| An e-commerce web site is as different from an | | | | mistake of choosing a designer based upon cost. But |
| ordinary "brochure" web site as a sailboat is from a | | | | that could be false economics. Consider this scenario: |
| powerboat. | | | | Suppose you get two bids for e-commerce web |
| If any web site is to be successful, whether it is an | | | | design. One from a Manchester web designer and |
| e-commerce site or not, it needs to be designed with | | | | one from some little village far away. |
| its specific purpose in mind. Put the wrong face on an | | | | The Manchester web designer bids, let's say, $500. |
| e-commerce web site, and your sales could dry up. | | | | The villager bids $50. |
| Unfortunately, your designer may not tell you this. | | | | They both have a seemingly impressive portfolio; the |
| Not because he or she wants to sabotage your | | | | decision is easy, right? Go with the $50 bid and keep |
| business, but because he or she may not have | | | | the $450 in your bank account. |
| enough experience to know better. | | | | But here's what you don't realize. There are subtle |
| The Perils of a Global Market For Web Designers | | | | differences between standard web design and |
| The Internet has opened up business possibilities for | | | | e-commerce web design. It is likely the villager |
| web developers around the world. Thanks to a global | | | | doesn't understand those subtleties, and that's going |
| marketplace, a web developer in a small village in an | | | | to cost you money. |
| underdeveloped country has as much access to | | | | There is a psychological power at work when people |
| businesses wanting to have a web site designed as a | | | | are making a buying decision. And every single |
| web designer living in a big city like Manchester does. | | | | graphical element on your page, along with font |
| But does that village-based web designer have the | | | | types and sizes, colours and usability features like |
| same degree of exposure to the technicalities of | | | | menu placement and the number of clicks between |
| e-commerce web design as his or her Manchester | | | | the product description and the shopping cart, all |
| web designer counterpart has? | | | | work together to accomplish just one purpose: |
| The answer to that question is typically "No". It just | | | | Making the sale. |
| makes sense that the more exposure a web | | | | So if you end up choosing the $50 villager, instead of |
| designer has to a big business environment, the more | | | | the $500 Manchester web designer, you could end up |
| real-world e-commerce web design experience he or | | | | losing sales due to low conversion rates. |
| she acquires. | | | | Let's say the villager delivers a 1% click-through, |
| A Manchester web designer probably handles more | | | | resulting in 1 sale per 100 visitors, and the Manchester |
| e-commerce web design projects in a year than a | | | | web designer delivers 10% because he or she |
| third-world developer encounters in a decade. | | | | understand the subtleties of e-commerce web |
| But What About Cost? | | | | design, who ended up offering the better deal? |
| Many e-commerce business owners make the | | | | I think you know the answer to that question. |