Why You Shouldn’t Hire a Cheap Website Design Company

You’ve likely come across them: advertisements promising a “professional business website” for free or at a cost less than a T-shirt from Kmart. Sounds enticing, doesn’t it?

After all, who doesn’t love a bargain?

But here’s the thing: cheap website design is like cheap sushi. It might look okay at first… until you realise it’s going to make you sick later.

Let’s talk about why going cheap on your website will almost always cost you more in the long run — and what you can do if your budget is tight but your standards are high.

Why People Hire Cheap Web Design Companies

Before we start pointing fingers, let’s be honest — we get it. There are perfectly understandable reasons why you might be thinking about it.

1. You’re on a tight budget

You know your business needs a website, but you don’t want to spend a fortune. So, you start searching online for “affordable website design” or “cheap website design” in the hope of discovering a hidden gem. More often than not, what you end up encountering is just mediocrity.

2. You run a small local business and think a website isn’t that important

Many small business owners think of a website as a digital business card — nice to have, but not worth spending much on. But do you really a website that works as a digital brochure?

The reality is, a well-crafted website can be your most effective salesperson—attracting customers around the clock, even while you sleep. In today’s world, having a website is no longer just a bonus; it’s an essential tool that propels your business forward.

3. You rely on social media for sales

Instagram, Facebook, TikTok — they’re powerful tools. But they’re rented land. Your account can get hacked, banned, or lose reach overnight. Your website is the one piece of the internet you actually own.

4. You think you’ve found “the perfect agency at a bargain”

It’s tempting to fall for a polished pitch promising a “premium website” at a fraction of the usual cost. However, if it sounds too good to be true… chances are, it probably is. You may also have encountered advertisements claiming to offer a **free website**. To test such claims, I recently ordered a free website for a plumbing business in Keilor Park.

What I discovered was quite illuminating: I ended up paying three times more in hosting fees than I would have with a reputable standard provider. Furthermore, the developers reserved the right to display ads on my so-called free website, and I had no control over transferring the site to my own hosting provider. The website itself was constructed using pre-made templates, with some sections lacking consistent styling. Most critically, I had no ability to make modifications myself.

These companies typically assemble a website from ready-made templates in as little as 30 minutes, creating a “custom-looking” site that is essentially a Frankenstein’s monster of templates. They then charge ongoing subscription fees and additional costs for extra services.

Remember, if something is offered for free, it often means you’re the product. Cheap website design or free offers can be a disguised trap, with hidden costs or limitations that outweigh the initial promise.

How Cheap Website Designs Are Made (The Not-So-Secret Recipe)

Have you ever wondered how some companies manage to sell cheap website designs for less than a made in China pair of shoes? Here’s a behind-the-scenes look:

1. They outsource to the cheapest bidder. Sometimes overseas, sometimes to freelancers who just learned what HTML stands for yesterday. There are amazing developers abroad — but quality costs money anywhere.
2. They cut corners you’ll never see… until it’s too late. Poor coding practices, no SEO structure, zero attention to mobile performance — all hidden under a nice-looking homepage.
3. They slap your logo on a pre-made template. Pre-built templates aren’t evil, but cheap agencies rarely customise them enough. Your “brand new” site ends up looking exactly like hundreds of others.
4. They build something that can’t grow with you. Need new features in six months? Sorry — their “platform” can’t handle it. You’ll be starting from scratch.
5. They vanish after launch. The day your site goes live is the day they disappear. Need help? Good luck. They’ve already moved on to the next bargain hunter.

The Problems With Cheap Websites Design

Here’s what usually happens after launch:

1. They scare customers away. Bad user experience = fewer leads, fewer sales. Your site should be a business asset, not a liability.
2. They’re slow and fragile. Cheap code breaks easily. Add one plugin and suddenly your site looks like a Picasso painting (and not in a good way).
3. They make you look like everyone else. If your website feels generic, people will assume your business is too. That’s bad for trust — and sales.
4. They’re security disasters. Skipping security best practices leaves your site wide open to hackers. And yes, small businesses get hacked all the time.
   According to the Australian Signals Directorate’s ACTR 2023–2024, small businesses in Australia lost an average of $49,600 per reported cybercrime incident — an 8% increase compared to the previous year.
5. They cost more in the long run. You’ll spend more fixing problems, rebuilding from scratch, and dealing with lost customers than you would have just doing it right the first time.

The Hidden Cost of Cheap Website Design

Think of it this way:

Buying a cheap website is like buying a “cheap” parachute. Sure, you saved money upfront — but you really don’t want to find out where they cut costs.

Cheap hosting, unoptimised code, missing SEO, and zero scalability… these issues often stay hidden at first. But over time, they snowball into bigger problems that eat away at your time, money, and sanity.

“Okay, But What If I Really Don’t Have the Budget?”

Here’s the good news — there is a middle ground between “throw thousands of dollars you don’t have at a website” and “settle for something awful.”

At LeonovDesign, we work on a Website as a Service model providing professional web design in Melbourne.

That means:

• We design and build your professional, fast, fully optimised website upfront.
• Our full 5 pages website builds start from $2,800, but you don’t have to pay that all at once. We’re looking for a long-term partnership, not quick sales.
• You can subscribe for just $199/month — and get:
  • A lightning-fast, modern, mobile-friendly site
  • 24/7 support
  • Managed hosting
  • Unlimited edits
  • Lifetime improovements
• You can buy out your site in full any time, or just keep enjoying the subscription perks.

It’s like leasing a high-end car — you get to drive it now, without draining your bank account. And unlike the bargain-bin agencies, we stay with you, making sure your site is always running at its best.

So why is your subscription offer so affordable?

Because we truly understand what businesses need—and our focus is on cultivating long-term partnerships rather than chasing quick wins. We recognise that many business owners are concerned about the cost of a website and worry they might end up with a subpar product. With over 15 years of experience in this industry, I’ve seen countless agencies fall short of their promises, leaving clients disappointed. Many of those clients eventually came to us seeking a better solution. We don’t sell “cheap website design”—we deliver tailored, effective solutions. To help your business thrive, we invest in building your website upfront, bearing the risk ourselves. For this investment to be worthwhile, we typically aim for a timeline of around three years, which is why we craft websites that we genuinely believe in. Moreover, our clients always retain the flexibility to transfer their website to another hosting provider or developer if they choose. This transparent and customer-focused approach has proven to be highly successful here in Australia.

The Bottom Line

Your website is the online face of your business.

A cheap website design might save you a few dollars today, but it can cost you far more in lost customers, wasted time, and future rebuilds.

If your business matters to you — if you actually want it to grow — invest in a site that works as hard as you do. Whether you pay upfront or take the LeonovDesign subscription route, make sure you’re building something that’s designed to last.

Because in business (and sushi), cheap is rarely a good idea.