In one of our blogs, we talked about the importance and benefits of having a website in today’s business world. Your website will be your brand’s very own online home and platform that will strengthen how you present your brand to your market.
The reason why businesses choose to invest in hiring a website development company to create their websites varies per benefit. Some companies benefit from having an accessible platform that displays their information online. Others benefit from digital marketing via social media platforms, low-cost online ads, content marketing, Search Engine Optimization, and other marketing efforts in making their brand thrive in the digital market.
With the benefits that a website can bring to a business venture, its importance as a medium that moves your business altogether in the online market should not be ignored.
So now that you’ve decided to build a website for your business, the focus now goes to this—- How much does building a website cost? How do you decide what amount you’re willing to pay?
What price are we really looking at?
Putting a price on how much building a website is definitely not rocket science or simple. There are things that need to be considered when putting estimates as to how much your website would cost.
In the Philippines, the web development pricing of a decent website that a small to midsize business can start with is estimated at around $800 or Php40,000 minimum. This could include your domain registration, web content, and standard web hosting which are the primary components of a functioning website. All these include costs that could impact the amount you are going to pay for the building and maintenance of your website.
Here’s a breakdown of the cost that can be included on your website. Note: Price may vary depending on preference.
Website Domain
$11 – $60
Website Hosting
$35 – $600
SSL Certificate
$30 – $200
Website Template or Theme
$0 – $200
Ecommerce Functionality
$300 – $10,000
Website Content
$500 – $5,000
Plugins and Integrations
$50 – $5000
Domain Name
Registering a typical domain name with a (.com) can cost about $10 – $100 yearly. By default, your name and some contact info are visible online when you register from a domain registrar. However, if you want privacy on this matter, this would cost you a few more bucks. The cost of extensions also vary in cost depending on which registrar and package you use, and the domain you want to register. Some extensions can go as high as $200 per year.
Content And Website Files
Your content is what literally completes your website. It consists of page write-ups like articles and any information about your website and business, videos, pictures, and anything you want to include on your website. You can have content for your site or let your developer create them for you which by the way will cost you about $5000 in the estimate. Your website files, on the other hand, consist of the programming files created by the developer or designer such as HTML, CSS, PHP, and Javascript files that are used on your website for it to be displayed in a browser. Each time someone visits your website, these files will be served to the users.
Web Hosting
When you launch a website on the Internet, having a reliable web hosting service is important to make it function well on the Internet. A web hosting is a server that stores all your website files and what makes your site accessible all over the Internet.
Thus, it is important to invest in a web hosting service that can provide you a fast-loading and secured website. After all, nobody likes a website that is loading too slowly, always down, and inaccessible.
Reliable web hosting services are often offered in packages along with the domains since many web hosting companies are also domain registrars.
Building Cost of Creating a Website
There are three main ways to build a website. Choosing which way you prefer to build your website would have to depend on your budget since each method can vary in cost. You can use a website builder, launch your site via WordPress, or hire a web designer.
Using a website builder
With a website builder, you can be building a website for as little as $6 per month which is usually the cheapest way to build a website. You can also install free or paid apps ($20 and up) to expand your site’s functionality. Using a website builder can cost you an average price range: $6 – $50 per month. This method is best for starters and those wanting to launch a website on a tight budget. It is also best for personal websites and portfolios.
Using WordPress
Using WordPress, on the other hand, is technically free since it is an open-source platform. You can also avail of the free and available themes, built-in features, and plugins or pay for the premium and integrate them into your WordPress website. Plug-ins can cost up to $100+ per month while paid themes can cost up to $50+. Some charge a one-off fee, while others charge monthly or annually.
However, you need to find and pay for a reliable web hosting service for your website so you can launch it online. Web hosting may cost $2.95 – $50 per month or more depending on the web hosting company and the package you avail. You may also need to acquire extra security for your website which may run from $0 – $200 per year. What’s great about WordPress is that it allows you more control over your website while working on what you can afford from your budget. It’s best for those who are not well versed with coding, anyone who wants full customization on their website, as well as for blogs and other types of websites.
Hiring a Web designer/developer
Hiring a web designer is the most expensive option when building a website. Hiring a web developer can cost $5000 to $30,000 upfront and more for a customized website. Although expensive, you can put all the stress of building and customizing the website to your preference, including maintenance to your web developer. Thus, you are paying for a more managed website. Since you’re paying an expert to design and create your website, you can be assured that the result will be based on your preference as a website owner.
Although you are putting the work to a professional, you’ll need to work with your web designer to create a site that suits you best. Hiring a web designer is best for those who want to have a complex website that is more customized and for those who have a huge building budget for customizing their website.
You need to choose the right method for you. Hiring a web designer is expensive, but it takes out the technical hassle of creating and maintaining the performance of your website all while allowing you to have full control as to how you want your website to turn out. Using a website builder may be cheap and easy but you don’t get the same level of control and flexibility when you use WordPress.
The method you choose impacts on how much building and maintaining your website will cost. Thus, it’s important to consider the varying costs before deciding whether or not is it worth it to build a website using the method you chose.
What Affects the Cost Of Hiring a Web Designer?
When you plan on hiring a web development company to create your website, you need to remember that you have full control over what you want your website to look like and how you want it to function. The role of the web developer is to make your vision happen. So when hiring a web designer for your website, you need to think about these factors which will determine the pricing of building your custom website.
1. How complex is your website plan?
2. Do you just want your web designer to design and build your site?
3. Would you like them to handle your domain, hosting, and plug-ins, and carry out maintenance and updates?
4. Do you want a pre-made or a custom template for your website?
5. Will you provide your website content or hire them to make the content for you?
6. What features should your website have? Do you want it as a platform where you can also sell online?
7. How many pages is your website going to be?
8. Do you have a premade template you want the designer to customize? Or do you want the designer to build your site from scratch?
9. What sort of features do you need? For example, will you be selling online?
10. How many pages is your website going to be? You’ll need to know this beforehand to get an accurate quote.
Pricing for a pro varies depending on the complexity of your website. While there are options that you can choose as a method to create your online home, the decision still boils down to knowing your preference and of course, your budget. Knowing what you’re paying for is important for you to know whether or not it is worth it.
Don’t settle for a cookie-cutter website that fails to properly represent your business. Invest in a website that sets you apart from the competition and effectively communicates the value you offer to your customers. Contact us today for a Free Consultation.
