I get it. You’re a nonprofit with a tight budget, or a small business watching every dollar. When someone offers to build your website for $500, it’s tempting. Really tempting.
But here’s what I’ve learned after years of rebuilding systems that started as “cheap solutions”: that initial savings rarely lasts. More often, it becomes the most expensive decision you’ll make.
The Pattern I Keep Seeing
A typical scenario goes like this:
You hire a developer (or use a cheap template service) and get a website up quickly. It looks fine at first. But six months later, you need to add a feature. The original developer is unresponsive or quotes you an astronomical price for a “simple change.” You bring in someone else, and they tell you the codebase is a mess—it would be faster to rebuild from scratch than to modify what’s there.
Now you’re paying twice: once for the original build, and again for the rebuild. Plus all the time and opportunity cost in between.
I’ve walked into this situation more times than I can count. And while I’m happy to help rebuild, I’d rather help you avoid the problem in the first place.
What “Cheap” Actually Means
Let’s be clear: I’m not talking about developers who charge reasonable rates because they’re early in their career or working in a lower cost-of-living area. I’m talking about situations where the price is low because corners are being cut.
Here’s what often gets sacrificed:
Security
Cheap builds often skip basic security practices. Outdated dependencies, hardcoded credentials, no input validation, missing SSL certificates. These aren’t just technical nitpicks—they’re vulnerabilities that put your organization and your users at risk.
For a nonprofit handling donor information or a business processing payments, this is especially dangerous. A security breach doesn’t just cost money to fix—it damages trust that may never fully recover.
Performance
A slow website isn’t just annoying—it costs you conversions. Studies show that 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than 3 seconds to load. If your site is built without attention to performance optimization, you’re literally watching potential clients click away.
I’ve seen websites that load 5MB of unnecessary JavaScript, make dozens of redundant database queries, or fail to implement basic caching. These issues compound over time as content grows.
Maintainability
This is the big one. A cheap build often means code that’s poorly organized, undocumented, and tightly coupled. When you need to make changes—and you will—you’re stuck.
I once inherited a project where the previous developer had copy-pasted the same 200 lines of code into 15 different files. Updating one thing meant hunting through the entire codebase. A task that should have taken 30 minutes took three days.
Scalability
Your needs will change. Your traffic will grow. Your feature requirements will evolve. A system built without consideration for growth becomes a constraint on your organization.
I’ve seen small nonprofits suddenly go viral and have their websites crash because the infrastructure couldn’t handle the load. That’s not just a technical failure—it’s a missed opportunity when you need it most.
The Hidden Costs Add Up
Let’s talk numbers. Here’s a realistic comparison:
Scenario A: The “Cheap” Route
- Initial build: $500
- First year of maintenance issues and patches: $800
- Year two rebuild (because it’s unmaintainable): $2,500
- Lost opportunities from poor performance and downtime: Hard to quantify, but real
- Total: $3,800+ over two years
Scenario B: The Right-Sized Investment
- Initial build with proper foundations: $2,500
- First two years of maintenance: $400
- Total: $2,900 over two years
The “expensive” option is actually cheaper—and that’s before we factor in the opportunity cost of having a website that actually works well and serves your mission effectively.
When “Good Enough” Is Actually Good Enough
I’m not saying you need enterprise-level infrastructure if you’re a solo practitioner or a small nonprofit. You don’t need to over-engineer.
But there’s a difference between right-sizing your solution and cutting corners. A static website with good foundations can be very affordable and serve you well for years. A cheap dynamic site with security holes and technical debt will haunt you.
The question isn’t “how cheap can we go?” It’s “what’s the minimum viable foundation that won’t create problems down the road?”
Red Flags to Watch For
Here are warning signs that you might be heading toward a costly “cheap” solution:
- No timeline or scope clarity. If the developer can’t clearly explain what you’re getting and when, that’s a problem.
- Promises that sound too good to be true. “We’ll build you a custom e-commerce platform with AI features for $300.” No, they won’t. At least not one that works.
- Unwillingness to explain technical decisions. You don’t need to understand every detail, but a good developer should be able to explain their approach in plain language.
- No discussion of maintenance or long-term support. Building the site is just the beginning. What happens when something breaks?
- Heavy reliance on plugins or page builders without understanding the implications. These tools have their place, but they can also create bloated, fragile sites if used incorrectly.
What to Look For Instead
When evaluating developers or agencies, focus on:
- Clear communication about trade-offs. Good developers explain options and help you make informed decisions based on your budget and needs.
- Evidence of maintainable work. Ask about their coding practices, documentation approach, and how they structure projects for long-term sustainability.
- Security mindfulness. They should bring up security without you having to ask, even for simple projects.
- References or portfolio. Look for evidence of work that’s still running well years later, not just launching successfully.
- Realistic pricing. If you’re getting quotes that vary wildly, the lowest one is probably cutting corners somewhere.
My Advice
If budget is tight—and I know it often is—here are some alternatives to “cheap”:
- Start with a focused MVP. Build less, but build it well. You can always add features later.
- Use proven, simple solutions. A well-built static site or a carefully implemented WordPress setup can be very affordable and reliable.
- Invest in foundations, defer polish. Get the architecture and security right first. You can improve the design incrementally.
- Plan for maintenance from day one. Budget for ongoing costs. A site without maintenance is a site that will eventually break.
The Bottom Line
Cheap web development isn’t a bargain if it costs you more in the long run—in money, time, opportunities, and headaches.
You don’t need to overspend. But you do need to spend wisely. Focus on finding someone who understands the difference between economical and careless, between right-sized and corner-cutting.
Your website is often the first impression people have of your organization. It’s how you serve your clients, collect donations, or generate leads. That’s too important to trust to the lowest bidder.
Need a Second Opinion?
If you’re evaluating proposals or trying to figure out whether a project is scoped appropriately, I offer free 30-minute consultations to help you think through the options—no obligation.
Book a free consultation and let’s make sure you’re making a decision you won’t regret six months from now.