WEB DESIGN, DEVELOPERS AND CLIENTS

Only a lazy person hasn't written anything about the increase of the Internet sales in Ukraine. Each online source gives inordinate numbers with nine zeros illustrating the tendency for a change in the number of commodities ordered through the Internet. The number of Ukrainian Internet users has risen beyond 50% of the country's population of and so far every fifth Ukrainian uses social networks. The business sector doesn't fall behind as well: the absence of a company website or at least a page in an online catalog is considered mauvais ton. As a matter of fact, the legislation obliges joint-stock companies to have their web-pages on the Internet. While Ukraine is experiencing a real Internet boom, the web design market is gaining in popularity. Every year the number of web design agencies grows by leaps and bounds. According to the competition theory, this fact is fairly positive as it breaks the notable developers' monopoly and enables even the smallest company to afford their website.

However, as it often happens in growing markets, the chaos came instead of the economic triumph. Now, any student with a computer and a good head on shoulders can design websites. On pirate file-sharing sites one can easily download a stolen template, add a client's logo and connect to a free CMS. The client is satisfied because he or she is not interested in aesthetics and, what is more, in copyright when the cost of the website design is several times less than the average market price.

Analyzing Google searches on website development, no less than a half of search results are “student” web agencies with stolen templates. Professional companies cannot, of course, compete with them since their approach to pricing is absolutely different (we'll discuss this topic in further articles). So an unusual situation arises.

All clients, on the whole, are divided into two types: type 1 – those who know what they want and that's why they are ready to pay big money; type 2 – those who don't care much about the result, the low cost is their primary concern. There is no point in competing for the second type because, anyway, you will fail to bring down the cost to the 'student' level, the time spent on persuading potential clients of the advantages of the professional design will not pay off. So the first type left.

However, web design is not a trade, and the more the better principle does no work here. If we have a client, who primarily is ready to pay more, why should we offer him or her a lower price? To compensate for the lack of average clients professional companies are forced to increase the cost for those clients who appreciate the quality services. This is a kind of economic paradox.

Let's sum up, Ukrainian market of web design is having a tough time. Doing work in a quality and cheap manner, unfortunately, will not work out. That's why I'd like to appeal to the conscientious clients: it's all in your hands. You choose who to work with. Remember: opting for the cooperation with "students", you make the price gap between quality and shit wider.