Do you need to build a website for a personal brand or your organization? The first thing that comes to mind when you think about building a website is the cost. If you are new to this scenario, then you may have no idea. However, some people form the idea that building a website costs a lot.
Asking for the cost of the website is not something that you would get a concrete answer to. Like any other service, the cost of a website depends on your needs. The kind of website you want to build will decide the cost. There are many different elements in a website design in recent times, which will determine the cost.
One thing that has changed in recent years is that it has become much easier to build a website than it was in the past. The advancement in technology has helped people to build websites in less time and with lesser hard work. This is why the cost of the website has also significantly become lower as compared to earlier times.
Here we will focus on the cost of some major website elements along with a DIY approach. Even if you are not a technical person, it would be hard for you to build your own website. This approach is perfect for people who have a very low budget and would like to get the work done within a very minimal cost.
Some people do not have the time to work on their website. These people would rather hire someone to do the work for them. We have also focused on this area and tried to establish an approximate cost structure.
Even though all the costs mentioned in the guide are approximate figures, which will vary, you will get an idea of how much you may have to invest while building a website.
Elements of a Website
When you build a website, there are many elements that the designer focuses on. Whether you are the one building the website or you have hired someone, these elements are very necessary to be considered. The web design scenario has changed in the last few years, and we have seen the way websites are made in current times.
To ensure that you keep up with the recent changes, you will have to incorporate modern touches on the website. The best thing about modern websites is that they are very clean and simple. The focus is more on the user experience, so people tend to avoid crowding on their websites.
Color Palette
The first thing users notice when they open a website is the color scheme that has been used. This has always been a very important part of any website. Using a strong color palette will help in improving the quality of your website and attract the users effectively.
Most websites are made of primary and secondary colors, where some aspects of the website, such as the landing page, blogs, and homepage, share the same color scheme. Other pages may have different colors. The one thing that needs to be established is the theme of the website.
Using too many colors can be very distracting to users. If there is not color theme and random colors are being used, then it will destroy the user experience. The best thing is to use a black or white base and incorporate professional colors such as yellow, orange, blue, etc. You can also play with other colors, as long as it is eye-pleasing.
White Space
The next most attractive thing on a website is the white space. White space does not mean a space with white color; rather, it means a space that can act as the buffer between the other elements of the webpage. This provides enough room for the elements of the website, and it will not look crowded.
White space makes your website look clean, and this can be quite good for the user experience. No one would stay or browse through a website that is over-crowded. Too much information, especially on the landing and homepage, can be a disadvantage. It is better to follow a minimalistic style when designing the website.
Typography
Typography or what you know as fonts is another very important element of a website design. You may not think much about it, but a font can make a huge difference in the design of the website. Depending on the product or service that you are building the website for, you will have to decide on the font.
If you are building a corporate website, then the font needs to be professional, whereas, for websites related to artists and creativity, the fonts can be slightly informal but clean. You cannot use a fancy font on a website, which will be hard for people to read.
Navigation
The navigation of the site is the last place where you want to show your creativity. This is one area that needs to be completely simple and easy. Avoid using any kind of unnecessary animations which can confuse the user. The work of the navigation elements is to ensure that the user reaches their desired information quickly.
You also have to remember that navigation should not be limited to the header, it is also necessary to have a navigation menu in the footer. Only a website with a strong navigation system will be able to enhance the experience of its users.
Content
One of the main elements of any website is the content. Apart from the technical aspects, content is what the user will see when they open the website. The information that you include on the website is what the user will seek, which is why it should be authentic. You cannot include any wrong information on your website.
Along with that, the spellings and grammar of even a single line or phrase should be correct. If users view content with errors in it, then they would perceive the brand to be negligent and careless. This would make them lose the trust they have in the brand.
What Do You Have To Pay For In A Website?
When you are deciding the cost of your website, there are two main categories that you will need to focus on. The first is the infrastructure and the second is the functionality and design. These two are the first two things that would make up your website.
The infrastructure consists of the different elements that provide the necessary power to your website. This includes the domain name, hosting, software, etc. These elements are not visible to the user directly. On the other hand, functionality and design is something that the user will directly interact with.
Both of these elements are necessary and are something that you cannot ignore. The cost for these two categories will depend on what you want for your website. However, there will also be differences in cost depending on whether this is your DIY project or you want to hire someone.
Cost of Backend Infrastructure
Now that you know the two main categories that you need to pay for, you will have to understand the details of each of these elements. Here we have focused first on the backend infrastructure and the average cost for the different sections of the infrastructure.
When you are building a website, there are mainly three parts of a backend infrastructure where you need to spend money.
• Domain name
• Content Management System / Website Software
• Hosting
Domain Name
The domain name is the permanent address of a website through which the user can reach your destination. Domain names come in the form of .com, .in, .net, .org, depending on the type of website that you are building. The most common domain name is .com, which is easy to find and also can be used by any organization.
