What does "Affordable" Mean??

[ukwebdev1984]

Hello

Still doing some research here, i have been looking at popular low competition keywords and one of the main ones that I have spotted is "affordable web design".

What do people searching this phrase mean? Affordable surely depends on financial situations? Someone who is a millionare will find £10,000 affordable, where as someone earning £500 per month may only find £5 affordable!

 

[cjd]

Affordable is a euphemism for cheap.

 

Affordable is a euphemism for cheap.

Or expensive.

No meanng at all until it is compared.

" Affordable housing" in a pigs eye.

 

[silvermusic]

Do people really search using the term "Affordable"? I suspect that could be the whole reason it's affordable. Sorry couldn't resist.

IMHO it's only a term people use when talking to each other rather than saying cheap, a bit like the other one, inexpensive.

 

[RedEvo]

In my view it's a word that's become synonymous with cheap. Being literal people are searching for "web design that I can afford". This is usually indicative of cost based decisions makers with a very limited budget.

Just my two cents.

d

 

[ukwebdev1984]

In my view it's a word that's become synonymous with cheap. Being literal people are searching for "web design that I can afford". This is usually indicative of cost based decisions makers with a very limited budget.

Just my two cents.

d

I think this is the most helpful answer so far. Are you other guys jokers or something? I wasn't asking for the definition of the word.

 

[DavidAshdown]

I think this is the most helpful answer so far. Are you other guys jokers or something? I wasn't asking for the definition of the word.

Charming.......why come on here asking for advice and be rude about peoples comments or opinions ?

 

[ukwebdev1984]

Charming.......why come on here asking for advice and be rude about peoples comments or opinions ?

Because i was asking for advice on what people searching this phrase mean by affordable, not the actual definition of the word and people to be somewhat patronosing. It is obvious what the actual word means, that wasn't the question.

 

Because i was asking for advice on what people searching this phrase mean by affordable, not the actual definition of the word and people to be somewhat patronosing. It is obvious what the actual word means, that wasn't the question.

People don't search for that particular term in any significant numbers to bother with in SEO terms.

 

[DavidAshdown]

Because i was asking for advice on what people searching this phrase mean by affordable, not the actual definition of the word and people to be somewhat patronosing. It is obvious what the actual word means, that wasn't the question.

Still no reason to be rude. People provide helpful free advice on this site and if you think its patronising then maybe you should go and pay someone for their opinion instead !

 

[ukwebdev1984]

Still no reason to be rude. People provide helpful free advice on this site and if you think its patronising then maybe you should go and pay someone for their opinion instead !

I wasn't being rude i was stating a point. It's you who has perceived it as being rude. But as you find what I said rude, I apologise and will be more vigilant with what I say in the future.

 

[DavidAshdown]

I wasn't being rude i was stating a point. It's you who has perceived it as being rude. But as you find what I said rude, I apologise and will be more vigilant with what I say in the future.

I think stating "are you other guys jokes or something" is fairly rude but apology accepted.....lets move on....

 

[Paul_Rosser]

This is affordable.....enough said.

 

[cjd]

For the hard of understanding, I'll elaborate on my answer.

Affordable is a marketing euphemism for cheap.

 

For the hard of understanding, I'll elaborate on my answer.

Affordable is a marketing euphemism for cheap.

Oh no it ain't.

Its a marketing ploy to lead people to believe they can afford something.

Most used by companies that are afraid to reveal there prices.

affordable is generally meant to target the median household income.

Cheap has a very different meaning.

 

[cjd]

Oh no it ain't.

Its a marketing ploy to lead people to believe they can afford something.

ie it's a marketing ploy meaning cheap.

 

[ukwebdev1984]

Guys,

So what are we saying here? That we can use the term "affordable" as a ploy to get people intrigued, but in essence it will actually be detrimental?

 

Guys,

So what are we saying here? That we can use the term "affordable" as a ploy to get people intrigued, but in essence it will actually be detrimental?

Cheap or cheapest wins by a huge margin in terms of web searches.

I don't think affordable is detrimental,but I suspect it may be viewed with suspicion by some.

 

[Steve Sellers]

I think this is the most helpful answer so far. Are you other guys jokers or something? I wasn't asking for the definition of the word.

