What Should a Website Cost?

How Much Should You Charge for a Website?

We’ll be happy to answer the question “how much does a website cost?” once we know the scope of your requirements. We’ll devise an effective website strategy based on your budget and needs.

Almost every potential client asks this question. Over the past 16 years we have developed hundreds of website with budgets ranging from $1000 to $200,000. We have also worked on Fortune 500 company websites in conjunction with other development companies. For websites of this scope the team can consist of 10 or more people working full-time for six months or longer.

So, how much does a website cost? It depends on what you are trying to build. We can build everything from small sites to full-fledged websites, design logos, and build with the aim of high search engine rankings. (Pricing not based solely on number of pages.)

So, to that question I answer “whatever it takes to succeed!” I understand clients have budgets and that they are cost sensitive — I get understand this. But most, in my experience, have unrealistic expectations of what a quality, effective and successful online business program costs (and they have their priorities about what should be spent where mixed up) both in dollars, effort and time.

If you are investigating Web site developers or WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) applications like WordPress, the costs are all over the board. From next to nothing to a bunch of zeros. This certainly doesn’t help those investigating Web site costs understand what is involved and what the costs may be, and why, for their particular project.

I explain why this happens in my article: Cost of WordPress Web Development and Design where I detail how each site is unique based on goals, market competitiveness, functionality, size, etc.

This is why business owners need to get educated about the variables available to them so they can make wise decisions. Web sites are serious business in today’s environment and while there are less expensive avenues you can investigate, you still have to be prepared to make an investment equal to your stated goals if you are serious about online success. If you want to cut costs on development; then you need to be prepared to learn what you don’t want to pay a pro to do.

It’s true, with the availability of professionally created WordPress Themes so you can use WordPress as a CMS application, site owners can save on the front end development costs as well as the deployment time involved to launch. But you still have to spend and learn — no way around that.

While templates are a great option for those on a budget, if you don’t know code you’ll have to pay a consultant or developer to customize the template for you. And even as easy as WordPress is for those who do not “know code”, you still will have to learn how to use WordPress properly. Then comes the marketing — marketing will cost additional time and dollars.

Many start investigating their new Web site with the opinion that it should cost very little and not require much of a learning curve. Then the site launches and just works. These perceptions are simply wrong.

If you insist on shopping for a Web site based on price alone, you may find you’re off-line in no time due to lack of results. Now that’s one way to save money!

Remember: Websites just don’t happen, they are the result of the execution of a methodology or process that arrives at a successful result. If this website will be a significant part of your business please don’t skimp on the design and development. If you’d expect to pay $100,000 for a brick and mortar retail shop (inventory, interior design, furniture, rent, utilities, staff, equipment, insurance, etc) – then don’t balk at paying reasonable rates for the creation of your online business.