Your website is crucial to the success of your business. It is a way for customers to get to know you, your products and services, and make a purchase or contact you. Having a website that is well-designed and user-friendly is not cheap. A lot of time and money go into quality web design and can greatly impact your overall budget.
Many business owners wonder how much web design costs and how much they should budget for a web design project. The exact cost of your website design will depend on the needs of your business, but there are some important factors to consider. Keep reading to learn more about the various costs associated with web design.
Custom vs. Template Sites
There are pros and cons associated with custom websites or using a template to build your site. Your website design can cost anywhere from less than $1,000 to $10,000 or more depending on which method you choose. Building a custom site will require you to hire a professional web developer and designer while it may be possible to design a site from a template on your own.
Cost of a Custom Website
The size and complexity of your custom site will drive the overall cost. When you search for web designers or developers to help build your site, you will get a wide range of prices. A web designer will build the blueprint for your site while a web developer will actually fill in the pieces. You may find a professional or agency that does both, but it is not uncommon to have to hire professionals for each piece.
Web design professionals or agencies typically offer packages to help build your website. These packages include a standard list of features for a certain number of pages. The average cost of these packages can range between $3,000 and $6,000, but it can jump up much higher if you have a complicated site. For every additional page over the offered package, you can add at least $100 to your total cost.
Additional costs to consider are images and graphics, copywriting, custom programming, and design revisions. How much will you rely on your professional or agency for these items, and how much will you do on your own? If you are able to provide your own images and graphics and write copy for your site, you can save a significant amount on the total cost of your web design.
Manage the Cost of Your Custom Site
It can be beneficial to ask for a custom quote or offer designed specifically for your business needs instead of selecting a standard package. With this option, you can switch out features you do not require for ones that you do. You won’t be paying additional costs for items you do not need or add-ons. You can also inquire about financing options for your web design to spread the payments out over time.
Cost of a Template Website
This option can be something you do yourself or hire a professional for, but the overall cost is significantly less than a custom site. There are countless programs and tools available to help you design your own website, and many professionals offer hourly rates to help you with the process. You can get your overall cost under $1000 with this method if you budget properly.
Today, services like WordPress and Wix are increasingly popular. It is often difficult to determine a custom site from one that started with a free template. Both a custom site and a template site can provide you with a stunning look and feel that is attractive to visitors. However, with custom websites you are paying for the backend development.
You will need to purchase your domain name, which averages about $10-12 each year. Website hosting can be about $100 per year if you stick to the standard features or up to $500 per year if your site will receive heavy traffic. Most users are fine starting with the standard option and growing as needed.
An SSL certificate will help keep your site secure, and you can purchase an SSL certificate for about $10 a year. A lot of web hosting companies will include a free SSL certificate with your hosting services as well.
There are a lot of free website theme to choose from, but a premium theme can help your site stand out without breaking the bank. Budget about $150 for purchasing a premium theme that is high-quality and easy to customize. You should also allow for about $200 for plugins to add to your site as needed.
How Much Should You Spend on Web Design?
If you need a fully custom site, you are going to have to budget tens of thousands of dollars for the project. If your business can utilize a template-based site, you will need to budget significantly less. It is important to note that hiring a web designer or developer is expensive, but it can save you an incredible amount of time. A lot of professionals are unable to dedicate the time needed to build their own site.
Overall, the total cost of web design depends largely on the needs of your business. Organizations with heavy traffic and complex functionality needs may benefit from a custom site designed for their purposes. Small businesses that need a high-quality site may be able to use a template-based site with no issues. Either way, consider the needs and goals of your site before deciding which option is best for you.
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