Skip links
how-much-does-a-website-cost-boomerankagency.com

How Much Does a Website Cost?

Share

Understanding how much should a website cost can be a tricky subject, normally this is one of the most common questions in the web design industry, but the answer isn’t as simple as you would expect.

There’s 2 main reasons that will affect the price of a website:

  1. Websites vary a lot in terms of their design and functionality. So depending on the needs of the website the cost may go from a few hundred to a few thousand in just a flinch.
  2. Depending on the agency that you will hire the price can also change greatly. It will not be the same hiring an independent developer, as a full stack agency with a team that will take care of the different moving parts of a web design. Even between agencies, the price can differ.

But if the band starts to share a vision, egos start to melt and the band becomes a unity. Each band member becomes driven to deliver their unique sound, to achieve their goal consistently.

It’s all in the details

The main element that determines the cost of your website will be your requirements. If you aren’t very familiar with the web design industry, the pricing can appear very confusing.

If you focus just on low prices, you might be tempted to hire cheap website builders or freelancers to design your website. However, opting for cheap website designs can come with significant drawbacks. That’s why most business owners prefer to work with a web design agency to ensure that their website is designed to meet their standards.

Well-designed websites are lead magnets, converting visitors into customers. The critical role they fulfill in digital marketing cannot be understated.

Having a high-quality website is crucial for businesses to succeed in digital marketing. A well-designed website can make a strong first impression, leading to increased sales and customer retention, making it one of the most important marketing channels. In fact, if a business doesn’t have a high-quality website, it could lose up to 70%-80% of potential customers. 

However, building a website can be expensive, with costs ranging from $10,000 to $150,000 for launching and designing it, and $500 to $60,000 per year for maintenance. 

The cost of building a website depends on several factors such as the number of pages, images, amount of copy, and whether a content management system (CMS) is used. Some costs are one-time expenses, which means that the capital needed to build a website is more than the maintenance costs. 

To help you estimate the cost of your website design project, we have created a step-by-step guide.

Read on and learn how to balance all the elements of a content strategy from research and analysis to content creation, the same steps we take to help our clients achieve their organic traffic goals and grow their businesses.

how-much-does-a-website-cost-in-boomerankagency.com

Step 1: Defining your website and business needs

When it comes to creating a website for your business, the first step is to determine the type of website that suits your needs. Generally speaking, there are four types of business websites: 

(a) Simple, small business website: A simple website is perfect for small businesses that offer only a few products or services, and don’t intend to sell them online. This type of website works like an online business card, where visitors can learn about your business and the services you offer. 

(b) Conversion-focused business site: If you want to attract new customers to your business, you’ll need a more polished website that’s designed to convert visitors into customers. This type of website is suitable for small businesses that offer services. 

(c) Basic e-commerce site: If you want to sell products or services online and accept payments on your website, you’ll need an e-commerce site that has specific features such as a product database, shopping cart functionality, payment gateway, and configuration of a shipping matrix. 

(d) Custom feature-rich site: If you run a large business, you may need a custom website design with site-specific features that make it stand out from the crowd. Your website may require specially-made plugins, enterprise-level database integration, or an innovative web app, depending on the nature of your business. 

Keep in mind that this classification is not set in stone, but it should give you an idea of what type of website your business needs.

Step 2: Getting a domain name

If you’re planning to create a website, there are a few essential steps you need to follow. First and foremost, you’ll need a domain name, which is essentially the address of your website on the internet. The cost of a domain name can vary between $10 to $50, and you’ll need to renew your subscription annually. 

After getting your domain name and setting up your website, you should install an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate. SSL is a must-have if you’re running an e-commerce site or if your website handles sensitive information like credit card details, usernames, and passwords. 

You can choose from three different types of SSL certificates – Domain SSL, Organisational SSL, and Extended SSL. For the first two, your website visitors will see a padlock and https protocol beside your URL. If you want a green address bar with your company name, then you’ll need to subscribe to Extended Validation SSL. Remember, you’ll need to renew your SSL certificate after your subscription expires.

