The standard answer for how much a website costs (for small and mid-sized businesses) is a range of $1,500 – $10,000. The fees change based on the following variables:
- Overall complexity / size of the website. A basic ‘online brochure’ would be the lower end (i.e. website with 10ish pages and no complex functions). Pricing will increase based on higher degree of function such as e-commerce and integration with other business tools such as Qucikbooks, Salesforce.com, Hubspot, etc.
- Development Team. The most cost effective way to build a website is to use a product like Wix or Squarespace to create it yourself. This would require knowledge about building/designing/optimizing content. Without knowledge of these items, the cost in time to learn/build likely outweighs the cost of using an affordable provider. Freelancers are another route to try for cost savings however, common complaints with freelancers are long timelines and lack of responsiveness (since these are usually 1-2 person shops). The most successful approach for small / mid-sized businesses is to hire a firm that specializes in web development for small / mid-sized businesses. These firms usually have high value / low cost options and will deliver the professionalism necessary for a legitimate business to compete online.
- Fee Structure. The best way to control cost on a website is to utilize a development team who quotes an organized project price vs. hourly (sometimes called ‘Time & Material’). A firm that offers a fixed price quote has enough experience to know what it takes to complete the project. Time & Material / Hourly billing can quickly get out-of-control and create an environment where budgets are difficult to adhere to.
Most small and mid-sized businesses should expect to get a professionally designed website for around $5,000.