Your website would not be built without a domain name. The cost of a domain name will depend on the availability of the name of the organization, followed by .com, .net, etc. For example, you want the domain "thenameis.com," then you will have to check the availability.
This domain name can be purchased from any online hosting company. Typically, you will have to pay for the first year, and then there will be per year renewal charges. If you want to opt for more than one year of subscription altogether, then the cost will be much higher. Depending on the domain registrar company you choose, the cost of the domain name would vary.
Website Software
Most websites today are not coded from the beginning. There is website software, which is premade known as the content management system. You may already know that majority of the websites in today's time are powered by the software WordPress.
One of the main reasons for people opting for WordPress is that it is completely free. That means that you can use the software without having to pay a single dime. However, it is important to know that the software is at WordPress.org and not at WordPress.com, single they are completely different things.
You can also opt for other website builders such as Wix or Squarespace. Both of these tools have a monthly plan structure, which you will need to pay till the time you want your website to stay working. You can also opt for their yearly fee structure, which can be much more cost-effective.
Monthly plans for Wix and Squarespace both start at $16. There may be certain changes in their plan structure from time to time, which you will need to visit the website and confirm. On the other hand, the yearly charge is around $144 for Wix and $150 for Squarespace.
There are other plans as well, and you need to see the things that these plans include before you choose one. Only go for the plan that you feel suits your needs, or you may end up with something that is not what you wanted in the first place.
Hosting
Hosting is like renting space on the Internet so that your website is visible to all the people. When you use website builders such as Wix and Squarespace, the hosting is included in the package. This means that you will not have to pay anything extra for the hosting.
On the other hand, when you use software that is self-hosted such as WordPress, you will need to pay for hosting. The same goes for any other content management system such as Drupal or Joomla.
In the beginning, you can invest in any cheap hosting, which can cost you not more than $6 every month. There are yearly packages for hosting as well that you will find in different hosting companies. As the traffic on your website grows, you will have to put in more and more money to accommodate the traffic.
Cost of Design and Functionality
Once you have paid for the backend infrastructure, the website will start working. But is it functioning the way you want, or is the design attractive? No, since you have not even ventured into this section. So once your website is working, it is time to focus on the design as well as the functionality.
Website Design
The cost of website design can do nothing to a lot; however, this depends on the kind of design that you are choosing. One of the best things about opting for a content management system is that there are themes that are pre-built.
Using these themes, you can change the website design without having to build the design from scratch. Every website software such as WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, etc., has themes that can be downloaded easily. There are free themes, as well as premium themes. All you need to do is download it and customize the theme to suit your needs.
If you do not want to invest any money in themes, then you can choose the free ones. However, if you feel that the options for free themes are limited, then premium themes would be a good choice.
The average cost of premium themes in WordPress will be around $59. On the other hand, for Wix and Squarespace, the premium themes can cost you more than $100. However, depending on the theme you choose, the rates would vary. You can also use the free WordPress plug-ins for page builder such as Elementor to enhance the design of the selected theme.
Website Functionality
The cost of website functionality is something that cannot be determined that easily since it depends solely on your needs. Functionality on the website can be done using third-party extensions called apps or plug-ins. These are similar to themes since they are available in free as well as premium packages.
In the plug-in directory of WordPress.org, you will be able to find more than 55,000 plug-ins which are free of cost. For any basic site, you can choose any of the free plug-ins. However, to enhance the functionality, you will have to opt for some premium ones.
How Much Does a DIY Website Cost?
If you are confident enough to build a website all by yourself, then it can become a much affordable option. This can be around $100-$200 for one year. The cost structure mentioned above is something that you will need to pay for. The best thing about doing it yourself is that you know where to spend and where to not.
Since you can build a website even without having any extensive technical knowledge, the whole process becomes much easier. You can find many website building guides where you will receive complete information on how to create your own website.
You do need to invest in some premium extensions and themes if you wish to have a website that is appealing to the user. However, you can go for the DIY process if you have quite a bit of time on your hands. If other engagements need your attention, then it is better to hire someone to do the job.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire Someone for Your Website?
You may not always be able to spend the required time and effort to build a website. Though it will be a much cheaper solution, you will have to spend a lot of time doing just this. You will not be able to focus much on any other work for a certain time, which will be difficult for the majority of the people.
That is when you will have to hire someone to do the work. It is not an unknown fact that the cost of the website will be much higher when you take professional help. This is because you will not just be paying for the infrastructure, functionality, and design, but you will also be paying for their time and effort.
People who have more experience in this field will charge more as a token of their high expertise. It is hard to point out exactly how much it will cost you if you hire someone else, but it can start anywhere from $1000.
This costing will depend completely on the person that you talk to and what you need. If the ones you are hiring is someone in your close circle, then they may charge less from you despite being highly experienced.
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