How much does your website creation cost?

This is the first of the most frequently asked questions in the website design industry. However, the answer is not as easy as it seems.

There are two reasons why it is difficult to answer this question straightforwardly:

• Websites alter a lot in terms of their design and functionality. The type of site you’re after makes a big difference.
• The rate varies from agency to agency. A Canada-based company will charge you very differently than an overseas provider. But even in Canada, pricing can alter significantly.

• The main element that specifies the cost of your website will be your requirements. If you don’t alter familiar with the website design industry, the pricing can appear very confusing.

If you focus on low prices, cheap website builders or freelancers may seem like an excellent choice to design your site because they charge less. But affordable website designs have many drawbacks, and that’s why most business owners choose a web design agency to create their websites.

This stepwise guide can give you a ballpark build of how much your website design project will cost if you hire a web design agency.

Step 1: Specify the type of website you need.

Stated, we can categorize a business website into four types:

• A straightforward small-business website:  If your company has just a few services or products that you don’t intend to sell online, a simple website will do. The website will monitor activity as your online business card, where clients will come and look at your services or products and find out about your company. This type of website is ideal for small local businesses.
• Conversion-focused business website:  If you are planning on using your website to attract a steady flow of new business, you’ll need a more polished website set up to convert visitors and engage visitors by engagingly displaying your previous work. These sites are suitable for service-focused small companies.
• The fundamental e-commerce website: If you want to sell your services or products digitally and get payment on your site, you need an eCommerce website. An eCommerce website has various features that put it in a specific category of websites. These include a product database, client info, shopping cart functionality, payment gateway and configuration of a shipping matrix.
• A site with a unique set of features: If you manage a large business, you may want to stand out from the crowd with a custom website design and site-specific features. Your website may need to incorporate specially-made plugins (modules), enterprise-level database integration, or innovative web apps depending on your business type.  Of course, this is not a stiff classification. But having read this, you can acquire the kind of website your business needs.

Step 2: Getting a domain name

The first thing you require for a website is a domain name, assuming you already have one. The domain name is the address of the website on the world wide web. The price of the domain varies a lot, and usually, it will cost you between $1 to $50. Plus, you have to renew your domain name’s subscription every year.

Having an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate installed after getting your domain and setting up your website is recommended. If you have an eCommerce website or deal with such sensitive information as credit card information, user information, and passwords, then SSL is mandatory.

When buying the SSL certificate, you can select from 3 different types. The first is Domain SSL for fast issuance, the second is Organizational SSL for businesses, and the last is Extended SSL. Your website audience will see the padlock and HTTPS protocol beside your URL for the domain and organization SSL.

However, if you want a green address bar with your business name, you must subscribe to the Extended Validation SSL. In addition, you are required to extend the SSL certificate after your subscription expires. If all of these steps are complicated, ask your website design agency for help.

Step 3: Selecting a Web Hosting Provider

Web hosting costs can be around $30per month for standard websites and much more if you’re hosting large or complex sites or web applications.

The excellent price and package will depend on the type of website you want, how many visitors you have, your space requirements, and various other elements. Some key factors to consider are performance, security, support (including the availability of 24/7 support), and maintenance service.

Your web design agency will usually help you select an excellent hosting service for your website.

Step 4: Selecting between a ready-made template and custom development

If you don’t have much experience in web development, you might want to leave this step to your web design company.

A website based on a readymade template with a few pages will not cost much. Many popular CMSs such as WordPress and Joomla are free to install, though there is usually a set-up cost.

The more you want to customize your site, the more your designer, developer or agency will charge you. The cost can range anywhere between $300 and $10,000+. An innovative web app or advanced features like database integration or custom plugins will likely require an even larger budget.

Many different options and technologies are available in the web design industry, many of which do the same thing and solve the same problems. It all comes down to your unique requirements as to which is the most suitable. Your website development agency should find the best solution that balances your needs and budget.

Step 5: SEO and copywriting services

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is no longer just an option; it has become essential for any company website that wants to remain competitive. It is a service that assists in improving your rank and visibility in search engines to reach your right customers more efficiently.

Here, the fee depends on what type of website and business you have, the provider you’re working with, and the plan you’re on.

You might want professional writers to write the initial page content for you, SEO optimized. The price of copywriting depends on many different parts. Your SEO plan may include some copywriting, as the content is significant for your rank in Google, Bing and other search engines. Regardless of the size or industry of your company, having a solid online presence will benefit you. SEO services are ongoing and can cost you $300 to $10,000 monthly, often packaged with other marketing and website design services. So, as soon as your website is up and running, SEO is unquestionably worth investigating.

Step 6: Design and Multimedia integration

A necessary part of the website project is developing appealing esthetics and a positive user experience. Thus, there are two aspects of web design. One is the visual language of the website, and another is its usability. Like in the web development phase, there are numerous ways to create visual content and present information on your website, whether static photos, video or elements. The cost depends entirely on how you want your site to look. Here, your agency will help you develop impressive ideas that fit your business target. The fee 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 need a maintenance service to keep it relevant and technologically up to date.

Unless your site is straightforward or you have a certain level of technical know-how, you may need to assign a monthly maintenance budget for your website. Regular maintenance will cost you from $100 to as much as $500 per month, depending on what changes are needed.

Fee for final website design

Now you know what you should consider to guide you in determining the budget for your website design project. Finally, here is an estimate of the total cost based on the type of your website:

• A simple website for a small company: Around $1,000

• $2,000 to $5,000 for a conversion-focused business website.

• Ecommerce site: $1000 to $10,000.

• Above $15,000 for a custom feature-rich site

Again, these figures can alter significantly, so take these estimates with a grain of salt!

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