Website cost is an important consideration for every business owner. It is also a major factor in deciding whether or not to launch a new online venture.
But how much does a website cost? And what factors determine its price? First, let’s check out some of the main ongoing costs involved in building a website.
How Much Does a Website Cost?
When considering how much it’ll cost to build personal websites, a good starting point is determining what kind of website you want. Many different types of sites are available on the Internet today, from simple informational pages to eCommerce stores, blogs, social media profiles, etc. Each requires unique skills and knowledge to set up successfully. The more complex your needs, the higher-priced your project may become.
There are three ways to build websites: with a website builder like Wix, with WordPress, a free content management system, or by hiring a professional web designer. Choosing between different web design platforms will determine how expensive your website is going to be.
Website costs can vary widely depending upon the type of website you need and how you want to build it. Lowest cost options include building your own using WordPress (starting at $2.95 per month) or Squarespace (starting at $12 per month). WordPress is a highly in-demand and popular content management system platform, and it’s also one of the easiest to learn. In addition, you can customize everything about your site, including its appearance, layout, and even add premium plugins to extend its functionality.
Website builders are great if you’re new to web design. They make it easy to create a basic website without having to know HTML or CSS. But they don’t offer much flexibility, and they often lack advanced functionality.
Professional designers are the most expensive option, but they can give you a beautiful website that looks like a pro designed it. Higher cost options include outsourcing to a marketing firm.
How Much Does Building Your Website Cost
A DIY website is one where you build everything yourself. It’s also called a self-hosted website. There are many benefits to building your website. You can save money by building your website rather than paying someone else to do it. Another benefit is that you get complete control over your website. If you want to change something about your website, you can make changes without asking permission from anyone else.
By the way, take into account that each additional feature added to your site adds complexity and increases overall development time and cost. So think carefully before adding extra bells & whistles to your website because these might end up being costly headaches!
Site builders make creating a professional website quick and easy without requiring technical expertise or coding knowledge. But, take note, there are a few key differences between the various site builders.
How do you go about using them? First, you must signup for a free account. Next, choose a theme or template and then customize your template. Finally, upgrade to a premium package and connect your domain name.
Are Popular Website Builders Worth Your Money?
With a good website builder, you can construct a professional website. Sure, choosing poorly designed tools will result in a shoddy product. But if you choose carefully designed tools, you can set yourself up to succeed.
What we’re trying to say here is that it’s worth spending a little extra money on a better builder than just picking out the first one that you find. You’ll get far better value for your money from a builder such as Wix Squarespace than a low-rated option such as SiteBuilder, for example.
What Are the Development Costs If You Go DIY?
If you want to do it yourself, a website can be quite inexpensive. For example, a site can cost just a few hundred dollars for the first year.
There are many free web builders available today. They are simple to use and quick to learn. And while they do require a subscription fee, there are also free trial periods. You might have monthly subscriptions ranging from $6 – 50 per month. This covers monthly hosting costs, security, free theme, and built-in functions. Apps are optional extras that can be free or can cost you about $20. You can add to your site for additional functionality.
Website builders offer free custom domains for the first year. After this time, they charge a fee for each domain you add. The average cost range between $12-$30 per year.
Free apps are often available, but you may be limited in how many can be installed. Paid apps are usually inexpensive, but you have full control over the selection of apps to be installed and what plans you select.
You need not pay extra for themes, hosting, and security for your website. These ongoing costs are all included in the website builder subscription, often in your first year.
Most types of websites don’t require any custom functionality. Instead, off-the-shelf solutions work perfectly well. And it’s easy enough for anyone to create their very own website.
So if you want to start an online business, you can do so without spending money or employing a professional to do it for you, but you’ll have to be willing to put in some time and effort.
You can create a website that looks good and works well for as little as $70. But if you want to build something that works, you will need to spend at least $200-$300 in total.
Why the Website Builder Is the Right One for You
Here are the reasons a website builder is a right choice for you:
- You have to work within your budget.
- You lack experience building a website.
- You are time-constraint.
- You want to experience the design process.
- You don’t want complicated technicalities.
Website Builder Pros and Cons
Pros:
- You can create your website.
- You don’t have to pay up for hosting services or maintenance.
- The site looks professional.
- It’s less expensive.
Cons:
- It takes time to build the site.
- You need technical skills to design it.
- It would help if you were good at writing HTML code.
- You get little design control.
How to Build a Website Using a WordPress
You can build a custom-built website with any number of different platforms. But, if you want to build a fully responsive website and have an interactive design, you should consider using WordPress. It’s one of the well-known and in-demand platforms out there, and it offers a lot of flexibility.
To create a WordPress website, you need a web hosting plan, a domain name, a WordPress installation tool, a theme, and premium plugins. You can then customize your site further.
