How much does an average website cost?

This is a question often asked by companies trying to price companies for web design and development. Before we begin, I want to point out that there is a difference between website design, website development, and web marketing. The differences are listed below:

• Web-page design – create the overall layout, layout / appearance of a website. Develop the flow of how a page will look or where the content of the site will be placed.
• Website development – Take the website design and bring it to life through HTML / CSS and / or other web scripting / programming languages. Also, website development is the process of adding additional functionality to an existing website such as e-commerce, content management systems, etc.
• Web marketing – take the designed and developed website and promote it through the web. Use of media such as social media, search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click, etc.

These services are often intertwined when a business or person explains that they need web work to be done. With that out of the way, let’s look at the reasons web / freelancers charge what they charge and how they get their price.

How is the price determined?

There are many aspects to consider when pricing a project, but the main one is time. A freelancer / web company will listen to you (the prospect) explain your dream website and from there they will base the price around what was discussed.

Some things that will increase the price are, the time frame in which the project will be completed, support, consultation or deviation from the original scope of work.

Other factors that go into creating a price quote for web services are the amount of resources, experience, and knowledge of the professionals. The more value that can be offered, the higher the price. For example, freelancers are often only equipped to perform one or two services, while a team of web professionals is ready to deliver in all areas.

Solutions like templates, website builders, or other out-of-the-box services can be quite inexpensive due to the lack of customization. Also, keep in mind that some of these services have recurring monthly or yearly fees.

How will I be billed?

There are a couple of common ways to bill; one is to require half in advance and the other half upon project delivery. Let’s say your project grand total is $ 2000.00 before any work can be started, you will be asked to deposit 50%. The other 50% must be paid after the agreed scope of work is completed. Other variations can be 50% upfront, 25% on the first set of deliverables, and 25% final at project completion.

Another way is to bill by the hour. Being billed by the hour seems to be the least popular way to develop a website. Most of the time, hourly billing comes into play when advice is given or after a project takes longer than expected. Monthly fees generally occur with web hosting packages or if you agree to some kind of maintenance plan.

What does the standard website package come with?

This will be based on what you have explained to the professional and what they can offer you. If you express that you need a website redesign, you will get the website design. If you say you need to rank higher on Google or Yahoo, then web marketing will be the main focus.

As said before, each scenario and each company or freelancer is limited to the skills they have acquired. Generally speaking, if you don’t have a website at a minimum, you should be offered a domain and hosting package (to keep your files and make them visible to visitors). However, the company you choose to handle your web project may not have in-house servers that are generally known to or work closely with a web host.

Should I budget for my web project?

The answer is yes, however, if you have never developed a site before, it may be wise to ask other website owners how much they spent on their website. Ask others how the process went and what items / materials you need before calling all the web companies in town. Please note that websites should be created with room to scale with the growth of your business, unless otherwise specified. Today you may only need to have an online location to display information about your products or services, and tomorrow you may need to provide a way for your customers to order online. A well thought out website will be able to handle this transition.

Determine what you need your site to do for you – do you need to inform others about the services or types of products you sell? Do you need to sell items online? Do you need to create an online community around a topic or a set of topics? Write down how a website will help you leverage your business, or if you are doing business solely on the web, further explain the process on how to make money or see a return. It is always good to give a short explanation to a web specialist so that they can have some guidance and understanding on what is valuable to you, and will also allow you to make suggestions based on what has worked for previous clients.

Show me the numbers … what can I expect to pay?

If you’re like me, you want to get a general idea of ​​how much something costs so you don’t have to waste time calling, just find out that you’re not prepared. So, I’ve put together some generic numbers to help illustrate how much you should expect to spend. Please note that these prices are not in relation to any particular company, they are just ranges from what I have seen or heard. Also, remember that each company / freelancer charges differently, you may have to pay everything up front, half, 25% or make some type of deposit to start working.

Let’s get on with the prices!

Simplistic brochure website (almost no functionality / no dynamic content)

This is a great place to start if you’ve never built a website before. Typically the services included are custom web design and HTML / CSS encoding to bring the design to life. If something, like a contact form, animation (s), or anything else outside the scope of design and development, you will be charged an additional fee. Remember these are the lowest prices I have ever seen or heard of, I am not claiming that you will receive superior craft at these prices, but it will certainly get you a website.

Standalone price: $ 200.00 +

Firm web price: $ 1000.00 +

Expert advice: Always strive for the work to be done by the most professional and service-friendly. The higher price does not always reflect the skill or, more importantly, the skills of the people. Many of my clients are those who have changed from a company that never answers the phone or does not do what it is supposed to do. Dig deeper than the portfolio, don’t ignore it, just dig a little deeper and see how you run the business.

E-commerce website (add / edit / delete products or information)

Ecommerce websites can and should be used in addition to your physical store front. The only difference is that the physical will most likely close at night and the online location will remain open day and night throughout the year. When looking to build an ecommerce website, you need to consider ease of use (adding / removing / editing items in inventory), stability, and how well it integrates with your current site (assuming you have one).

Standalone price: $ 750.00 +

Web company price: $ 4000.00 +

Expert advice: If you don’t have a budget of more than $ 4000.00, I suggest you go with a freelancer or student. Start small and upgrade! There is no point in investing tons of money in something that you have no idea where it will take you. If you are a start-up business, focus on generating income first and go back and get the bells and whistles. However, make sure you end up with a professional and presentable site; no one will buy if the site doesn’t look legit. Remember, money does not automatically go into your bank account if you spend $ 4000.00 on a website. Assess where your business is now and think about where you would like your website to help you take it in the near future.

Interactive website (add / edit / delete content, post articles, visitor engagement)

Interactive websites are websites that keep your attention and keep you coming back hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, etc. These sites are the ones that show their favorite celebrity gossip, catch up on sports scores, or watch funny videos online. These sites are database driven and have great dynamic content. Because, these sites rely on a database and require a lot of back-end programming that skyrockets the price. Also, these sites are often found by search engines and have a way of self-marketing based on their content.

Standalone price: N / A

Web company price: $ 10,000.00 +

Expert advice: If you’ve never built a website before, I suggest looking for free or low-priced alternatives. There are plenty of out-of-the-box solutions that will get the ball rolling, you can always update later. Also, if you’re just getting started on the web, creating or finding new content can be overwhelming at first. Sites like these tend to snowball into a frequently visited site, unless you have tons of marketing dollars to back it up.

No matter which direction you plan to go, always think ahead and prepare for the amount of time and money you may have to invest in getting your business to the next step or serving your customers better and faster. As I said earlier in this article, take stock of where your business is now and think about where you would like your website to help you take it in the near future. Define your goals in advance and make sure you don’t go over or under, and if you’re unsure, always get a second opinion.