Website templates are all the rage. For a small fee, you can throw up a cookie-cutter website with your company information and call it a day.
But these generic websites don’t give small business owners flexibility over the functionality and appearance of their website. What you save in upfront costs won’t compare to the value add of a great website in the long run.
How much does it cost to build a website for a small business? Take a look at this guide to understanding website design pricing.
The Basics
There are levels of building a website. At a very basic level, every website needs certain services in order to operate.
These costs aren’t determined by the web designer but by the industry as a whole. Here are the essential ‘hard’ costs required in order to get your website set up:
Domain Name
Customers can’t reach your website without typing in your domain name. Your domain name, or URL, comes at a recurring cost charged annually.
For customized domains like .restaurant or .info expect to pay a premium upcharge. Some customized URLs can be as much as $300 per year compared to $20 per year for a standard web address.
SSL Certificate
You’ll need an SSL Certificate for your website to add an extra layer of protection for online transactions. The SSL Certificate encrypts information like credit card numbers from being intercepted by hackers.
Hosting Service
Web hosting services are another annual cost that provides you with the ‘space’ online to set up your website. You can opt to pay monthly but many web hosts offer discounts for paying for the year upfront.
Expect to pay anywhere from $10 per month for a basic hosting service up to $100 per month for a site with lots of bandwidth. If you expect large volumes of traffic per month, you’ll need a more robust hosting package for your site.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Website for a Small Business?
The website design is where costs become more fluid. You won’t see many web design fees listed online because designers need to understand your expectations before giving you a quote.
In general, web design can be broken into two categories: design and redesign. A refresh of an existing website can require less time than starting a new website from the ground up.
But this depends on decisions like whether to keep the same website copy or increase the functionality of your website. Here is an estimate of price ranges based on the type of website you need.
Small Business
A standard website with basic functionality can cost between $2,000 and $10,000 if its fewer than 20 pages. The design should support some customization and social media integration.
E-Commerce
E-Commerce sites can range from $5,000 to more than $40,000 in upfront costs. Monthly maintenance fees such as ongoing technical support make this one of the more expensive types of websites to set up.
Building Your Website
Getting a website built is like finding office space for your building. There are many factors to consider but you wouldn’t want to rush into the decision without a strategy.
How much does it cost to build a website for a small business? The answer is unique to your business goals.
For more information or to schedule a website consultation, contact us today.