Get a domain name, SSL certificate, and business email, all free, before getting any web hosting plan. These services may be included as part of your plan at a low cost. Also, avoid connecting your domain name and web host manually since this can be very time-consuming and difficult.
There are many different aspects and costs to consider when setting up a WordPress website. For example, if you want to use a premium theme, you may need to pay for dedicated hosting, and then there’s development time to consider. As a result, using WordPress may cost you between $35 and $780 upfront, and you may have ongoing costs amounting to $50. But this may be lower, depending on the apps and extensions you use.
WordPress Hosting Provider Considerations
When choosing a WordPress hosting provider, look for security, reliability, and support. Make sure they have multiple protection layers against malware attacks. Look for a company that uses secure coding practices and regularly scans its servers for vulnerabilities. Check how often they perform routine checks and fixes. The best WordPress hosting provider should be able to respond quickly to problems. You should also know how much downtime they experience and the kind of uptime guarantee they give.
The best WordPress hosting provider can also give you a certain level of support. Will they help you set up everything yourself? Or will you buy a package from them? Can you contact someone by phone, live chat, or email?
Furthermore, take note of the advanced premium features. Is there anything else in particular that interests you about the platform? For example, is there a drag & drop editor available? Which version of PHP do they run?
What Are the Development Costs If You Use WordPress?
Some plugins are free; some require a one-time payment or monthly subscription. Premium themes are paid for upfront, which can cost you $50. Hosting is an essential expense, too. You can rarely find a host that accepts payments monthly, so you should expect a minimum of $35 upfront costs.
However, if you hire someone to help you fix your WordPress site, you’ll usually be spending anywhere between $30 and 100+ per hour. Always do your homework before hiring someone.
Domains vary in price depending upon the host you register with and which domain you choose. These two variables will greatly impact the cost of your domain. On average, though, you can purchase domains for anywhere between $12-$60 per year. Some web hosting companies, such as Bluehost, offer a free domain name for your first year, but then you’ll need to pay a yearly domain fee.
Plugins can either be free or paid. It’s up to you if you’re going to use them or not. Some plugins come with varying levels of service so that you can begin using the free plan and later upgrade to unlock a better plugin. The price range varies from $0 to $99+.
Getting free themes first are a great way to get started, and you can find some nice ones in the WordPress theme repository. Just remember that they may not be as professional or feature-rich as premium themes.
Premium themes tend to be expensive and can go over $100. However, this is a one-time cost, after which you are free to modify the advanced features without any additional charges. They also come with more support and regular upgrades to prevent them from breaking or becoming obsolete. In addition, they often include extra features built into them, allowing you to save money.
Any hosting provider worth their salt will come with a built-in security plugin. WordPress sites can be pretty susceptible to online attacks, so there’s a good chance you need to invest in some extra security measures.
Which Type of Hosting You Should Pay
We’ll quickly walk you through different WordPress hosting options and hopefully point you toward the one that’s right for you, your website, and your realistic budget.
Small blogs are free. Medium-sized blogs cost around $10 per month. Large blogs can cost anything from $20 to $60 per month. Most businesses should be using WordPress hosting, which is the cheapest type of hosting available.
Shared hosting means your website shares its resources with others. Hence, it is more susceptible to crashes and attacks. For large sites that need to handle lots of traffic and automate even further the technical side, consider managed WordPress hosting to focus more on growing your site. It costs more but also works harder for your business. If you’re building an online store, you should be using either WordPress hosting or specialized eCommerce hosting.
Why WordPress Is the Right One for You
Here are the reasons why using WordPress to build your website is suitable for you:
- You have budget constraints.
- You want your site to be totally under your control.
- You have enough time.
- Customization is important for you.
- You like to dabble with the technical side of website building but with little experience.
Website Builder Pros and Cons
Pros:
- It is easy to use.
- It is good for beginners.
- It is free.
Cons:
- It is not as customizable as other website builders.
- It can be slow at times.
- Some people say it’s not secure.
How to Build a Website with Professional WebsiteBuilders
Design agencies are usually very reliable and experienced. They are a perfect choice if you want a simple website but don’t have the time or skills to create one yourself. They offer a quote for the entire project, making it easy to compare offers.
Using a freelance developer is one option for creating a basic website. Finding freelance web developers may take a little more work, but you can typically get more personalized service and save money. However, they won’t usually have the breadth of experience that an agency will. They will also typically charge per hour, making it difficult to know how long it will take.
Using an offshore web company is the cheapest option. But, they can be unreliable at times. So, be very careful of any offer that sounds too good to be true.
Freelance Web Designers vs. Web Design Agency
Freelancers have varying levels of talent, and the cost will vary accordingly. Depending on your goals, you can find a freelancer to do a simple site for $2,000-$5,000 or a larger site for $10,000-$20,000.
Many factors determine who to employ. T