The cost of websites in 2020 may vary depending on the needs of the individual or organization. If all you want is a simple website with a couple of pages, then the cost shall be much lower than that of a complex multi-page website. Yet, in either case, there are everyday things on which you must spend money, monthly, annually, and for a lifetime.
In this article, we are going to break down the cost of building and maintaining a website. We want to help you decide on the type of web developer to hire for your project. Also, we shall provide a breakdown of several kinds of websites and their cost. Finally, we shall look at the factors influencing the cost of websites.
How Much Is The Cost Of A Website In 2020?
It will cost you $200 to create a website and $50 monthly maintenance if you do it yourself. However, you are unlikely to know to build and maintain a website on your own. Therefore, you will need to hire a web developer and pay approximately $3,000 upfront and $1,000 annually for maintenance.
The following are some of the key website features and the upfront cost of each one of them:
- Website domain – $12 to $70
- Website hosting – $40 to $ 700
- SSL Certificate – $0 to $200
- Website template or theme – $0 to $200
- E-commerce functionality – $30 to $25,000
- Website content – $0 to $5,000
- Apps and integrations – $0 to $200
In addition to the website’s upfront costs, you have to pay monthly or annual maintenance fees to keep your site running. The following are some of the areas and their respective costs;
- Website maintenance – $400 to $60,000 per year
- Website SEO and marketing – $2,000 to $ 10,000 per month
Factors Influencing the Cost of Websites
As you may have noticed, the cost of a website isn’t static. Instead, it varies depending on its size, functionality, and whether it is an e-commerce site or not. We want to look at these factors in detail to help you determine whether you are ready to put your money in it or not.
Size of Website
The cost of websites today will vary depending on the size of the site. Thus, a simple website with up to 10 pages will cost less than a 50-page website for a large business. If you have a startup, you may want a simple website with no more than ten pages.
However, you should leave room for future expansion as your business needs increase. A small business website may have a simple 10 to 20 pages compared to that of a medium-sized business with up to 40 pages.
The significant difference between the two is that the 40-page website would have a complete catalog of all its products. If you want a corporate website, you should prepare to pay for up to 50 web pages. Different web design service companies charge differently so it’s a good idea to shop around.
Website functionality
Simple websites with minimal functionality may cost less than those with more complex functionality. To build a simple blog with up to five pages, you will pay a considerably lower cost. However, if you want a website with complex features like detailed calendars, forums, and registration systems, then you should be ready to pay more.
So, before hiring a web developer, come up with a list of the functionality you need and what you would like. That will help the web developer to determine how big the project is likely to be. Additional functions, such as integration with ERP, CRM, and e-commerce, can lead to a drastic increase in cost. That’s because an e-commerce website comes with security features, e-payment gateways, cookies, and Idap. Integrating all of these features increases the value.
Website Style
The style of a website refers to what the users will see when they interact with your website. Will they distinguish it from those provided by your competitors? So, you need to deliver unique designs for your home page, product page, blog entry, contact page, and special services. That means avoiding the free templates that come with website builders. For that reason, you will have to pay a web developer more in costs.
SEO and Database Integration
When developing a website, your designer has to think about how it will rank highly in search results on Google or Yahoo, or Bing. So, he or she should optimize the website for search engines from the word go. Also, it is good to optimize content from the first day to ensure it ranks highly in search engine results pages (SERPs)
Another essential element that will cost money is the integration of databases. It is a technical exercise that requires a web developer’s help, meaning you should prepare to pay more.
Conclusion
Given the amount of work that goes into building a website, it’s clear that you should prepare to pay more for it. Choosing to cut corners would only mean you get an essential website that can’t provide the functionality you need.