Step 3: Choosing a Web Host

how-much-should-a-website-cost-boomerankagency.com

Once you’ve sorted out your website’s domain name and SSL certificate, the next step is to choose a web host. Hosting costs can be around $55 per month for standard websites and more if you’re running a large or complex site or web application. 

The ideal price and package will depend on the type of website you want, how many daily visitors you have, your storage requirements, and other factors. When selecting a web host, consider factors like security, performance, support (including phone support), and maintenance service. 

Your web design agency should be able to help you select the best hosting service for your website.

Step 4: Choosing between a custom design or a template 

The next step is to choose a website template or go for custom development. If you’re not experienced in web development, it’s best to leave this step to your agency. 

A simple website based on a template with a few pages will not cost much, and many popular CMSs are free to install. 

However, the more you want to customize your site, the more your designer, developer, or agency will charge you. The cost can range anywhere between $500 and $10,000+. Interactive web apps or advanced features like database integration are likely to require an even larger budget. 

Your web development agency should find the best solution that balances your requirements and budget. 

Step 5: Copywriting and SEO service

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) service is mandatory for any business website that wants to remain competitive. It’s a service that helps improve your visibility in search engines to reach your target customers more efficiently. 

The cost depends on what type of business you have, the provider you’re working with, and the package you’re on. 

You might want professional writers to create the initial page content for you, which should be SEO-optimized. The cost of copywriting depends on many different factors. Your SEO package may include some copywriting, as the content is crucial for your ranking in Google. 

SEO services are ongoing in nature and can cost you from $300 to $10,000 monthly, often being packaged with other marketing and website design services. 

“Content isn’t king, it’s the kingdom.”

Regardless of your business size or industry, having a strong online presence is crucial. A well-designed website with proper SEO optimization can help you reach your target audience more effectively and increase your business’s visibility online.

Step 6: Design and Multimedia integration

A very important part of the project is developing appealing aesthetics and a positive user experience. Thus, there are two aspects of the design. One is the visual language of the site. Another is its usability.

Like in the development phase, there are numerous ways to create visual content and present information on your website, whether static images, video, or interactive elements. The cost varies entirely on how you want your site to look. Here, your agency will help you to come up with effective ideas that align with your business goals. The cost ranges from $300 to $10,000+.

Step 7: Ongoing maintenance

Even after your agency finishes developing your website and hands the key over to you, the process isn’t over. Any modern site will require maintenance to keep it relevant and technologically up to date.

Unless your site is really simple or you have a certain level of technical know-how, you may need to allocate a monthly maintenance budget for your website. Regular maintenance will cost you from as little as $50 to as much as $200 per month, depending on what changes are required.

Web design cost

Now you know what you should be considering to help you determine the budget for your web design project. Finally, here is a rough estimate of the total cost based on the type of site:

  • A simple site for small business: Around $3,000
  • Conversion-focused business site: $3,000 to $6,000
  • E-commerce site: $6000 to $15,000
  • Custom feature-rich site: Above $15,000

Again, these figures can vary greatly, so take these estimates with a grain of salt!

Do you want to get a specific personalized estimate of your site? Contact us today for a free quote.

Other factors to consider when buying a website

Website Content

When it comes to copywriting, the rates vary depending on who you choose for the job. Generally, the charges range between $80 to $200 per page. If you decide to hire an agency, they may charge you more than a freelancer. However, it’s essential to consider factors such as SEO, expertise, and the number of pages your website has. 

It’s crucial to understand that there is a difference between editing and writing something from scratch. A copywriter’s job is to grab attention, create awareness, and convert visitors into paying customers. A skilled content professional takes the time to comprehensively evaluate content to ensure the tone and voice of the copy aligns with your brand.

While every business hopes its content has universal appeal, content marketing typically works best when it is targeted to serve one audience above all others. When you publish broad-reaching content that aims to be all things to all people, it never gets specific enough to provide much value to anybody.

Apps and Integrations

how-much-should-my-website-cost-boomerankagency.com

Apps and integrations are an easy way to add advanced eCommerce features to your website without the need for custom coding. There are numerous eCommerce plugins that serve different purposes, such as shipping and SEO. No matter what function you need, there will be a plugin for it. 

