johntabita - 8:56 pm on Oct 26, 2005 (gmt 0)

Advance warning - This post might not go down well with all readers! Stellios and O'Leary have done it for the airline industry and Dell did it with Computers. I want to introduce a 'super-low' fee for basic website design and basically it would involve getting the client to fill in a 'Complete' document which specifies the 4 or5 pages they require, and any other relevant info. There would be no on-site meeting and any updates and amendents would be charged extra. This model would cut out a lot of the 'expense' in web development -i.e., the time it takes to meet the client, fully spec out the requirements, wait for the content, revise the content, wait for the content, etc etc, wait for the content (did I mention that bit?). So basically, I'm just wondering if anyone has any sample documentation or advise on streamlining the process that enables them to deliver websites for a lower fee? Any thoughts appretiated.

You may have heard the saying, "Price, quality, service. Pick two." No business can successfully or consistently provide the best service and the highest quality at the lowest price. Most of us tend to focus on providing service and quality. For me, service means the consultative process I take clients through to determine their goals, objectives, what results they want from their website, etc. What you are doing is removing 'service' from your sales process and competing on price and quality.

In theory, what you're doing is completly feasible. How the market responds to it is another thing entirely. Keep in mind that you've now become a commodity and, assuming your quality is equal to that of your competitors', your customers' primary buying criteria will be price and price alone.

Be very, very careful to completely automate the service process and not get sucked into any consultation. Getting caught into a consultative sales process with price-driven clients is a losing proposition. So make sure your questionaire is thorough, includes FAQ's, and so forth.