It is always a challenge to justify the price of web design and development when clients want special features. Today’s climate is one of an aggressive buyer’s mid-market, where prospective clients who ask for estimates for website builds will often negotiate project prices with interactive agencies down to the bare minimum of profitability with the threat of using low cost templated offerings or individual contractors with limited experience instead. When digital agencies possessing experience in producing high quality work are successful in winning deals with clients for fair prices, more often than not the clients expect the agencies — even when a very clear scope of work is produced — to design and build every customization, every toolset, every other feature “in their heads” because they have “given them so much money” to design their website, and provide post-support (often very complex post-support) for free.

We at Mitra Creative, like all agencies, have experienced similar circumstances. We are truly grateful to win the business, and support the needs, of our clients, but we often work very hard to educate them on how sometimes even their smallest perceived requests for custom features are not “so small.” In that light, related to something very different yet very much the same, check out this article from today’s edition of “The Wall Street Journal” (via “Yahoo! Real Estate”), entitled “A Dream House’s Difficult Birth,” by Nancy Keates, of WSJ.com. It tells of a couple’s pursuit to have their dream house built their way, and the impact of custom requirements on the budget of a project. Though people frequently perceive interactive projects differently, websites of true uniqueness, that differentiate brand and function not only properly but with tools, visuals and language that help to reduce the time of sales cycles, speed delivery of information/data to users and to the company that hires the agency (e.g. performance data), show up higher in placement in general and local search on Google, Bing, Yahoo! and other search engines, and are secure and stable, come at a higher cost than often useless templates, and with measurably skilled labor. If new features are to be built, or if ongoing support is required, they too require, time, skill and attention, and agencies should be remunerated for their efforts.

Mark Feldberg and Emilyn Page’s Carmel home. (Photo from the Wall Street Journal by Mark Feldberg.)

An article entitled, “Why Do Websites Cost So Much Money?“, by Christine Anderssen (Tailormade4you), which appeared on January 10, on GOARTICLES.com(1), very succinctly summarizes the reasons why reputable web design and development firms charge more for their work, even to their smaller business clients/emerging enterprises.

Anderssen makes clear, simple and effective statements about the value of using professional interactive agencies: “Frankly, building a website so that it works in all browsers, has a good design and presents all the information about the company in a pleasing, eye-catching and user-friendly fashion takes proficiency, and this costs money.” More importantly, she adds that when you utilize a good firm, you are “paying for the advice, the support and the long term relationship.” We at MITRA CREATIVE agree—-these are some of the key factors in deciding to engage an experienced agency. There is value added through working with professionals who can see your brand from an external perspective and can translate your business requirements, messages and calls-to-action into engaging, highly web-usable designs instead of “just” designing websites. It is equally critical to work with visionary design agencies that continue to innovate within their discipline, but that also know your business and its culture well enough, and stay with it long enough, to maintain the consistency of, and to grow, your brand.

Most critical is brand. Simply put, design firms that truly understand business in addition to art and technology elevate brands by giving them credibility and respect and by making the appearance of companies forward-thinking. They do so using today’s most impactful, powerful and pervasive medium: namely, visuals on the web. A picture is now worth a billion words… everywhere.

(Article Copyright © 2010 Jayde Online, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Mitra Creative has just produced a new website for Big Arrow Group, a New York-based full-service strategic consulting (branding, advertising and marketing) and communications firm.

SEE THE NEW BIG ARROW GROUP BY CLICKING HERE.

The new site is a refresh of Big Arrow Group’s interactive presence, reflecting an expansion of their brand and global capabilities. As with other recent Mitra Creative projects, in addition to introducing an uplifted design for Big Arrow, the site is supported by a custom-programmed/implemented content management system (CMS) and database framework. This CMS architecture will self-empower them to keep their offerings, case studies, media/multimedia and other information up-to-date.

Mitra Creative worked closely with Big Arrow Group’s leadership to ensure that the new website embraces their personalities and working style. It was important to reflect the genuine humanity of, and the spirit of collaboration in, the interaction between Big Arrow and their clients. Therefore, specific visual elements — such as Pantone colors reflecting the individuality of each member of the team — have been incorporated into the design to demonstrate Big Arrow’s true personal touch.

Mitra Creative is proud to announce the relaunch of the website for LIZALDE DESIGN™, the Fashion Lingerie line by the New York and LA-based designer, Ricky Lizalde, of “Project Runway®” Season Four.

VISIT THE NEW LIZALDE DESIGN WEBSITE BY CLICKING HERE.

Designed by Vincent Wang, Mitra Creative’s Co-Founder and Creative Director, the completely revised and uplifted site higlights Ricky’s new collection, with an all-new look, feel and images/graphics, as well as links to stores where items from the line can be purchased.

 (L to R: Karl Joseph Ufert, Mitra Creative; Eric Rabinowitz, the Nurture Institute; Dean Maire & Tim Freestone, enter:marketing)

Mitra Creative was asked to be part of a distinguished panel of experts on the subject of IT Channel marketing and communications at last week’s New York Chapter meeting of the International Association of Certified Microsoft Partners (IAMCP) (February 19). The event was held at the Microsoft office in midtown Manhattan.

Entitled “Marketing in a Down Economy”, it brought a packed room of Microsoft Partners who engaged in a lively discussion with the panelists which could have gone on for many hours past the allotted session time. Host Howard M. Cohen, President of IAMCP NY (Howard M. Cohen Corporate Copywriting & Consulting Services), invited me – Karl Joseph Ufert, Mitra Creative President/Co-Founder – to join Eric Rabinowitz, President and Co-Founder of the consulting, communications and training firm, the Nurture Institute™ (and leader of the monthly Microsoft Partner Essentials Marketing program Roundtables), and Dean Maire and Tim Freestone, Vice-Presidents of the IT-focused marketing and communications agency (with strong emphasis on Direct Marketing, among other services), enter:marketing, to share our knowledge and ideas.

Much of the discussion focused on:

• Integration of marketing campaigns across a VAR/solution provider’s entire organization from start to finish (including Sales, Marketing, Professional Services) and ensuring follow-up (value for campaign dollars).
• Maintaining marketing focus—speaking to your audience instead of about yourself.
• Utilization of straightforward marketing communications to maintain trusted advisor status with clients—leveraging your unique selling proposition.
• And, especially, the use of Social Media/Web 2.0 to reduce advertising costs and extend reach.

The event was covered by Michele Masterson of ChannelWeb (with contributions by Chad Berndtson). READ THE ARTICLE HERE.

(Howard M. Cohen, IAMCP NY President)