I’m in the midst of a redesign and quasi-pivot, which involves the redesign of this blog and corporate site.

It’s a time-consuming process that involves many moving parts and, of course, the fact Web design can be a very subjective exercise. In that respect, I’m probably far from the ideal design client because I have – or think I have – a strong feel and knowledge for good Web design and usability.

As well, building or reloading on a Web site is not a cheap process, although admittedly there are ways and tools to create an inexpensive, no-frills, down and dirty Web site. But for people and companies who want to build a Web site that looks good, that’s easy to navigate, meets the needs of users, and has some or many bells and whistles, there is a solid investment that should be made. I’m not suggesting blowing your brains out financially to build and design a Web site but making enough of an investment to meet your short and long-term needs.

This is something that has been lost in the mix as online services make it easy to do things. There’s a tendency to believe Web sites have become commoditized products in which prices are continually being driven down. While costs are definitely lower than they were five years ago, I strongly believe in the adage that you pay for what you get. For a minuscule budget, you’ll get a functional and basic Web site. For anything that has more features, better design, beautiful graphics and intuitive navigation, you obviously have to invest more.

Understanding the different approaches is important because far too often cost is front and centre, particularly for smaller businesses. The downside on being too focused on price is you may get something that may not meet your needs in the best way possible.

Function and Structure Are Key Issues

The other key consideration when building a Web site is taking the time to figure out its function and structure. Who are the target audiences? What kind of information do you want to provide them? What do you want visitors to do? Is the goal to get more information, make a transaction, ask for quote, check out cases studies? These are questions that need time to get your head around before starting the process of building and designing a Web site.

The “cost” to build a Web site boils down to time and money. And the challenge for many businesses is determining how much to invest in each “pot”. The more time spent on what a Web site should do, function, who it should serve, and what kind of content to provide, the easier and more efficient its development and design.

Some interesting links:

- A Web site that caught my attention recently for good design was VanCity Bride.

- A makeover guide/infographic on Pushing Social.