It shouldn’t be news to hear that, for businesses of any size or nature, a strong and healthy online presence is paramount in this day and age. From your social media presence to your Google ranking, your online persona should be a carefully oiled machine, a humming engine that boosts profits and revs your business potential to full speed. And it all starts with your website.
But how much does it cost to set up the perfect website for your business by the website designer? Well, choosing a website is like choosing a car – it’s all about image and performance, and from an old Reliant Robin to a stunning Rolls Royce, the cost is on a sliding scale.
On the starting line – the initial outlay
The first couple of costs you’re likely to encounter are more or less unavoidable, namely your domain name and your hosting charges.
Domain name
Put simply, this is the given name or address of your site, which will serve as the first thing your customers notice when it comes to your website. No two domain names can be the same for obvious reasons.
The cost of a domain ranges, and relies on that sliding scale depending on it’s popularity. ‘.com’ domains are routinely more expensive than ‘.biz’ domains, for example, and these range from as little as £1/year to £20/year.
Hosting charges
Without a host server, your website simply isn’t making it over the start line. Free options exist, but the fact is that they can be pretty temperamental, and provide only a limited amount of freedom and usability. Most popular web servers will range from £8-£15/month, whilst a medium or large business setting up on their own server can expect to pay nearer £70/month.
And we’re off – the development of your site
So the ghost of your website is there – it’s up and it’s owned, and now what you need is a smooth-running engine and a whole bunch of shiny features to make sure it’s ready for the race.
Design and Programming
Whether yours is a small start-up with a five page holding site or a monster conglomerate requiring eCommerce capabilities and a thousand item pages, the design and programming of your site should be of ultimate importance.
That sliding scale is back and is delving a little deeper into your pockets this time, with design work ranging from £400-£5,000 depending on the site’s size and intended capabilities. Programming charges are usually a little more expensive, and range from £750-£5,000. What’s more, issues like mobile responsiveness are increasingly important for both usability and exposure, can add more than a few more quid onto the outlay.
This is an optional outlay, and can be done by you or a member of staff for nothing, but for SEO purposes and general quality of output, content creation is a common cost for sites to endure. A freelance designer or copywriter will charge by the word or from £10/hour to £100/ hour, depending on the nature of the work and their level of expertise.
The finish line – recurring costs
We’re more or less there now, your website is going through the gears and running smoothly. You may want to consider a few recurring costs to ensure this stays the case – think of these as your pit team, replacing tyres as and when needed. Examples of these optional extras include extra content creation (£10/hr-£100/hr), eCommerce plugins (£300-£2,500), the set up of an individual mobile site (£100+), recurring plugin costs and the any marketing or SEO employment.
