Calculating the Price of a New Website
In today’s competitive digital landscape, having a website is no longer an option for businesses—it’s a necessity. Think about it, if you’re researching a new product or service, where’s the first place you look?
Building a new website can be a costly investment. On average, a new website can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000. If you have the technical expertise, you may be able to create your own website for less than that; however, you should consider the cost of your time and the quality of the final product. Likewise, if you have a large website that requires extensive technical know-how, branding, and development work, you could be looking at spending $20,000 or more.
You also need to account for the ongoing costs of owning a website—regular maintenance and management costs, like hosting fees, domain management, security updates, technical updates, plugin support, content creation, and search engine optimization (SEO) services, can total anywhere from $400 to $5,000 per year.
In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the factors that influence the cost of a website, including design, development, maintenance, and more. By the end of this article, you’ll better understand what goes into building a website and be equipped to make informed decisions about your website’s development and maintenance.
Ready to take the first step? Contact us today to learn more about our Website Development services.
Breaking Down the Cost of a New Website
We understand that you want a website that dazzles potential customers and generates leads, but you don’t necessarily want to break the bank doing it. Our team understands that building a website can be an overwhelming process, especially when it comes to pricing. There are many factors to consider, from design to maintenance, and it can be challenging to estimate an accurate cost. But don’t worry—we’re here to help you navigate through the process and build a website that meets both your business goals and your budget.
1. Design
The design of your website plays a critical role in attracting and retaining customers. It can make or break your online presence, so it is crucial to invest in a design that reflects your brand’s values and resonates with your target audience.
Custom websites offer a unique look and feel that can be tailored to fit your business’s specific requirements. That being said, the cost of a custom website can vary widely depending on the complexity of the design and the potential need for expertise from a graphic designer or front-end developer.
On the other hand, template-based websites can be a more cost-effective alternative. They offer many of the same features as custom websites at a lower price point. However, you may have less flexibility when it comes to customization options.
2. Size
The size of a website can have a significant impact on its cost. Generally, the more pages a website has, the more development hours it takes—that includes developing and designing additional subpage templates, page layout options, and testing, which can increase the overall cost.
Additionally, maintenance costs can be higher due to the need for more frequent updates, security monitoring, and ongoing website changes. Hosting fees for a larger website may also be higher due to increased traffic, disk space (a larger amount of overall files, quality, and size), and server requirements.
3. Features
Business websites can vary from simple brochure-style websites to complex e-commerce platforms. Websites with more advanced features and functionalities require more skill and effort to build, making them more expensive. For example, a simple website with a few pages and basic contact forms typically falls on the lower end of the price spectrum. Conversely, an e-commerce website with multiple product categories, payment gateways, and shipping integrations can cost much more.
In the same vein, websites with more advanced features, such as membership portals, custom databases, and user-generated content, require additional expert development work, which can drive up the overall cost of a website.
4. Third-Party Tools and Plugins
Including third-party tools in your website can exponentially enhance its overall experience but also incurs additional costs. As such, weighing the benefits against the costs is important when deciding whether to incorporate third-party tools and plugins. You’ll need to calculate licensing costs, customization work, and ongoing maintenance into the overall price of your website.
5. Content
When building a website, high-quality content, photography, and graphics are crucial to its success. The content on your website should be engaging, informative, and align with your brand’s voice and style.
Depending on the size of your business and the amount of content you need, you might be able to handle your content needs in-house. However, if you’re short on time or want to ensure your content is top-notch, outsourcing to a professional content writer, photographer, or graphic designer might be the way to go. Remember that these services come with additional costs that should be factored into your budget.
Ongoing Maintenance and Management Costs
A business website isn’t just a one-time cost. There are ongoing maintenance, management, and security costs associated with a new website that must be considered in your budget. If avoided, larger costs from malicious activity or lack of updates should be expected.
1. Hosting Fees
Website hosting fees can vary depending on the type of hosting your website needs. Shared hosting is typically more affordable, but it may not be the best option if your business has a large or high-traffic website.
A Virtual Private Server (VPS) can provide dedicated hosting for larger websites but is generally more expensive.
Finally, storage, bandwidth, and how your website size might change year-over-year need to be considered. Some providers include features like SSL certificates and site backups in the cost, while others do not.
2. Domain Management
Before launching a website, a domain name must be purchased and registered—this price can vary drastically based on your business’s chosen domain name. Domains also have ongoing renewal fees, and you may incur additional security and management fees depending on the provider.
Click here to learn more about Domain Management.
3. Maintenance and Updates
Websites are vulnerable to security threats such as hacking and malware, making it essential to keep them secure by installing security updates and patches. Technical updates may also be necessary to keep the website compatible with new devices and browsers. Websites built using content management systems like WordPress require regular updates to plugins and themes to maintain compatibility with the latest version of the CMS.
These types of maintenance and update tasks require time and, therefore, money—you should expect to see them built into ongoing website management costs.
4. Content and SEO
Regularly updating the website’s content, including adding new pages, updating existing pages, and adding new blog posts, is critical for SEO purposes. However, this may require hiring a web developer or content writer to handle the updates, which can add to the ongoing cost of the website.
Additionally, you may want to consider services like Business Listing Management that ensure your business’s critical online data, like its name, address, and contact information, is up-to-date for the most popular websites, search engines, voice assistants, social media networks, and more.
How Do You Pay for a New Website?
- Traditional Website Development. With traditional website development, you hire a website development team to create a custom website for you. Once it’s completed, you take over responsibility for maintaining the website, including tasks such as website hosting, security, backup, and updates. These services are typically available on an a-la-carte basis, in addition to the costs associated with building your initial website. It’s crucial that you don’t confuse additional services with optional costs, as maintenance, management, and security services are essential for your website’s ongoing health and functionality.
- Website as a Service (WaaS). WaaS is a subscription-based website design and development model that includes website hosting, maintenance, and ongoing support—it’s a popular option for businesses and individuals who want a professional website without the upfront costs and ongoing maintenance of traditional website development. WaaS can be a cost-effective way to get a website up and running quickly, and it provides ongoing support and maintenance to ensure that the website remains up-to-date and secure.
We Put Your Website to Work.
Building a new website can be a significant investment for any business, but it’s an investment that’s critical to your company’s ongoing success. By carefully considering these factors, you can make informed decisions that will help you create a website that meets your needs and budget.
Whether you choose the traditional website development route or Website as a Service (WaaS), you can rest assured knowing our team is here for you every step of the way. We specialize in creating customized websites that are tailored to help you meet your business’s specific goals and needs.
Don’t let the cost of a website hold you back from achieving your business goals—contact us today to learn more about our website development services and get started building your dream website.