxes that need to be covered.
– Still, I have to pay the price with all taxes included, and for me, 650€ is very expensive.
– It depends on how you view the investment. If you’ll use the website as a tool for attracting new clients, this price isn’t high. If you’re making it just as a simple online presence, then yes, it might not be cost-effective.
– Well, you see…
– Moreover, the website itself isn’t the only expense for an effective online presence.
– What do you mean?
– First, you need a domain – the website address, which costs approximately 10€ annually.
– OK, that’s acceptable.
– Then you need hosting – the server where your website resides, approximately 5-6€ monthly.
– That also seems reasonable.
– Yes, but there’s another significant cost that many ignore at first.
– Which one?
– Website promotion.
– I don’t understand. If I have the website ready, why do I need to promote it?
– Because an unvisited website is like a psychotherapy office in the middle of nowhere. It doesn’t matter how beautiful it is if nobody knows about it.
– And how can I promote it?
– You have several options. Being a newly launched website, the first option I recommend would be Google Ads.
– What does that mean?
– Advertisements on Google. When someone searches for example “psychologist Brasov,” your website appears in the top results.
– And how much does it cost?
– It depends on competition and targeted keywords. For starters, I recommend a budget of 100-200€ monthly.
– Monthly?! At this rate, in 4 months I’ll have far exceeded the price paid for the website!
– That’s true, but think about it – a single new client can cover this entire investment.
– Are there other options?
– Yes, organic SEO – search engine optimization.
– And how much does that cost?
– A basic package starts from 200-300€ monthly, but it takes about 6 months to see results.
– Oh… I wasn’t expecting this.
– There’s also the option of social media promotion.
– Facebook and Instagram?
– Exactly. But here too, you either invest personal time or hire someone to handle it.
– And what do you recommend?
– Let’s make a detailed plan…
– Okay, but honestly, I wasn’t expecting it to be so complex.
– I completely understand. Things in this field can seem overwhelming at first. But I suggest we move forward in stages. First, we create the website, then we test various promotion methods until we find what works best for you.
– OK, I agree.
– To start with, how many new clients would you like monthly?
– Well… about 5-6 new clients would be perfect.
– And currently, how do clients find you?
– Through recommendations, mainly.
– Excellent! That means your services are appreciated. And how much does a session cost?
– Approximately 60€.
– Perfect, let’s do a quick calculation. If through promotion you attract just 4 new clients per month…
– Yes?
– That means 240€ just from the first session with each.
– Correct.
– And on average, how many sessions does a client have?
– On average 6-8 sessions.
– So a new client can bring you between 360-480€.
– Now I understand better.
– Let’s start with Google Ads, but with a smaller budget, and test.
– How small?
– 100€ in the first month. We’ll see what results we get and adjust the budget along the way.
– That sounds more reasonable.
– After we see it working, we gradually increase the budget.
– And SEO?
– We’ll discuss SEO later. For now, since the website is new, we focus on paid promotion to get new clients as quickly as possible.
– And social media?
– I can show you how to post yourself on various social networks. Later, we can test paid campaigns on Facebook.
– It’s starting to make sense… but it still feels like too much money to invest in website, domain, hosting, promotion.
– I completely understand your concern.
– It’s frustrating. I thought just a simple website would be enough.
– You know what the real problem is here?
– What?
– Not the costs themselves, but how you view this investment.
– What do you mean?
– Let’s look at the situation differently. You’re basically a small entrepreneur, correct?
– Well, I don’t know, … maybe … yes, I am an individual psychology practice.
– Exactly. You’re a small business. And like any business, you need two things: a good product and promotion.
– The product would be psychotherapy?
– Exactly! And I know you’re good at what you do, since you have clients from recommendations.
– Yes, that’s true.
– But it’s not enough in today’s market.
– Why?
– Because there are probably over 100 psychologists in your city. All good, all with recommendations. You have serious competition.
– That’s true…
– Somehow, you need to stand out through a professional online presence and constant promotion.
– But it’s expensive…
– Let’s calculate differently: how much money do you lose monthly because potential clients can’t find you online?
– Hmm… I hadn’t thought about it that way.
– If you lose just 2 clients per month because you don’t have an online presence, that means at least 1000€ lost in 2-3 months.
– When you put it that way…
– Exactly! It’s not just about cost, but about the lost opportunity if you don’t make this investment in website and promotion.
– But what if it doesn’t work?
– That’s why we start gradually and monitor everything. We’ll know exactly what works and what doesn’t, where clients come from, and how much each new client costs us.
– And if I can’t afford the whole amount now?
– You can pay for the website in installments. And for Google Ads, we start with the minimum available budget.
– Is there anything else important to know?
– Yes. In today’s digital world, you have no alternative. Those who don’t adapt and don’t treat their practice like a real business will have fewer and fewer clients.
– Because everyone searches online…
– Exactly! And they’ll choose someone who has a professional online presence, good reviews, useful articles.
– It’s starting to make sense. But it’s hard for me to see it all as an investment rather than an expense!
– Think of this investment as long-term.
– How so?
– It’s like planting a tree – the best time was 10 years ago, the second best time is now.
– I think you’re right. How do we proceed?
– I’ll prepare the contract and detailed plan, then I’ll get to work.
