So how much does it cost to create a website? I have to answer this question so often, that I’ve decided to write an entire article discussing this topic. Frankly speaking, it’s quite a tricky question – new websites aren’t being sold with fixed price tags. Building a website isn’t a one-time action, it’s an ongoing commitment. Therefore, the price depends on multiple factors which simply can’t be covered with a single blog post.
To start off, let’s make up a list of basic website components and costs. This list can be applied to calculating the cost of the average small business website:
- Domain name: starting at $10 per year.
- Web hosting: $20-$100 per year (depending on your plan).
- Website planning, design and development: starting at 50 working hours and up.
- Ongoing site maintenance: $200-$500 per year (depending on type, complexity and number of updates).
- Search engine optimization and marketing: $500 a month and up.
Having these figures in mind you can budget web design costs for your particular case. For instance, if you already have a domain name, hosting account and don’t need any marketing services, ignore these factors and count only the relevant ones. Now let’s do some math based on real-life situations.
Variant 1: I have a domain name, hosting and I’m going to maintain my future website personally. If this is the case, you can launch a website at under $150. For instance, you can opt for a professional website builder, let’s say MotoCMS. With this web service you’ll be able to publish your website pretty quickly and what’s more important – painlessly and with no third-party support. All you need is to pick a template, purchase it ($139) and upload to the server. Each MotoCMS template already contains a built-in admin panel and set of widgets that can be used to extend your site’s functionality. There’s is also an easy-to-use Mobile Editor where you can optimize your site for mobiles and tablets.
The entire system is fully WYSIWYG: no programming experience required, just drag, drop, select, point and click. So, in total you will pay $139 for your CMS template (provided that you have a domain name and hosting). There will be no monthly fees in the future, except for your hosting plan and domain name updates.
Variant 2: I don’t have neither hosting, nor domain name, but I have a knack for design :). Luckily, there’s an excellent solution for this case, too. If you want to get everything in one place (content management system, design editing tools, domain, hosting and more) – check out Webydo. Its Design Management System bears a strong resemblance to InDesign and Photoshop, so if you know how to use these programs, you’ll definitely love Webydo. As you draw your design, the system automatically generates a valid code and brings your ideas to life. You can create umpteen projects using Webydo free of charge. They will all remain free when in development. To publish your site using a custom domain you have to upgrade your account (each plan includes hosting, support and other benefits of their powerful infrastructure). This will cost you as little as $7.90-$9.90 per month.
Malcolm Thomas tests, reviews and compares popular DIY website builders. He runs mmthomasblog to help aspiring webmasters select the optimal site building software.