How Much Does a Website Cost

How Much Does a Website Cost?

How much a website is going to cost will depend on the different needs of each business. If your business is just getting off the ground, your budget will look very different to a 2nd  or 3rd website build for a more established business.

Website builds can start from as little as £99 for a static one-page website to £50k + for a bespoke custom solution. That’s a big range in cost. Finding out how much you are willing to spend on a website will depend on what you need the website to do to meet your business outcomes.

 

How Much Does a Website Cost and How do I Know Which Type of Website is Right for Me?

The website cost for a start-up company will look very different to a multi-national corporation. Each company will have different requirements between these two types of businesses with many variations in between.

Let’s look at the options.

 

How Much Does a Website Cost?

Option 1:

Low Monthly Cost – Pay as you go option – average cost £10 – £30 per month

An easy option to get started can be to use a company like Wix, Weebly or Squarespace with a monthly cost option.  These companies make it easy to get started with a choice of templates that you can work with to get you up and running.

Positives

  • They are easy to get set up and get started quickly
  • Spread the cost with a monthly payment
  • Pre-made templates easy to add in your own content and photos to

Negatives

  • You are limited to the templates available. This could be restrictive if you want any customisation.
  • You don’t own your website, it’s a bit like renting a house, if you close your account, you lose your website.
  • It can be quick and easy to get started but might quickly become restrictive if you want to add functionality
  • SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) options are limited and may give poorer SEO results  compared to other Content Management Systems (CMS)

 

Option 2:

WordPress Templated Design – £100 – £250

Some website companies specialise in offering low cost WordPress website designed-for-you solutions. This option doesn’t normally include any domain or hosting costs, just purely the design aspect. Sometimes you can spread the cost of websites like this on a monthly basis too.

Positives

  • You can get up and running quickly.
  • You own your own domain.
  • You have templates you can choose from that get set up for you.
  • You can edit your own content

Negatives

  • Use preformatted templates which can be restrictive
  • Pay more to have more functionality or additional services
  • Very basic with little thought to SEO
  • Need some knowledge on how to update your own content

 

Option 3:

Work with a VA, student or newly qualified web designer – £250 – £1,000

If this is your budget, you could try to work with someone who might be starting out, is a student or a VA. If you are starting out yourself, it could be a good option when you have limited budget. The upside is that you hopefully will get a working website that will get you started. How good it will be could be hit and miss depending on the person you are working with. If you’re prepared for a learning curve, this could be a good starting point.

Positives

  • More flexible design process to meet your needs
  • More customisation options for layout and design (knowledge dependent)
  • Working one to one with someone who can learn about your business

Negatives

  • This type of individual or business won’t have the knowledge or expertise that a web designer or developer does
  • The project may take longer depending on the experience of the person you are using
  • Won’t be a custom design
  • They may not have a proven track record or social proof

 

Option 4:

Custom WordPress Design and Development – £1,000 – £10,000+

If this is your budget you can work with an established Web Developer or Designer. This is where you will find me. You will be more likely to find someone who will be able to manage the business requirements and get your website working as hard as you do.

Knowing Your Business

The best websites don’t work in isolation, so developers in this price bracket will look at your business holistically. They can help the business grow and develop over time with the right strategies in place.

Ongoing Costs – £50pm – £1,000+ pm

In order to protect your investment and to help your business grow through the website, some web designers will offer you support and maintenance after the website has been launched. Continuing support, advice and plans for future growth is where the bespoke solution fits with many established businesses.

Technical monthly support can start from as little as £50pm to keep your website up to date, safe and secure. If you’re looking to grow your website and your business, some web developers will offer growth options that might include SEO, marketing or content options which require more investment. Costs will vary but could be in the region of £500 + pm and upwards.

Positives

  • Working this way is more like working with an invested business partner who provides the right strategies to make the website work hard and help you grow your business.
  • Have ongoing support and regular contact with your web designer. Somewhere to go to when something goes wrong with the website.
  • Technical maintenance is taken care of so that your website is up to date and as secure as it can be.
  • The opportunity to work together to improve aspects of your business such as content marketing activities and social media.

Negatives

 

Option 5:

Complex Custom WordPress Design and Development – £10,000 + – £50k and upwards

With more complex websites, comes for moving parts. Larger web projects will fall into this bracket. Think of eCommerce sites and Membership sites. There are often many moving parts which require lots of expertise in this area. They also require specialist maintenance and ongoing development to keep pace with the changing business and products, as well as top-class hosting to support the demanding work that sites like this do, and making sure everything runs smoothly.

 

How Much Does it Cost to Work with Me?

In the cost options I have gone through, we fit into the Custom WordPress Design and Development option. At this moment in time, most websites cost around £2,995 price bracket as a ball-park figure. This investment is not just for the website itself as an entity. The website project consists of other elements that are essential to the build; Discovery and Strategy, the Website as the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and then a Growth Phase which goes beyond the build on a monthly basis. Costs for this range from £99 to £500 per month, depending on the growth plan agreed.

Most clients I work with tend to be starting their 2nd website build. They will have a few years’ experience behind them and are generally very clear about what service they provide and who they like to work with.

Discovery

The most important start to any project is discovering who the business is and the Discovery Phase of a project at the start is crucial to the success of the website.

After the Discovery, this leads to the website strategy and ultimately into the build itself. I will have explored solutions that clients are trying to solve for their clients and find smart ways to do this through the website.

Care and Maintenance

Once the website is launched, it’s never a set and forget project. The website maintenance care kicks in and the site is looked after on a daily basis to make the site is safe and secure. Umbrella Care Plans are always strongly recommended after a web build with the Essentials Plan starting at £99 per month.

Growth

A website can help you grow your business. I work together with clients to look at ways to do this going forward. The format works on an ongoing monthly basis. We have monthly calls to keep the growth projects on track, report on progress and plan for the coming months ahead.

My current growth plan starts at £499 per month.

 

Other Website Costs

In addition to the costs associated with a website, there are additional services that you might need for your web project. Some web designers may offer some of these services too and some don’t. Freelance web designers may collaborate and work with recommended partners who can offer these services. If you work with a Web Agency, they may provide some of these services ‘in-house’:

Copywriter – to help you write your website content

Photographer – for your own business images or professional headshots

Graphic Designer – for branding and logo design to reflect your business identity and message

 

In Summary

It can be daunting trying to work out which option is best for your website project. The answer to ‘How Much Does a Website Cost?’ is based on the outcomes that the business needs for future growth. Be prepared to have the budget available that you need to achieve what you want.

My advice is to take the time to do the research and work out which options suit you best. Try to think long term too, a cheaper option that doesn’t work out could cost you more in the long run.

Every web designer is different in their approach so it’s important to find someone who is a good fit with your personality and your own values. You will invest a lot of time, effort and money into any web project. A good project outcome requires a commitment on both sides to the project and it can be both exhausting and rewarding as you work through the different stages together. Finding the right web partner is crucial to the successful outcome you hope for.

 

Need Help?

It can be difficult to know where to start when you begin the research for your web project but I hope this article has shed some light on where your upcoming project might fit in with your plans and your budget.

If you need any help or have any questions relating to any of the information in this article, then please do get in touch.

Imogen Allen

Imogen Allen

I'm a Website Strategist and the creator of The WIF®, on a quest to help stop projects waiting on content for all web agencies once and for all. Passionate about helping others find their website identity and championing websites which speaks to humans in a language they understand.

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