PIPELINEGuide
Web design: what alternatives exist
Not every problem needs professional web design. What simpler paths exist, where ready-made standard solutions suffice, and when the right answer is: do nothing at all.
Before professional web design becomes an option, it's worth looking at simpler approaches: a more clearly written page, a different phone policy, a tidier process. Off-the-shelf standard solutions cover part of the ground and reach their limits when your own data and integrations come into play. Doing nothing is also a legitimate answer.
01 — Alternatives
What else is out there
Before professional web design becomes an option, it's worth looking at simpler approaches. Sometimes a clearly written page, a different phone policy, or a tidier process solves the same problem without any system at all.
Ready-made standard solutions cover part of the use cases and are quickly available. Their limit lies where your own processes, your own data, or integrations come into play — and in the question of who ultimately owns the data.
The third option is to do nothing. That's a legitimate answer when the process in question happens rarely or when the real bottleneck lies elsewhere. We'll say so if that's the case.
02 — Boundaries
When we advise against it
- The process is still changing. As long as you're adjusting the process itself, manual work is more flexible and cheaper.
- Exceptions outweigh standard cases. Then you're automating exceptions, and that gets expensive.
- There's no data foundation. Without digitally available source data, the basis is missing.
- Volume is too low. With five transactions a month, no system pays off — not even an affordable one.
- The real bottleneck lies elsewhere. If you don't have enough inquiries, you don't need faster processing.
03 — Criteria
How quotes differ
- What exactly is included. Two quotes with the same total can cover completely different deliverables. Ask for scope as a list, not as running text.
- Who delivers what. Content, images, data, access — if it's not specified, it becomes a point of conflict later.
- What operation costs. Calculated over three years, including licenses, hosting, and support.
- What happens if you want to switch. Do you get access, data, and documentation? The answer to this question says more about a provider than any reference.
- Who actually does the work. With small providers this matters: who sits in the meeting, and who then does it.
04 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do we get several drafts?
Two to three directions on one page type. Ten variations help no one — they just shift the decision to the client instead of making it.
Who owns the files?
You do. You get the source files and the documentation. If you work with someone else later, they can continue with them.
Will this look good on mobile too?
We design the narrow view first, because that's where the majority of visitors arrive. The wide view is the easier case, not the other way around.
Do we even need custom design?
Not necessarily. If you need a site with five pages and no brand ambitions, a well-adapted standard system is the more sensible choice. Custom design pays off when you need to stand out from competitors or manage many pages.
How many revision rounds are included?
Two rounds per draft are standard and usually sufficient, because the directional decision is made after the first presentation. Additional rounds are possible but noticeably extend the timeline.
Do you also provide image material?
No, that's not part of the design system. But we specify exactly what kind of images are needed and recommend suitable sources or a photographer if required.
What if we don't like any of the directions?
Then we go back to the discovery phase — usually that means something important about the business hasn't been understood yet. It rarely happens, but better to start fresh than to force a design.
05 — Next
Related pages
- Web design — Overview
- Web design — pros and cons
- Web design — Where to start
- Web Design — Measuring Success
- Web design — integration
- Web design — Costs
- Web design — common mistakes
- Web Design — Team and Acceptance
- Have a website created
- Landing page
- Website relaunch
- All guides
Web design by region
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