What is the Cost of Building a Website ?

A Website is vital for every business to establish a strong presence online. There are about 5.07 billion internet users around the globe. Irrespective of your business size or industry, having a website is the key to reaching a global audience. 

When it comes to website development, the cost to build a website is an important factor to consider. The average cost of building a website can vary between USD 3000 to USD 300,000. In this article, you will get to know more about the cost of developing a website in 2023. Let’s dive in!

Factors Affecting the Cost of Building a Website

Want to create a new website for your brand? In that case, you must be well aware of the different factors that affect the cost to build a website. Take a look at the key factors you must know.

Size and Complexity

The main factor that determines the cost of your website development is the size and complexity of your website. You can build your website using different platforms, such as Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce. So, before hiring professional experts, you must think about these aspects of your website. If you want to build a larger or more complex website, the development costs are likely to be higher.

For instance, if you are willing to develop a Shopify website, you need to first hire a Shopify developer and discuss several categories and product pages. This will require more development time. As a result, the cost of building the website will also be higher. However, in case you want to build a simple and basic blog website, it is likely to be much cheaper. 

Features

Features are another important factor that determines the cost of building the website. To get down to the actual cost, it is ideal to write down all the features you want on your website. Some of the most common features include landing pages, pop-ups, video backgrounds, advanced forms, event calendars, and more.

The more features of your website, the higher will be the cost of development. On the other hand, if you plan to build a simple website with just the required features, the cost will be significantly less.

Domain Name

The next thing to consider is the domain name. Choosing an appropriate domain name is important to build a website that drives organic traffic. The domain name is likely to cost you somewhere between USD 10 and USD 15 a year. There are various factors you must know that are likely to affect the cost of a domain name.

The first factor is the domain registrar. Well, a domain registrar is a person who will assist you in buying and registering the domain name. Different registrars will offer different packages with unique price points. Make sure to choose the one that fits your budget the best. The length of the contract is another factor that will affect the cost of the domain name.

The top-level domain is yet another factor you must keep in mind. It refers to the extension present at the end of the domain name. If you want established top-level domains like .org or .com, the cost will be higher. However, if you choose the domains like .xyz or .site, they will cost you much less.

Website Hosting Platform

The next factor that affects the cost to build a website is the hosting platform you choose. Well, the hosting needs will differ from business to business. The website hosting cost can range between USD 2 to USD 80 per month. 

When your business solely operates online, you would require investing in dedicated server hosting. It will enable you to effectively handle all the website traffic and lower the server downtime issues. 

If you opt for dedicated website hosting, the cost of website development will be higher. In case you are looking for a cost-effective solution, shared hosting is the ideal option. It is suitable for websites consisting of only a few pages of content. In that case affordable website builders are also a good option to consider.

If you are looking for something between dedicated and shared website hosting, you can choose the virtual private server. It can provide you with some customization options and control. Also, it helps in lowering the cost of building your website. However, the virtual private server can handle limited traffic only.

Website Design 

Another important factor that affects the cost to build a website is the website design. The look and feel of your website play an important role in impacting the overall experience of the users. If you want to create a simple website design with the free templates available, the cost will be relatively less. However, a unique and complex web design will be quite expensive.

For instance, a simple website with 8 to 16 pages will cost between USD 2,000 to USD 9,000. On the other hand, eCommerce websites with 100 to 1,000 products are likely to cost between USD 5,000 to USD 55,000. 

Add-ons and Plugins

To increase the functionality of your website, you would require certain plug-ins and add-ons. The premium plugins that can provide you with more advanced features are likely to cost more. As a result, your overall cost of website development increases.

The cost of adds-on and plugins can go up to USD 200 per plugin. 

Marketing and SEO

Building a website does not simply end with the development or launch of the website. The real goal of any website is to bring traffic to it and for this strategies like Digital Marketing and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) come into play. So, you must also consider these factors while calculating your website development cost.

For effective marketing and more brand awareness, you need to invest in PPC, email marketing, social media marketing, and more. On the other hand, you will have to optimize your website for the search engines through link building, keyword research, local SEO, on-page optimization, and more. All these can affect your website development costs significantly.

If you spend on simple digital marketing and SEO services, the cost will be lower. However, if you plan to invest in multi-channel strategies for better results, the costs will be higher. The marketing and SEO cost usually ranges between USD 100 to USD 500 per month. 

Website Maintenance

Developing a website is not a one-time project. Regular maintenance is required to ensure that your website performs optimally and is secure. Some of the important website maintenance tasks include fixing broken links, addressing potential security vulnerabilities, regular backing of the site, quarterly testing, and more. As part of maintaining a modern and efficient site, businesses often do WordPress to Webflow migration to enhance functionality and streamline their website management. This type of migration can reduce long-term maintenance needs by providing a more flexible and scalable platform, ensuring your website remains up to date with the latest industry standards. These improvements can influence the overall maintenance costs of your site. 

Based on the complexity and size of your website, the cost will differ. The cost of maintaining a website is somewhere between USD 50 to USD 300 per month. 

Top Ways to Build a Website and How It Affects Cost

When discussing the cost to build a website, it is important to know the different ways you can develop a website and how they can affect the overall cost. Each of the ways will have its pros and cons. Let’s take a look at the different ways.

Do it Yourself

The most cost-effective way of building your website is to do it yourself. However, you need to keep in mind that opting for this method will require you to take complete responsibility for the website. That means you need to work on every aspect. That would require the right technical skills to get started.

A major benefit of this approach is that it allows you to save more on the costs. It also offers you a chance to experiment with different ideas and techniques. However, a major drawback is that the website quality may not match the standards of the industry. It can also take you a lot of time. 

Hire Independent Professionals

The next method to build your website is to hire independent professionals. With professional and experienced web designers, developing high-quality websites can be simple and easy. Depending on your specific requirements, the experts can help in building custom websites at affordable prices. 

A major benefit of hiring independent professionals is that it allows you to save valuable time. Moreover, you can easily get a professional website with all the desired features. But the cost of development is likely to be more when you hire professionals. It will be even more if your website is large or complex.

Freelancers usually charge between USD 20 to USD 80 per hour. So, building a small business website can cost you USD 1500 to USD 5000. 

Hire an Agency

The third option to build your website is to collaborate with an agency. With years of rich experience and knowledge in the domain, the agencies can provide you with the best web design and development services. Whether your web development project is a simple or complex one, they can tackle all projects with much ease. For instance, partnering with a Kent web design agency can provide essential local knowledge for your project, helping to ensure your website connects with your target audience and differentiates itself in a crowded market.

No doubt, the agencies can offer you exceptional services. But hiring agencies for website development can be quite expensive. It can cost you up to USD 100,000. So, make sure to look for an agency that fits your budget well. To manage costs, you can even consider the option to outsource web development, which may allow you to access high-quality services at a more affordable rate. Be sure to look for an agency that fits your budget well.

Conclusion

The need for websites is increasing to remain competitive in the digital era. By now, you must be well aware of the cost of building a website in 2023. Based on your requirements, you can hire the best professionals and develop your website in a budget-friendly manner.

Author Bio

Harikrishna Kundariya is a marketer, developer, IoT, ChatBot & Blockchain savvy, designer, co-founder, and Director of eSparkBiz Technologies. His 12+ years of experience enables him to provide digital solutions to new start-ups based on IoT and ChatBot.