We’re trying something new this week! We wanted to have a discussion on a blog topic instead of just writing about it. So, If you’d rather listen or watch us talk about how much a website should cost, check out the video below. Otherwise, keep reading. We will dive into it there too!
So how much does a website cost? Every time we get asked that question, we have to follow it up with a few of our own.
Every project is different so, as convenient as it would be to have a cookie-cutter answer, we believe it is the customers’ best interest to quote them based on several factors.
Here are the main 3:
1.) What is the Main Goal of Your Website?
Let’s say you are kittenscarves.com (Web Developer, Jared, actually bought this domain), and your goal is to sell kitten scarves to anyone who is trying to prevent their kittens from getting a cold neck. In that case, we know that your site will:
- Need to display products
- Have an eCommerce element
- You’d likely provide or need product photography
- We’d have to discuss how you want to set up logistics like shipping and taxes
Perhaps your goal isn’t so specific and maybe you just want higher traffic and to generate more leads. That would change our discussion to functional tactics like SEO optimization and conversion forms/ tracking- both of which factor into your cost.
We can learn a lot just from hearing your goals!
2.) What Information HAS to be on Your Site?
Oftentimes, clients have a hard time distinguishing what they want on their site and what has to be on their site. Asking this question helps us focus on what really matters for the website to succeed and keep to a realistic budget. We deeply care about our customers’ success and encourage them to always put themselves in the visitors’ shoes. What may be important to you, the business owner, may not matter as much to the consumer. We don’t want a site to be cluttered with information that the viewers coming to their site don’t really need to see.
Let’s talk about page numbers for a second,
Even though we do not price our website strictly on page numbers, it is still a factor when we create a website proposal. If we know what your goals are and what you have to have, we can even recommend a strategy that could give us a page count range. The reason we don’t simply rely on page counts for pricing is this:
There are so many different ways a page can be laid out so one complicated page could take as long as 3 simple ones!
Check out this wildly complex SINGLE page site: https://wickret.cuberto.com/
As we dive into what your site has to have, we start to get into the territory of the final question which is…
3.) What Special Functionality Does Your Site Have?
Special functionalities are anything beyond the design and standard navigation on your site.
Special functionalities turn a static webpage into something that is interactive. Some of the most common special functionalities we see are:
- Ecommerce
- Online Booking
- Event Calendars
- User Registration and Customer Portals
- Subscription Based Content Drips
- Payment Gateways
Most of these can be installed with a WordPress plug-in, but there are several technical pieces that go into making it look, feel, and behave the way you want it to. That is why special functionalities require professional web dev help. Keep in mind that when something is easy and seamless on the user’s end, there is oftentimes a lot of work that goes into making that experience pleasant on the backend.
What you want your website to do (aka your website goal) and how you want it to function typically go hand-in-hand. They are directly related. The function of your site helps fulfill your end goal.
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So what does it really boil down to? How much does a website cost???
Drumroll, please… ???
IT DEPENDS!
As we’ve outlined, web projects are not cut and dry. We believe that a good web partner is going to walk you through a series of questions to help construct the best solution for you and oftentimes, that means pricing is custom.
A website is an investment. It’s online real estate. The idea is to create something with longevity and use it as a tool to drive business. So, whoever you partner with on your website build should have your goals in mind and be able to clearly spell out their web process to you.
Other things to consider that affect website pricing would include:
- Content- do you want your partner to write it or will you?
- Imagery- Do you have a library of high-resolution photos or does your web partner need to source?
- Hosting- do you have the URL and hosting package setup for your site or do you need help?
- Maintenance – VSG provides all website clients an in-depth training after launch so they are empowered to make changes if needed. If you would rather partner long term and have someone manage the site for you, that’s great! Factor in that cost, but know that should always be your choice.
- Vendors- most of the time a singular freelance web developer will cost less than an agency. Think about what your needs are for support, resources, and communication throughout the process and weigh that against the higher pricing.
This only scratches the surface of a website scope, so if you are looking to get a new site or to redesign your current site, Reach Out! We would love to have a discussion and help provide your business with the tools it needs to succeed far into the future.
P.S. What did you think of our video blog? Email alex@vsg360.com with any comments or ideas for future vlogs.
