Breaking Down Website Costs: How to Create the Right Budget

There has never been a better time to launch a website. Advances in technology mean even the most technophobic entrepreneur can launch a website that will fill them with pride.

But what about the cost? Is it feasible to launch a new website if your budget is limited? Should you spend money upfront getting the website of your dreams, or do the whole thing yourself on a shoestring budget?

To help you answer that question, here is a guide to what you’ll need to include in your budget regarding website costs.

We’ve also given you a few suggestions about how you can keep expenses to a minimum by redesigning an existing site instead of starting from scratch.

Hosting

If you search the term website hosting cost, you’ll probably find some low-cost options for websites. But while many big hosting companies have cheap introductory offers for hosting, the price often increases over time.

Low-cost hosting can be as little as $2-3 per month for a startup business, but for more established website brands with thousands of visitors, hosting could be as high as $200 per month.

In general, you can probably consider hosting your most considerable long-term website cost. That’s because you will still need to pay for hosting each year, even if you don’t update your website.

Starting New Vs. Updating Existing

If you are planning to update an existing website, get some advice on what to do about your current hosting.

A professional design agency may be able to tell you whether it’s cheaper to stick with what you’ve got or make a move to another hosting provider.

Don’t forget to factor in the technical cost of moving a website to another hosting provider. If you don’t know how to do it yourself, you will need to hire a hosting expert.

Domain

On paper, a domain name is your lowest website expense. If you have ever searched domain names, you’ll find that buying them for as little as a dollar is possible. Some hosting companies will even offer them for free.

However, if you have your eye on a specific domain name that is a common word or phrase, then there is no limit to the price you can pay.

Some of the most expensive domain names in the world have changed hands for tens of millions of dollars!

The domain name you select may also have an impact of your how your website ranks in search results. You can learn more about “Search Engine ranking and Your Domain” name here. For more information on selecting a domain name, learn more about “Choosing a domain name” for your website.

Starting New Vs. Updating Existing

If you have a current domain name and want to keep it, you can still build a new website and stick with your current domain name.

Design and Branding

The most straightforward way to get a website brand is to buy an existing website theme if you use a standard platform like Shopify or WordPress. Some of these themes are free.

However, there are downsides. You’ll be promoting a website with a very similar look and feel to thousands of others.

If you want a more distinctive brand, you might want to opt for a custom design. You can buy a premium theme or get designers to develop a unique website design for you.

What you pay for your website design cost will depend on the design agency.

Some of the most extensive website rebrands can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Still, you can get a simple brand from a talented designer for far less than that if you know what you need.

Starting New Vs. Updating Existing

Redesigning an existing website is a great way to get a fresh look and feel while keeping costs low. You can still achieve a dramatic change but keep all the underlying technology, hosting, and domain the same.

Content Management System

How much does it cost to build a website? Well, the good news is that you are never starting from scratch, as content management systems have created all the website foundations first.

Some content management systems, such as WordPress, are free. But you will pay extra for plugins and features. Others, such as Wix and Squarespace, have monthly plans starting at around $10.

Remember to factor in the cost of building your website on top of these platforms. And factor in the price of plugins for core features like antispam, SEO support, and social media sharing buttons.

Some platforms, like Squarespace, are beginner-friendly. If you opt for WordPress but lack technical experiment, consider a budget for additional technical support. It will help to customize your website to what you need.

Starting New Vs. Updating Existing

The best feature of content management systems is that they are relatively easy to change. You can redesign your website with a new theme without changing any of the content or base technology.

eCommerce

There are additional costs when setting up an eCommerce website that you won’t experience with a standard “brochure” website. You’ll need features to list and price your products, as well as secure payment integration.

There are platforms you can use to build an eCommerce website. The three main ones are Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.

These range in price from free to over $100 depending on the features and ease of use you need.

Alternatively, you can use an agency to create a bespoke eCommerce platform for you.

Starting New Vs. Updating Existing

Suppose you already have an eCommerce website and are happy with the platform. In that case, you can always focus on a redesign that makes your website more accessible for customers to use.

That is a simple improvement that can make a big difference in your revenue and reduce cart abandonment.

Marketing and Advertising

Marketing and advertising might seem to fall outside the scope of building a new website.

However, your marketing approach will impact your website budget. For example, suppose you plan on email marketing. In that case, you will need to build an opt-in form to capture email addresses.

When creating your website budget, consider what your marketing priorities are going to be. Will you focus your time on SEO? Or will you use paid advertising on places like Facebook?

These priorities will help shape what features you need to budget for in your website build and may even shape what platform you choose for your website.

Starting New Vs. Updating Existing

Often, a revamped marketing plan requires new website features. So you may want to ask yourself whether it is easier to do a complete website redesign to achieve your marketing goals.

For example, suppose you are an eCommerce website running ad promotions. In that case, you might want to ensure your eCommerce platform makes it easy to add time-limited product discounts or money-off voucher codes.

Always Budget for Website Costs

It’s easy to get carried away with website costs when building a new website.

There are plenty of additional features that can give your website that “wow” factor. Establishing a clear budget upfront will help you achieve a website that works for you and is still cost-effective.

After all, the beauty of website development is that you can always add new features in the future as your business grows.

We are here to support you with every step of your journey. Contact us today for support from a specialist web development agency that can help turn your website dream into a reality, whatever your budget.