Hey there and welcome back!
If you’re creating a website for your business, you’re probably worried about the cost of a new site. Maybe you’ve already reached out to a developer or agency for a quote and it came back a lot higher than you expected. Or maybe someone you know told you about how expensive it was to build their new website.
I’m here to say to not worry about it so much. Yes, some websites can cost a ton of money. We’re talking about over $5,000. But the good news is that prices for a new website can vary wildly, and if you’re just looking for a simple website, you likely won’t have to pay that much for a new site.
Plus, there are good reasons for why websites cost what they do. And there are ways you can lower that cost – at least monetarily.
So today let’s break down what really goes into the cost of a new website so that you can feel better about the quote you get back from an agency or developer.
Before we get started, if you want to see the rest of the videos in the series as well as more videos on websites, WordPress, web design, digital marketing, ecommerce and other website related topics, be sure to hit the subscribe button and to ring the bell for notifications.
Now let’s get started!
What goes into the cost of a website
So first off, what all goes into the cost of a new website?
Well first off there is the time it takes to create a website. A custom website isn’t going to be something that’s going to be completed in a weekend. When someone comes to me looking for a custom website, I warn them that it will likely take three months to complete.
What does that time all consist of? Well, there’s time to learn about your business and what your goals are for the website so that the developer can create a website that can help you achieve those goals. Then there’s the design process where they create the way the website looks, and this takes quite some time. Next is the development phase where they actually create the website, and this step also takes a lot of time. Then there’s adding in the content and making any final changes to the site. And finally there is the website launch.
All told, that takes a lot of time to complete. And at the same time, that’s time that you’re not spending on the website and instead can focus on running and growing your business.
Next is the experience. You likely don’t have experience creating websites. But the person or agency you’re hiring does. And you’re paying for that expertise.
They know what does and doesn’t work for businesses like yours. They will make sure that your website is running when it’s launched and that it can run in the long term. They know how to create a website that’s going to help your business grow. And that is definitely worth the extra cost.
And finally there’s the technology. There can be a lot of tech that needs to go into a website, especially if it’s something completely custom. Even a WordPress website will likely need some additional plugins that have license subscriptions that get rolled into the price. Generally this is the lowest of the three mentioned here, but it can add to the cost.
But those are the big three things that go into the cost of a new website.
Example quote for a website
So let’s walk through a sample quote I might give you if you came to me for a new site. This way you can get an idea of what to expect when you’re looking around for someone to create your new website.
First is the discovery process. The time it takes to learn about your business and your wants and needs for a website so that I can create a website that will help you. This takes about 3 hours.
Next is the design process. This is where I create the designs for the website that will match your business and help you accomplish your goals for the website. It also includes client reviews and changes. And it takes around 15-20 hours of work.
After that we move to the development phase. This is where I take the designs agreed on and actually create the website. This also includes client reviews and changes. And it takes around 15-25 hours.
Next up is the content phase. This is where I add the content you’ve supplied to me to the website. It takes around 3 hours or so, but the final total would depend on how much content you have.
Then we move to the final review. This is where you get to take one last look at the website before it gets launched and can suggest changes. This can take around 3 hours or so.
Finally we have the website launch. This is where the website goes live. And it takes around an hour.
So where does that leave us for the quote. Well the example here adds up to between 40 and 55 hours of total work. At $100 an hour, that leaves us with a total cost of $4,000 to $5,000 for the website.
And that is basically the average cost for a completely custom website. If you’re concerned about the price right now, just take a deep breath. In the next section we’re going to go over ways you can lower that price.
Why the cost of a website is worth it
So why is that high of a price worth it for a new website?
Well, you’re paying for the expertise of creating the website. The person you hire should know what they are doing, and they can give you a high quality website that allows you to do what you need it to do. And they can also do it quicker than you could.
You’re also paying for a great design that’s built to help increase traffic to your website and increase conversions. Again, this feeds back to that expertise point. They know what does and doesn’t work for a business like yours, and they can guide you to the right solution.
Next, this is also a website that’s going to work, especially on the technical side. You won’t have to worry about anything breaking right out of the gate, or at least you shouldn’t.
Also, that’s time that you’re not spending creating the website. Instead, you can use that time to run your business and help it grow, which should help cover the cost of the website.
So yes, at the end of the day it’s going to cost you a good chunk of change to create a custom new website for your business. But it’s going to be more than worth it at the end of the day.
Ways that you can keep the cost down
There is good news, however. There are ways that you can cut this cost and still come out with a website that can help your business grow and fits your budget.
For starters, you can look for an agency or developer that has website plans or services that involve creating a simpler website, likely built with something like WordPress, and using a prebuilt template and changing the colors to match your business. It might not be custom, but it can be quicker and cheaper.
You can also make the scope of your website smaller. Maybe for now you just get a smaller, simpler website up and online for now and then add an online store later when you have a bigger budget.
Or finally, you could just build the website yourself with WordPress, Shopify, Wix or Squarespace. But do know that you’ll have to commit a lot more time yourself to make the new website a reality, which is the main tradeoff going it alone.
So as you can see, there is a way for you to get your business online with a website no matter what your monetary budget.
Outro
So that’s it for today. Do you have any questions about the cost of a website? Be sure to leave them down in the comments section below.
If you’re looking to get started on creating a website for your business right now, check out one of the Small Business Website Starter Kits. You’ll get a website built using WordPress with a design to match your business that will give you a great digital foundation that can help your business grow. And your website will be live in less than two weeks and for a price that will fit your budget. Check out the Small Business Website Starter Kit at the link down in the description below.
Next time we’re going to take a look at the options you have for creating a new website for your business.
To see that video as well as more videos on websites, WordPress, web design, digital marketing, ecommerce and other website related topics, be sure to hit the subscribe button and to ring the bell for notifications.
But until next time, I wish you and your business the best of luck.
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