“How much does a website cost?”
“£650”
“Great, I’ll have one!”
Hands over parcel.
“Thanks, bye!”
Yes, it really can be that simple!
The number one question clients ask us is, “how much does a website cost?”. Many other web designers may say, “there’s no definitive answer”. Is that helpful? We don’t think so.
Yes, all businesses are different; therefore, all websites are different. But, whatever web provider you use, some functions will make your build more expensive, and there are also ways you can cut your costs if you need to (note: not corners!). Here, we’ve put together a brief guide on pricing so you can make an informed decision when buying (or building) your website.
There are three common additions to a website that will make it more expensive. These are eCommerce facilities, Third-Party Integrations and API connections, and having custom developments made for you. It’s important to decide whether they’re a worthwhile investment for your business or something you can thrive without.
If you want to sell your products or services online, you’ll need eCommerce functionality. Adding an eCommerce plugin to a WordPress website will add about £500 to your build. But, after the initial investment, it won’t incur any ongoing costs. Just be aware that some platforms take a percentage of what you earn; make sure you know what that percentage is.
If you’re on a budget, a platform like Etsy is a great alternative. It’s free to set up and costs approximately 15p* to list each product you want to sell. Etsy charges a transaction fee (5%) and a payment processing fee (4% + 20p) for each sale you make, but thankfully, transactions are secure. And what’s more, Etsy runs entirely on renewable electricity!
Including a Third-Party Integration or an API connection (Application Programming Interface) into your build allows your website to work alongside other software and programs. And there are some features that could really benefit both you and your clients.
For example, when a site becomes increasingly hard to maintain, it doesn’t always get the attention it deserves, potentially damaging your Google ranking. So, although connecting with an external Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system would mean an initial investment of at least £400, if used correctly, it could save you both time and effort in the future (it could save your Google Ranking too!).
Custom development work could benefit your customers by giving them more detailed information about your products and services. Building a custom calculator, for example, to generate instant quotes for clients quickly gains their trust and increases your business transparency. A basic calculator would cost £250 to implement. Investments like this could take you a long way to success, especially if they improve your relationship with your customers.
If you have a smaller budget, don’t despair. Your website doesn’t need to be all-singing, all-dancing to do a cracking job. And by taking the following steps, you can have a sleek and streamlined site with everything you need.
There are numerous site builders out there, from Wix, Weebly and WordPress to Joomla! and Squarespace. WordPress is a fantastic example that has some great features. It’s easy to use, is future-proof, and is fully secure too. Basic sites cost little, and they also allow for expansion, so as your business grows, your WordPress site can grow too.
Our custom coded WordPress sites use the minimum number of plugins, so they are both light and secure. Prices start from £650 for a 5-8 page site, so your investment really will go a long way. Don’t need five pages? Our smallest site is only £450 and will get you a couple of pages of perfection.
Whatever platform you choose, sticking to the inbuilt functionality it offers will also keep the price down. Why pay for something you already have? Both WordPress and Joomla! have tonnes of great functions to explore and use. But, a word of caution; plugins can be a haven for malware if they’re not updated and maintained, and using a lot of these can destroy your site speed (and your viewers’ patience!).
You could also use predefined templates and themes to keep your costs at a minimum too. There are many available and include some of the biggies such as Divi and Impreza. Just beware of ongoing licensing fees and the potential impact on your page speed. These large themes can be very bloated and harm your chances of getting the Google ranking you are looking for. Plus, malware alert: always use a child theme.
Do you really need those 30 pages of content? Less is more, as they say. Engage your audience with information that will interest and inspire them; leave them reaching out to you for more. And don’t overwhelm them by giving them too much.
The great thing is, fewer pages means you can keep your costs down. Our £650 starter site allows for 5-8 web pages, and we make it easy to add your own pages as you grow. If you need more than that and want us to complete the work, you’re looking at £850+.
And whilst we’re on web pages, think carefully about the number of templates you’re using. It won’t have an effect cost, but try to use a clean and simple layout to engage your potential clients, don’t scare them off with busy pages or too much content. You probably don’t need image sliders, product carousels and multiple social feeds on each page either.
If you’re adept enough to add your own content and perform your own website maintenance, you’ll also save yourself on the pennies (and pounds). The alternative is weekly or monthly maintenance costs, and if you’re unfortunate enough to suffer a malware attack, there’ll be no scary bill to put your site to rights.
Obviously, we’re not going to leave you high and dry; we’re far too nice to do that! So, if you do need help, we have a range of support packages available, starting at £50.
Although it won’t bring down the cost, you can make your site even more unique to you and your business by using your own images.
In our humble opinion, getting a good designer behind you shouldn’t cost the Earth, and your web design shouldn’t improve with the amount you pay (unlike with chocolate). Picking the right designer for your project, however, is vital. Get that right, and you’re onto a winner.
… and be proactive. Knowing your mid- and long-term goals for your website is the best way to get the most value out of it. Don’t be reactive and rush into things. Plan ahead and make decisions based on your strategy; it’ll pay off in the long run.
With so many options when it comes to building a website, you could easily spend a fortune. But, if you have a budget in mind and know what you want to achieve, you can find your own “sweet spot”, the place where you’ll find a beautifully crafted site with everything you need, at the perfect price.
If you like what you’ve read and you want to know more, we’d love to hear from you! We don’t do Morse or Enigma (and we’re assuming you don’t either), but email, phone, social, and Google My Business are all fine with us!
