subject: How Website Price - An Inside Look At The Web Designer. [print this page] Websites are a great, low cost way to market your small business. But a website, like most marketing, is not a free lunch! You'll encounter an initial web design cost for creating and programming your website, a monthly web hosting fee, and possibly maintenance costs.
Ouch! You're probably thinking, "a website doesn't sound low cost." It's not as bad as it sounds! Sure, there is a sizable initial web design cost, but, you need to view having a website as a business investment. Not an expense. For example, if your website generates $10,000 per month in new business, but the web design cost was $4,000 - it becomes very clear, very quickly, that your website makes you money. A website is a smart investment - especially when you consider how popular the web is to people reviewing products and services before making a purchase.
Is website design cost prohibitive for someone just starting their business? I run my small business from home and don't have a big budget, how much does web design cost?
Website design costs, much like buying a car, vary depending on the features you need. Many web design firms charge upwards of $2,500 for a basic, static website composed of a few pages. Commonly referred to as a "brochure" website because of their similarity to a printed company brochure, these websites are the perfect starter website for a small business. Brochure-style websites are an excellent way to keep your website design cost low, while getting your business online.
Now, getting back to the car buying analogy, just as if you want GPS navigation for your new car, more complex website features will add to your overall web design cost. Added features like a Blog or a Content Management System will pile on your website design costs.
The best advice is to be open and candid with your website designer about your web design cost. Ask point blank, "how much does a website cost?" Ask about what features will help you achieve your short and long-term business goals, yet stay within your budget. Any designer worth his salt will work hard to understand your business and provide appropriate recommendations to save you time, while keeping your website design cost low.
Although the initial web design cost takes the lion's share of your expenses, there are a few other website expenses to consider.
Monthly Website Costs
All websites require web hosting service, which is a monthly fee separate from your initial website design cost. Think of web hosting as monthly rent for the server space to store your website online, and your usage of e-mail and bandwidth. Web hosting for a small business website typically costs between $25 and $35 per month. Larger, more complex websites may require advanced web hosting services at a different rate.
Ask you website designer or website hosting company if they offer discount web hosting plans. Most web hosting companies bundle web hosting services into longer terms of 3-months, 6-months and yearly hosting plans at a significantly discounted rate.
Annual Website Costs
In addition to monthly web hosting, you'll also be charged an annual website domain name registration fee. Fees vary with each domain name registrar, but are typically about $25 to $35 each year.
