Are you looking to build a website for your business but are confused about how much the website cost should be? Then this is the right article for you. We will provide you with guidelines and invaluable tips and tricks so no agency or freelancer asks for an extortionate price to build your website. Instead, we will show you how to get your dream website for the reasonable price you are looking for.

The website cost varies from platform to platform. For example, if you prefer a site designed in WordPress, the website cost would be different than a site in WIX. The price of the website also varies depending on the amount of customization you want for it. It also depends on your type of business as well; if your business is large-scale, then the price might increase.

Where to get your domain?

To launch your website, you first need to buy a domain. But how much does a domain cost? Before buying one, you need to check whether the domain is available or not. There are online tools available to make this task much easier. KnowEm is one such online tool that allows you to search domains for the name that you are looking for, along with the social accounts that are linked to that domain.

Domain prices vary from domain to domain; for example, .com domains are the most inexpensive ones. Initially, GoDaddy charges around $12.99. However, from company to company the price will fluctuate, and the yearly renewal price is much cheaper compared to other domains.

Pricing for other popular domains, such as .net, .org, .info, .guru, .photography, and .agency could be higher or lower than .com domain. Most domains will have a similar or slightly higher renewal cost.

How about hosting price?

You have a domain now, but now you need hosting as well. There are many companies that provide shared hosting services, like GoDaddy, SiteGround, InMotion, and Bluehost. Hosting prices will increase once you start looking for WordPress-dedicated hosting. The prices are not unreasonable.

There are companies that specifically provide hosting for WordPress sites, including DreamHost, WP Engine, Synthesis, and Pagely. Pricing ranges start from $19 – $47 and go up to $400. Some plans also include additional services, like backups, speed enhancement, and security. However, if your website has high traffic — like Amazon — you should look for dedicated servers and enterprise hosting, for which costs significantly higher.

What about the design of the website?

Everyone wants a beautiful, eye-catching website. If you want free templates, then there is no limit to the choices, but if you prefer premium ones, then the cost varies from theme to theme. And if you hire a web design agency and you want more customization in it, then the price will increase as well.

So, if you want a WordPress template, prices vary from $35-200. A customized website costs around $300 – $1000. Custom-built websites from scratch, on the other hand, cost from $5000–$10000+.

What about content for your website?

You are done with your website. Now, you need content for it. The design just provides the skeleton of your website. To attract users and to lay out your business, you need really good content, including a description, images, and logo. The cost of design might range from $500–$5000.

How much will maintenance of your website cost?

So, you have your website, domain, and hosting now — what happens when something crashes on your site? How will you fix or even troubleshoot this problem? If you are a developer or you have good technical skills, then you can fix it on your own.

But, what if you don’t? Suddenly, you have an updated plugin but it’s not compatible with the current version of your CMS, and due to this your site is not accessible at all. You can hire a developer on a monthly basis to monitor and look after your website. In addition, if you got your site from a web agency, then most agencies provide maintenance services on a monthly basis. Or you can hire someone in hourly basis when the problem occurs and resolve this issue. The price for maintenance varies from $500 – $1000.

So how much does a website cost in total?

As you can see, there are many different costs that matter. Everything depends on your choices and how you are planning to handle situations as they arise. If you are a person from a technical background or you have technical skills, then all you have to do is pay for your domain and hosting. But if you don’t have any technical knowledge then it totally depends on your choices.

I hope this article has helped you and made it easier for you to decide the right website for your business and how you plan to design it. Always keep in mind that the website cost could be a lot more than you imagine. If you need more help on figuring out how much a website cost should be, contact our dedicated WordPress design team here at Scepter Marketing.