What does a website cost?
I frequently get asked this questions so I wanted to share some data about what you should expect when it comes to pricing out a website. There are tons of agencies and overseas development centers [ODC] that offer prices from a few hundred dollars to Thousands of dollars…. There are also many platforms you can choose to use… In this article I am going to assume only three things….
You need a website for a business that is as functional and user friendly as it is beautiful to look at.
You are more concerned with a quality project than you are with cheapest possible option.
You will be using Wordpress to build this website (The most popular option)
The cost of WordPress website will vary widely depending on several factors.
The factors that most impact the cost will be
Complexity of the website - If you aren’t building this yourself, you need to make sure the agency or person you are working with has done a deep dive and understands all of you business requirements so that there are no surprises down the road
The features and functionality you require: The introduction of a new feature down the road can be expensive… Make sure that you understand everything that the website needs to do prior to beginning development. Adding features later can be more expensive if not planned for.
The experience and reputation of the web developer or agency you hire: Make sure you are working with a company/person that you can get a hold of when you need to. We don’t recommend OCD but understand that they sometimes make sense when it comes to cost. It is a good idea to check reviews and/or reach out to past clients if you can. Make sure you do your research.
The ongoing maintenance and hosting expenses. This is an extremely important (and often overlooked cost factor). A poorly managed websites is a security risk and can cause problems that will impact your brand reputation.
Here are some rough estimates to give you an idea:
Building your website yourself
If you have some technical skills and are willing to do most of the work yourself, you should find taht setting up a basic WordPress website can be done for as little as $100-$300. This doesn’t include the time you spend on the design, however, this is just for the basics like domain registration, hosting fees, and maybe a domain based email.
Building your website with Wordpress templates
I think you will find there are some free templates and themes out there…However, they really are pretty lack luster and won’t really bring a sense of awe to your customers. In today’s market, your website has about a half second to capture your potential customer’s attention. Unless you are pretty skilled at coding responsive websites, you are usually going to look for a theme or template to get you started with your project. These themes or templates can run from a few bucks to a few thousand dollars. Typically, the more you spend, the more features and customization is available. That being said - You will also need to make sure that whatever theme/builder/template you purchase, is compatible with each other, as well as being compatible with your version of wordpress.
Quick note: when choosing templates, builders, or theme’s, make sure to research the company a little. You want to ensure the company is experienced in what they are doing, that they have a positive rating (and/or offer support in case things go south), and they are established. You don’t want to buy something only to find the company has gone out of business and you have to support it entirely yourself.
Creating a fully custom website
If you are building a fully customized website that needs to meet specific business needs, expect to pay from $3,000 to $10,000 or more. The cost can increase significantly depending on the complexity of your requirements, such as;
e-commerce functionality
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
Email Marketing solutions
Advanced API integrations or requirements
Unique design.
etc.
When working with an agency, you might find some flexibility in budget based on timelines or feature needs. As a rule, take the following graphic into consideration. Building a website is dependent on three major factors:
The scope of the project (How much work needs to be done)
The budget (What money do you have to work with)
The timeline for completion (How long until it needs to be live)
keep in mind that you can only choose 2 of the 3 options listed above.
Example:
A feature rich project with tight deadlines won’t be cheap.
A minimal budget paired with tight deadlines won’t include a bunch of custom features.
etc…
Keeping the above piece of information in mind will help with expectations if you decide to reach out to an agency
The cost of Maintenance of your wordpress website.
Every website has ongoing costs. These may include (but are not limited to)
Hosting: Hosting fees can range from $5 to $50 per month, depending on your hosting provider and the level of service you need.
Domain renewal: These prices will depend on the domain you choose and the company you work with. The prices can range from a few buck to hundreds of dollars a year.
SSL Certificate: These prices will also vary based on who you go through and what level of certificate you need. These costs can range from free to hundreds of dollars a year.
Maintenance. (A Maintenance agreement with an agency or freelance designer can be as low as a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand buck each month. Prices will largely be dependant on
Who is doing the work
What is included as part of the agreement
The complexity of your website.
Recurring costs associated with themes, templates, plugins, etc.
Everyone working with wordpress should consider creating a maintenance plan as part of your ongoing website management. A poorly managed website can be hacked (Learn more). Consider a maintenance agreement to be your online business insurance against broken pages, security vulnarabilities, and down time.
Additional Services are typically not included in a web design contract but are also important.
Really - there are a number of related services that impact how successful you are going to be with your website. These services may include, but are not limited to:
Maintenance (As discussed above)
Ad marketing
Teaching you how to use your website:
Email Campaigns
Social Marketing and Social Management
etc.
When working for a freelancer or design agency, It is important that you don’t assume any services is included. If it isn’t written into your contract or maintenance agreement, it is likely going to cost you more.
Building an E-commerce website? Expect to pay more…
If you are planning to sell products online, you should expect your website to cost more. e-commerce websites require additional functionality. Not only are you adding an inventory of products to sell, you will also need to include the ability to make online payments, manage your inventory & product listings, etc. This added requirement can extend a basic website by an additional $3,000 - $20,000 or more. The more inventory you have the higher the price will be. Adding descriptions and SEO optimizing each page take a lot fo time and that translates to dollars.
So what does my website cost?
Think of it as an approximate and not an absolute.
While I can’t give you an exact price, I have tried to give you price ranges to help you have an idea in mind of what you should budget for.
Your wordpress website cost estimates:
Note that all of these prices are just estimates based on where we are located and what we see in the market place. While not absolute..it should give you a reasonable expectation.
Hosting, SSL, Domain: Approx. $50 - $350 +
Themes plugins and builders: Free - $500 +
Agency pricing: Estimate $2000 - $15,000
Ecommerce: If not included in price, estimate an additional $2,000 - $20,000
Maintenance estimate $50 - $1500+ a month depending on what is included.
I would expect an average cost to be between $3500 to $15,000 for an average website in Seattle.
I know that is a big gap - But that should give you an idea of what to expect.
To get an accurate estimate for your specific project, it's best to consult with several web development agencies or freelancers in your area. They will be able to assess your requirements, provide a detailed proposal, and give you a more precise cost estimate. Be sure to also inquire about ongoing maintenance and support costs to ensure your website remains up to date and secure after it's launched.
