When building a website for your business, there are many things you should consider. Finding the right design, showing your brand in the best light, choosing your domain name, finding a good host, and so on.
Prices vary, and while plenty of website builders offer a trial version, we tried to sum up the costs and help you see the relationship between price and quality for your business.
What to Look for When Building a Website
When designing your website, it is crucial to think about your brand. What are the ways you can best showcase your brand’s colors and purpose? Your domain name and website design should go with your brand mission and simply add to what you are trying to say.
It is a place where your target audience can come and become a community.
Consider finding a good design solutions agency. That can really help you find the right look for your business, products, and services, and come up with your marketing strategy.
When building your website, think of what is most right for you.
Building a Website: Essentials
Essential costs to keep in mind when building a website are website design, domain name, and hosting.
You can either build a website yourself or hire a designer.
There are various website builders you can use, and they are very user-friendly, so if you choose this step, we’ve got you covered.
Domain Name
Your domain name is an essential part of your online identity, so take the time to choose wisely and find a name that resonates with your audience.
Finding the right domain name can be challenging. Elements that influence the cost are:
- the popularity of the domain name
- the extension (“.com”,”.org”,”.net” etc.)
- the length (shorter domain names tend to be more popular)
- keywords (domain names with popular keywords have higher prices)
- history of the domain name (domain names with a good reputation have higher value)
- how long do you intend to keep it
Based on the TLDs (extensions), domains can cost:
- from $10 to 50 dollars per year: Domains with TLDs (extensions) like .com, .net, and .org cost.
- from $10 to $20 a year: Domains with TLDs like .uk, .ca, .de.
- from $10 to $50: Newer domain extensions like .app, .tech, .store.
Domain names that are short, memorable, contain popular keywords, or have high commercial value can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, and in some cases, even more. Some companies pay up to 3.5 million dollars for the perfect domain.
A free domain is sometimes included in hosting packages, and some domain registrars provide free trials.
Website Design
Having a good website design is an important step in creating your website.
Users need to have a good experience when visiting your site, and it is important for the brand image that your site looks professional.
There are more budget-friendly options, like making your website (which is a lot easier than it used to be), and you always have the option of hiring a professional.
Building Your Website
Platforms like Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress.com provide templates and drag-and-drop options, enabling you to create a website with little effort.
Costs typically involve monthly or annual subscription fees, which can range from $5 to $50, depending on the plan and features you want included.
There are also plenty of free plugins you can find online and additional plugins you can purchase.
Always think of what your brand needs. For example, Wix has plenty of visual options and costs from $16- $59 per month, and WordPress is commonly used for blogs, and the prices vary from a free plan to 45 dollars a month (if billed annually).
Hiring a Professional Designer
If you want someone experienced to create your website, you can always hire a professional.
Costs for hiring a designer vary depending on factors such as experience, location, etc.
Hourly rates typically range from $30 to $150 or more, while fixed project fees may range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
Design Solutions Agency
Hiring a design solutions agency can be an advantage because they often work collaboratively with clients to understand their vision, objectives, and target audience.
Also, design solution agencies have access to a range of resources, tools, and technologies that may not always be available to individual designers or in-house teams.
They are known for their originality and professionalism.
The prices vary from $50 per hour (for junior designers) to between $75 and $150 (for senior designers).
Website Hosting
To have your site on the internet, you are going to need hosting.
A lot of website-builder sites offer hosting as a part of their yearly fee. But, if you are building your website, you are going to need to subscribe to a website hosting service provider.
Bluehost is a popular option, and the prices vary from $11.99 to $28.99 a year.
Shared hosting plans are generally the most affordable, with prices ranging from a few dollars to around $10-$20 per month.
VPS hosting plans typically start at around $20 to $50 per month, while dedicated hosting can range from $80 to several hundred dollars per month.
Images and Design
You can find plenty of free images on Pexels or Pixabay, or you can subscribe to websites like iStock and find images for as low as $0.18 and up to $33.
If you want to create special images for your brand, you can either hire a graphic designer (from $15 to $150 an hour) or you can make your design by using Canva. Design solution agencies also offer a variety of designers you can choose from.
Hiring a photographer to take unique pictures of your brand is also a great idea. The prices for a product photoshoot vary from $25 to $500 per hour.
Conclusion
In the end, prices vary, and what you choose for your business depends on what your brand needs and your budget. Learning certain skills, like creating a website, using Canva, and many others, can greatly help you in this journey.
You can choose what to invest in, but always keep in mind that how you make your audience feel when watching your website, what they want and need, and how well you can satisfy their needs will determine your success.