Some popular and premium plugins include:

  • Yoast SEO: A powerful SEO tool that improves readability and search engine rankings.
  • Paypal: A payment solution that supports major shopping cart integrations.
  • OptinMonster: The best tool for creating email signup forms, including floating bars, slide-in scroll boxes, and inline personalized lead forms.
  • TrustPulse: Marketing automation software that makes brands more trustworthy and pushes website leads to act.

There are over 50,000 plugins for WordPress alone. Before jumping on the plugin bandwagon, make sure you’re clear on what your website needs to accomplish, and only use plugins that help you achieve your business goals.

You’ll also want to double-check plug-ins are compatible with whichever platform your website is built on. Some can be used on any platform, while others are specifically built for WordPress.

You can expect to pay anything from $10 to $300 for premium plugins, and they typically require yearly renewals.

SEO and Marketing

Having an SEO-friendly website is the first step of any digital marketing strategy. If you run a business, it’s a given you need a website for customers to find you. Even a simple website can be a real powerhouse for leads and sales when it’s created with marketing in mind.

Website marketing costs are anywhere between $2,000 to $10,000 per month. Marketing connects businesses with customers when they’re online and is effective across industries. Hiring marketers to improve SEO, PPC, and social marketing is a must to boost online rankings in organic search engine results.

Website Maintenance

Regularly updating and maintaining your website ensures it operates at full capacity. A business can spend between $35 to $500o per month or $400 to $60,000 per year on existing site maintenance.

This includes things like renewing your domain name, web hosting, and SSL certificate, as well as performing CMS updates and security patches. Website maintenance costs will vary depending on the site’s size and complexity.

Hidden Costs of Inexpensive Websites

“We run a small business, and a cheap website is all we require. We want something simple. Not only that, but we’re on a shoestring budget.”

We hear this from clients all the time, and we get it. But cheap websites just cost more in the long run. It’s like buying a cheap vehicle that constantly needs repairs.

Once you add up the cost of those repairs, you may as well have just spent money on buying a better, more reliable set of wheels.

Cheap websites are not SEO-friendly, offer a poor user experience, are slower, and don’t provide good, dynamic content.

So many vital components go into web development beyond what you see on the screen. People unfamiliar with these intricacies tend to hire agencies or freelancers based on attractive designs, but there are so many other considerations frequently overlooked.

For example:

  • How fast is the website?
  • Who will update the website when required?
  • What kinds of optimizations are there to ensure business growth?
  • Can the website scale with the business?
  • Will you own the website?

Digital marketing strategies usually take six months from inception to implementation to show results. Imagine hiring an agency that delivers poor results. That would mean six months of wasted time, and time is money. 

In addition, a poorly performing website will damage your online reputation. If you want customers to trust your brand, you should have a high-quality website that can convert visitors into buyers. 

You should view your website as an investment that yields a return on investment (ROI). Your website should leave the best possible impression on visitors because they make a value judgment in just 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds). 

So, how valuable is your web presence? 

Hiring a professional agency to design your website is worth the investment if they are reliable and deliver on their promises. When your website generates revenue that covers its costs and marketing expenses, the price is almost immaterial. We see web development and digital marketing as an investment in your business growth. We design websites with custom features that work together to improve visibility and guide leads down the sales funnel. 

In summary, a professional web designer will:

  • Have a better understanding of your industry from a marketing perspective
  • Save you time and money
  • Develop better designs that are mobile-friendly
  • Implement SEO best-practices
  • Adapt to new trends and technologies
  • Offer professional customer support to troubleshoot issues

The primary concern of an online store or website is sales. Having a professional website legitimizes your business and showcases your brand to prospective customers.

Sure, building a website comes with a price tag, but if you view it as an investment with a high ROI, it will pay for itself over time.

If you need a website update or are building one from scratch, then we help! Design and development work hand in hand. As a web development and digital marketing company, we can develop and create a simple and elegant website, regardless of how big your business is. We are always ready to help you with questions considering Shopify website development, WooCommerce development, and Magento website development services.

Our talented team designs tailor-made websites to pixel-perfect standards. Your website will be sturdy, fast, and easy for you to manage. Contact us to build your professional website today.