If you want your business to be successful, it is likely that you will need a website. With more and more consumers utilising online shops, and declining footfall in cities and towns, most businesses rely on an online location, as well as a physical one. The problem for many businesses is that they don’t have the knowledge to know what’s right for them and there are so many people offering websites that it can be difficult to know who to trust. Aside from all of the technical factors, one key thing to understand is whether you’re getting value for money. So, how much does a website cost?
To be honest, there’s no exact figure. You can build a free one yourself or you can pay millions for one. However, if you’re like most other small and medium-sized businesses, you can typically expect your website to cost between £1,000 and £30,000 depending on your requirements. Template websites, which are set designs that are populated with your information, will generally cost less than bespoke e-commerce sites (sites you can sell goods and services on), as these are designed specifically for you. More time goes into a bespoke website so naturally, they cost more. Additional functionality, content requirements and the number of product listings are just some of the major factors that will be considered when quoting a website. An average indicator of price ranges would be:
| Type of Website | Average Cost (£) |
| WordPress (Template) | £200 – £1,500 |
| WordPress (Bespoke) | £1,000 – £5,000 |
| E-Commerce (Template) | £1,500 – £10,000 |
| E-Commerce (Bespoke) | £4000 – £30,000+ |
Budgeting For A Website
It can be difficult to know how much a website is going to cost you. Think of it as though you were buying a car. You can buy a prebuilt car from the showroom and usually get a discount as it’s already in stock. It probably won’t be exactly what you wanted; you might have to compromise on the colour or some of the features, but it works. This is your template website. Now, think about buying a custom ordered car. It’s exactly what you wanted; it’s the colour that suits you and has all of the features you need to make your journeys as enjoyable and comfortable as possible. This is your bespoke website. If you want the custom ordered car or bespoke website, you’ll need to spend a bit more (in general) than a template website.
Then take into account the differences in the size of the cars. A five-door car normally costs more than a three-door car (that’s the same make and model). If you want a website with a lot of service and product pages, it’s going to cost you more than one that has less. Large, bespoke websites, in general, will cost more than small, template ones.
When looking for an agency or freelancer to build your website, get a range of quotes that includes specifics of what you’ll be receiving. You’ll also want to check the reviews to ensure that they have previously done a good job!
Breaking A Million
There are a number of web projects that have surpassed the million pound mark. Then there are some, that have cost hundreds of millions! Don’t believe us? Then take a look at HealthCare.gov. The website cost over $500 million dollars before launching, with reports claiming that the final cost of the site was $1.7 billion! It’s safe to say that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spent much more than their initial budget of $93.7 million.
In 2010, the BBC asked, “What would it cost to create and run a government website for three years”. The answer; £105 million over three years or £35 million a year. The site; businesslink.gov.uk. Attracting around one million unique visitors a year (£35 a visitor) it’s safe to say this wasn’t even successful! If you try going to the website now, you’ll be redirected to the main government website.
These costs don’t just account for the design and build. They take into account the cost of hosting, data entry and the other costs of running and maintaining a website. If you’re looking for large singular outlays that break a million, then look at the history of purchasing domain names. Industry websites for insurance, hotels, toys, beer and adult entertainment have all sold for over $1 million!
Ongoing Costs & Considerations
When investing in a new website you should consider ongoing costs like hosting. Larger websites that attract more visitors will typically cost more per month to host and all websites (that are marked as secure) will have purchased an SSL certificate. Successful websites (template or bespoke) tend to have a quality build, with a tidy design. To guarantee a good build you’ll need a quality web designer. The varying prices and reputations give an indication of how good a web agency will be. If you’d like to find out more about how much a website costs or would like help knowing what to look for in a web designer, then please feel free to get in touch.
Posted in Advice
