How much should it cost to build a website? Building a website might feel like a massive undertaking, particularly if you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur. Whether you’re kicking off a brand new site or giving your old one a facelift, know what kind of cash you’ll need to shell out. Let’s break down how much should it cost to build a website, helping you plan your budget wisely and get the best value from day one to launch day.
The Essentials You Pay: How Much Should It Cost to Build a Website
Figuring out how much should it cost to build a website means looking at all the bits and pieces. Here’s the rundown of what to watch out for:
1. Picking a Domain Name
Think of your domain name as your web name tag. It’s how your audience will track you down online. Prices swing a lot based on what ending you go for (.com, .net, and more) and who you get it from.
- Typical Price Range: You’re looking at shelling out about £10 to £30.
- Hot-ticket Domains: The popular ones will hit your wallet harder.
2. Choosing Hosting Providers
Your website’s home is its web hosting. Get a hosting service that’s rock-solid to keep your site running without a hitch. The hosting kind you pick has a big say in what you’ll end up paying.
- Shared Hosting: You’ll pay about £2.50 to £10 every month. It’s perfect if you’ve got a tiny website.
- VPS Hosting: You’re looking at £20 to £100 monthly here ’cause you get more goodies and you’re the boss.
- Dedicated Hosting: This one’s going to cost you more than £100 each month, but hey, it’s for those big websites that need lots of functionality.
3. Making Your Website
This part is going to eat up most of your cash. How tricky your website is, how many pages you’ve got, and the cool functions you want all play a part in the cash you’ll shell out.
- Build-It-Yourself Site Platforms: Services like Wix or Squarespace have price tags around £10 to £30 monthly, hosting included.
- Freelance Creators: Getting a freelancer on board could set you back between £500 and £5,000. The price sways with their skill level and how complex your project is.
- Web Agencies: Picking a development company, you could be looking at costs starting over £10,000 for something customised.
4. Making Content
You need to have top-notch content for pulling in readers and climbing up those search results. You might need to grab some writers or whip up some cool multimedia content depending on what you’re after.
- Writing: If you hire a pro to do your writing, you’re looking at £20 to £100 every hour.
- Pics and Designs: Getting a photographer or someone good with graphics means shelling out more cash. How much should it cost to build a website depends on how much of a pro they are.
5. Keeping Things Safe
Keep your website locked down when you’ve got private customer info. Putting money into staying safe now can keep away big trouble later.
- SSL Papers: These babies can run you anywhere from £0 to £200 a year. Some places that host your site might even toss them in for free.
- Extra Security: The fancy keep-out plugins can set you back £50 to £200 a year.
6. Fixing and Refreshing
A website isn’t something you can set up and forget about. To ensure it operates without a hitch and stays safe constant upkeep is essential.
- Keep It Running: This could set you back between £50 and £500 every month. The cost hinges on how intricate your website is and what’s included in the service package.
- Fresh Content: Updating your site’s content might lead to extra expenses more so when you’re paying pros to do it.
7. More Features: How Much Should It Cost to Build a Website
Should you need special features, like the ability to sell online or bespoke elements, you’ll have to think about those costs too.
- Online Store Setup: Prices to get your shop online can vary from £200 to £5,000. It depends on which platform you use and the level of complexity involved.
Plugins and Extensions: A bunch of platforms let you snag plugins for free, but if you’re eyeing the fancy ones, you’re looking at shelling out from £30 to £200 apiece.
Cracking the Cost Code for Different Website Flavors
To get your wallet ready, you need to understand what kind of website you’re after. So here’s the breakdown of how much should it cost to build a website with common themes.
1. Personal Blogs
- Total Damage: £200 to £1,000
- What You Get: Not much fuss in the design, just a few pages, and the standard bells and whistles.
2. Small Business Websites
- Total Damage: £500 to £5,000
- What You Get: A bunch more pages, spots for people to drop you a line, and some basic tricks to help your buyers find you on Google.
3. E-commerce Websites
- Total Damage: Pay attention, this can hit anywhere between £1,000 and £50,000.
- What You Get: A whole shopping cart feature, payment gateways, advanced SEO so you don’t get lost in the internet sauce, and customer logins for a smooth sail at checkout.
- Total Spend: £1,000 to more than £10,000
- Main Advantage: You get a shopping trolley for your items, ways to pay up, a list of what you’re selling, and what people think about it.
4. Websites for Big Companies
- Total Spend: £2,000 to £15,000
- Main Advantage: It looks super slick, there’s tons to read and do, and yeah, people can get involved.
5. Sites to Show Off What You’ve Made
- Total Spend: £300 to £3,000
- Main Advantage: It’s like your own little gallery ways to hit you up, and smooth sailing around the site.
Getting SEO Right Is a Big Deal
Optimising your website for search engines known as SEO, plays a big part in your site’s overall success. Put money into SEO to boost how often you pop up in search engine results, which could lead to more people checking out your webpage.
- SEO Services: If you get help from an SEO expert or company, you’re looking at spending anywhere from £500 to £5,000, and that depends on what you’re asking them to do.
- DIY SEO Tools: For those going the do-it-yourself route, there are budget-friendly tools out there. You’d be shelling out something like £10 to £100 a month.
When it comes to getting the word out about your website
You need to spread the word about your website after it’s up and running to pull visitors in. Depending on how you plan to shout about your site, marketing expenses can change a lot.
1. Getting Social with Marketing
- Cost: You’ll see prices from £100 to £1,000+ each month shaped by the tactics and platforms you pick.
2. Emailing Promos
- Cost: You might start free with places like Mailchimp, but the real pro services could set you back from £20 to £500 monthly.
3. Ads That Make You Pay as People Click
- Cost: Your funds can steer this starting at £100 and can soar to sky-high monthly figures.
The Sneaky Extra Costs When Setting Up a Site
While the up-front expenses are simple to add up, it’s those sneaky extra costs that might jump out. Keep your eyes peeled for these:
1. Training to Get the Know-How
When you try out a new platform or tool, think about the time you might need to spend teaching yourself or your team how to use it. Training might also lead to some expenses.
2. Glitches and Tune-ups
Sometimes, sites break, and it leads to your business having to hit pause. If you have some cash put aside for these little disasters, you’ll thank yourself later.
3. Subscription Charges
The software and tools you pick might come with subscription charges. Remember to include these when you’re planning your budget.
Conclusion: Finding the Right Budget for You
So, how much should it cost to build a website? Well, it depends on what you want, what you’re aiming to do, and the type of website you’re dreaming of making.
- Start by setting a budget. Nail down a realistic amount that covers all, how much should it cost to build a website.
- Dig into research. Look around at different platforms, freelancers, and firms to see who’s the right match for your cash limit and needs.
- Decide which features your website can’t live without and which ones you can roll out later on.
Getting the hang of the bits and bobs, along with what they might set you back, can lead you to smart choices for your online presence. Just keep in mind, putting money into a solid site is like planting seeds for your business’ future growth. So chill, do your research, and gear up for launch day! Contact our experts here at We Get Digital and let us help you plan your business website today!
