If you’re like any other business owner in the digital age, you may have already asked this question but received differing answers from as little as $2,000 to a whopping $100,000. While these figures may have caused more confusion for you, you might be surprised to know that these are actually accurate quotes from web developing agencies. The simple reason is that the cost of building a website varies based on two things: one is on your requirements as a client and the second is from the point-of-view of the agency.

What Do You Need To Be In Your Website?

Although the total cost of building a website widely varies, knowing the essential components you require will give you an idea as to the average cost. When requesting a quote, ask the cost of these common website elements, and you will have a basis for comparing each agency’s price range:

Annual rates for:
Domain Name
Hosting
Website Maintenance

Monthly rates for:
Website Online Marketing

Hourly rates for:
Web Planning, Design and Development Time – 60 hours and up
Search Engine Optimization and SiteMap Submission

Now, the additional cost will depend on the other features you may need to be incorporated into the design of your website, among them are:

• If the service will be based on a new design or a redesign of an existing site
• Whether a content management system (CMS) is needed
• Do you have graphics and content are readily available
• If you need your site to be mobile-responsive (Read our article here why mobile-responsive websites are a must!)
• Is there a need for multimedia elements such as for videos and Flash animation
• If you need special features like on-page SEO or e-Commerce

Your website cost will also largely depend on your preferred option of whether to pay for a fixed bid or on an hourly rate. Fixed bids start at an average of $5,000 while hourly rates can cost you a $100 an hour until the contract is completed.

Designer, Developer or Marketer?

Another important factor to consider in budgeting your website design is that it must help you accomplish your business goals. This will help you decide whether your website should be designed from the point-of-view of a designer, a developer or a marketer.

Of course, everyone prefers a website that is pleasing to the eye and a good designer will help you achieve that. But while your site may look like a piece of art, it may not deliver the number of conversions you were aiming for when you first decided to be present online so an experienced marketer would have been a more fitting choice.

A developer may propose a site that is integrated with the latest code, but programming unique features into your website can push the cost even higher, and these may not even look or work the way you would want them to be. What’s important to remember is that defining the success of your website design depends on both you and the professional you partner with.

The bottom line is, when budgeting for your website design, it helps to view the cost of building a website as a service, and not as a commodity and that your budget covers the strategic needs of your business.

Questions to Answer Before Requesting a Quote

Have an answer for the following questions to make sense out of any web design and development quote:

• What is the purpose of this website? What type do you need? A “brochure” website that simply looks professional and provides basic info about your business? One that collects leads for you? An eCommerce site where people have to enter their payment details? An authority blog?

• How solid is your branding? Not just talking colors, logos, and fonts… What is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)? Can you say in one sentence what’s different about you than everyone else in your niche/industry?

• What is your focus/specialty? How broad or focused is it? Are there any widely-held concerns about your industry/niche. Will the website have to spend a lot of effort overcoming these and earning trust? Think car salespeople, lawyers, financial advisors, etc.

• Do you know who is your Ideal Customer and how to talk to him/her? Websites that cater to a primarily male audience should be designed very differently than those who cater to women.

• Who’s writing the copy? If you want your website project to be worthwhile, you’d better let a professional do it. But keep in mind that the writer will have to spend time researching your niche, learning your audience’s secret hopes and fears, immersing in their niche language, reading the same publications they do, etc.

• What’s going to be your primary traffic source? Organic search so you need top-notch on-site SEO? Paid traffic? Word-of-mouth? Even if all the web developer/designer is doing is your website (no SEO, AdWords, Social Media integration etc.), we still have to know something about the traffic coming to your site to design it to appeal to audience’s mindset (e.g., are they “hot” or “cold” leads?)

 

Looking for a custom affordable website design in Vancouver? Our web development team creates responsive websites that are user and search engines friendly. Learn more…

 

Learn how Adwise Marketing does Web Design from this 3-minute video explainer.