The guy has given you his professional opinion. It may not be what you are asking but it is the answer you need mate.

 

[Strontium Dog]

Guys,

So what are we saying here? That we can use the term "affordable" as a ploy to get people intrigued, but in essence it will actually be detrimental?

Its a waste of time getting someone to your landing page on false pretences, as once they realise what you are offering is not what they thought, they will click away.

This goes for letting people think "affordable" means "cheap" when in the context of what you are selling really it doesn't.

 

[lynxus]

ie it's a marketing ploy meaning cheap.

I agree, Its certainly not used to mean "Cheap" however its there to give people the sense that what they are buying is not cheap, but not expensive

You would never catch me using such words.

 

[karlcw]

I totally agree, affordable often means cheap. But then it also depends on your target market.

In the web design industry the competition is fierce with prices ranging from a tenner a month to thousands. I know a web design agency here in Leicester who will charge £3000+ for a straightforward template Wordpress site, is that affordable?

As marketeers (because that's what we are if we run businesses) we should remember that clients always buy what they believe they can afford or what's been sold to them as affordable.

For my target market, startups and the self-employed, using the word affordable is a great lead-generation hook when combined with terms like 'monthly payment plan' and 'money-back guarantee'.

We use the word 'affordable' in much of our marketing because of our approach to payment terms and not because we're the cheapest (which we are certainly not).

And despite what you think of the word and its potentially negative connotations we had record sales last month and February is already off to a good start.

I'm not trying to boast, I'm simply saying that maybe the word isn't quite as detrimental to a marketing message as has perhaps been suggested. It depends on your target market and your approach to it.

 

[deniser]

We use the word on our site to mean you thought you wouldn't be able to afford it and what you are getting looks more expensive but actually it's cheaper than you thought it would be.

But people don't search for the word "affordable", they always search for "cheap".

 

[karlcw]

Three times as many people search for cheap than affordable according to Google Keyword Tool.

 

[RedEvo]

Still no reason to be rude. People provide helpful free advice on this site and if you think its patronising then maybe you should go and pay someone for their opinion instead !

Sadly many on here, usually those with nothing of value to contribute, post drivel, often in an aggressive way, just to say something. I'm inclined to think the OP is being unfairly pulled up for criticising some of the responses he received.

But that's just my view

d

 

[ITsoldUK]

OP, IMHO it all depends on your marketplace and just to cover all bases, I am not saying use it or do not use it...just MY perception on the word.

Affordable in a high ticket price marketplace means that I can comfortably buy that Rolls Royce I have always wanted.

Affordable in a low ticket price marketplace will mean that I can now afford this website design that I thought I couldn't.

I am not going to enter into does it mean cheap as I think if we want to split semantics it will all depend on how, where and why it is used.

JMTC

HTH
Regards
Daren

 

[stockdam]

My thoughts which you can throw straight into the nearest bin.......

Affordable could mean that there are different levels to suit your budget. There would be a no frills and basic entry level, some intermediate levels and then a premium level with associated increasing cost.

So depending on your budget, you will get an affordable solution.

I guess the word is used to indicate that the product is the low end of the price range (or that one option is at the low end).

 

[Doodle-Noodle]

As a customer, I would think that a company using the term "affordable" understands the customer's need to find what they are looking for at a very competitive price, not necessarily cheap, but certainly on the low side of what is the norm for that particular service/product. It implies best value, even though it doesn't really mean anything without appropriate comparison.
We may well search the term "cheap" (meaning low in cost) we actually don't want "cheap" in terms of quality - "cheap" sounds hasty, careless, inconsiderate; "affordable" sounds measured, more considerate.

 

[cjd]

"This is our most affordable Rolls Royce"
"This is our cheapest Rolls Royce"

If there's any difference apart from linguistic, I don't know what it is.

 

[Hogrill]

"This is our most affordable Rolls Royce"
"This is our cheapest Rolls Royce"

If there's any difference apart from linguistic, I don't know what it is.

There isnt between those two phrases but the earlier suggestions that "affordable" equates to "cheap" doesnt apply in that scenario to the majority of people.

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

When I read affordable to me it means sensibly and fairly priced.

I generally equate cheap to be poor quality and tend to avoid buying anything branded as cheap.

That aside I have to agree affordable in many cases is simply a nice way of saying cheap.