You have a start-up or local small business that’s doing well, but you have little online presence. If you’ve been shopping around to build your website, you’ll notice agencies rarely display the cost to build. I know it can be a little annoying when you just need an estimate. But there’s a good reason why
Building a website is like building a house, a boat or even landscaping. Your foundation (or requirements) must be set up correctly from the beginning. Otherwise, it might cost you a lot more to fix the mistakes or to add more functions down the track.
A good start to getting an accurate quote is to list the functions you want to be featured on the website. You could split the requirements into two sections – must-haves and good to have. If the quote is higher than expected, take away some of the good-to-have functions and you could start saving costs from there.
But, for the sake of a quick quote, here’s a very rough guide on how much it could cost to build a website.
The basic website cost
A four-page website on WordPress (homepage, contact us, blog/pages and about us) could cost you anywhere from $5,000 and up.
This is standard pricing for a very basic website. But if you need to add more functions, like a booking system, then the cost of building the website will start to increase.
eCommerce plus the basics
A four-page eCommerce website (the basics PLUS products and shopping function) on Shopify could cost from $6,500 and up. Again, it’s when you start adding other functions that development costs can start to add up.
The add-ons
Domain name and hosting
Once you’ve built your website, you’ll need to host it somewhere for it be live, or public. Often, when buying your domain name, you can bundle it with hosting for a one- or two-year contract.
Search Engine Optimisation
This is your long-term game in digital marketing. SEO practices include adding alt tags to your images, metadata and essential keywords. The speed of your website on mobile phones can also play a big role on your search engine results page (SERP).
Google Analytics
Google Analytics tracks your WordPress eCommerce website performance. It’s also a way to see how well your campaigns are performing.
Facebook Pixel
If you’re running ads on Facebook, then make sure your Facebook Pixel code is added on to your website.
Website maintenance
Unless you are managing the website yourself, you’ll need someone to help maintain it for you. This service could include uploading content, updating patches and securing your site. Contracts can be monthly or yearly, with a given set of hours per month to look after your website.
Mobile friendly and speedy website
This is a very big part of your SEO game and requires a lot more work than other SEO practices. Google places a lot of importance on a mobile-friendly, fast loading website. And a standard fluid or mobile-friendly website may be too slow for mobile phones. To rank well and show up high on searches, you may need to create a mobile dedicated site. It’s not necessary but it’s a struggle if your audience can’t find you online.
Digital Marketing and Social Media
This quote should be separate from your website development. It’s ongoing work and is as important as having a website built. If you need to create brand awareness and traffic to your website, then you’ll need a mix of google and social media marketing. Social media is great for brand awareness and Google Search is what you need to drive traffic to the website. Your business showing up on Google Maps and Google My Business Listing is a must if you are a local service or business.
A recap
As you can see, there’s a lot of factors when it comes to building a website. Rather than try to do everything, aim for an accurate quote and a finished website that you would be happy with.
