As a local business it is important to budget efficiently, therefore perhaps it is not surprising that one of the first questions I normally get asked is “how much does a website actually cost?”
The stock answer to this question is “it depends on the size and complexity of the website”, which of course is true. However this guide will prepare you and help give you a realistic idea of how much you could expect to pay.
Know what you want
To get an accurate price for a new website it helps to be prepared. The more information you can give to your web developer at the start of a project the more accurate your price will be.
Knowing the answers to the following questions when you contact your web developer will ensure an accurate costing for your website:
- What is the main purpose of your website?
- To sell services?
- To sell products?
- To provide contact information?
- How many pages will the website need?
- What functionality will your website need?
- Contact form?
- Booking form?
- Photo gallery?
- All of the above?
- Will you be supplying all/some/none of the text/images for your website?
- Will you need copyrighting services?
- Will you need photography services?
- Do you intend to sell online (e-commerce)?
- Do you have web hosting?
- Is there a project deadline?
A great way to work out what you would like from your website is to look at other websites (including competitors’) and note what you like, and don’t like about them. This will help the web developer understand what you need from your new website.
Costs of getting online
The building blocks of getting your website built and online can be broken down into four areas:
1. Website design and development
At the start of every project a consultation will take place to determine:
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The Design – the look and feel of your website
The design for you website is the ‘shop window’ to your business, and is therefore a very important step in the process.
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The Development – what lies ‘under the hood’ that makes the website work
What will your website need to do, for example will it have a calendar, booking form, animations, etc? It’s the ‘stuff’ you want your website to do, or the functionality of the website that really dictates its cost.
2. Website hosting
Your website needs a home on the internet. This comes in the form of ‘web hosting’, you may have heard of some of the larger web hosting providers such as GoDaddy or 1and1.
Every website on the internet needs hosting. Web hosting essentially stores your website files and makes it available to people who wish to visit your website.
I normally encounter one of the following three scenarios regarding web hosting:
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You already have web hosting
Your new website is to replace an old, existing website. Therefore there is already a hosting account for which your new website can be used.
Price: No change, unless an upgrade is required (depends on the size/complexity of your website)
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You would like to manage the web hosting
You may wish to set up and manage the hosting of your website independently of your web developer. Most developers should be absolutely fine with this (myself included) and would be happy to recommend the most appropriate web hosting packages for your website.
Price: Normally around £10-£25p/m for a standard package
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You would like your web developer to manage the web hosting
Lots of web developers offer to manage the web hosting for your website. Personally I am happy to set up and take care of the hosting for your website using my all-inclusive web hosting package.
Price: £15p/m
3. Domain name
A domain name, www.gloucesterhairdresser.co.uk for example, is the public address for your website. These can be purchased relatively cheaply, .co.uk domain names cost typically £10p/a whilst .com domain names cost £10-15p/a (renewal prices – often there will be an introductory offer price for the first year or two).
Your domain name will be uniquely tied to you or your business, therefore I always recommend that you purchase the domain name(s) that you need for your website.
4. Aftercare/website care package
After your website has gone live you may wish to take out a website care package. As an example the website care package I offer includes monthly WordPress core, security and plugin updates, website backups and security reporting.
Working out the cost
I base my pricing model on how long I think it will take me to complete the project. All of the above is taken into consideration when ascertaining how long I think this will be.
Once this is done I will then provide a detailed and accurate price for your new website.
As a rough guide here is what you could expect to pay for a modern responsive website:
- One-page ‘business card’ website: £150 – £250
- Small 5-10 page website with standard functionality: £200 – £500
- Large 10+ page website with complex functionality: £500 – £1000
- Small E-commerce website: £800 – £1200
- Large E-commerce website: £1200 – £2500
I pride myself in creating high-quality, professional websites whilst still offering affordable and competitive prices. Whatever your budget I’m confident that I can tailor your project to suit your requirements.
If you would like to discuss your project please don’t hesitate to get in touch.