How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website?
Content:
Building a website is much like constructing a house. Just as you would consider various factors when building a home, the same applies to creating a website.
You need to think about your budget, the features you require, the style you prefer, the type of architecture that best suits your needs, the materials you’d like to use, local regulations, and the contractors you’ll hire.
Each of these elements interconnects and influences the others. For example, your choice of architecture will dictate the materials you need to use, while your design preferences will affect your architectural choices.
To make informed decisions about your website, you'll need to learn the following:
- Pricing: How much does it cost to build a website?
- Architecture: What are the key types of websites I can choose from? What types of website architecture are available to choose from and what’s the difference?
- Technology: What technologies are available, and when should I choose each one?
- Process: What are the different ways I can go about building my website? What does the process of building a website with the help of an agency look like?
- Fitting: How should my business strategy influence my website requirements? What factors should I base my choices on?
In this guide, we’ll walk you through each of these considerations so you can make informed choices. We’ll start with the most crucial consideration for many businesses: the cost.
How much does it cost to build a website?
The cost of building a website can vary widely depending on several factors, such as the architectural complexity, the features you need, the design requirements, and whether you hire professionals or use a DIY approach. Here's a breakdown of the typical costs involved.
Simple Do-It-Yourself (DIY) website
Domain name:
- Cost: $10 to $50 per year
- Description: Your website's address on the internet (e.g., www.yourwebsite.com).
Web hosting:
- Cost: 0$ to $10 per month
- Description: The service that stores your website files and makes them accessible online. Most website builders include hosting costs in their subscription plans. In other cases, a simple shared hosting plan is typically sufficient.
Website builder or CMS:
- Cost: $10 to $30 per month
- Description: Use of website builders like Wix, Squarespace, or a free CMS like WordPress.org with a paid theme.
Design and development:
- Cost: $0 to $500 (one-time)
- Description: Utilizing pre-made themes and templates with minimal DIY customization.
Plugins and third-party add-ons:
- Cost: $0 to $100 (one-time or recurring)
- Description: Basic features like contact forms, SEO tools, or social media integration.
Content creation:
- Cost: $0 to $500
- Description: DIY content creation including copy, images, and basic videos.
Ongoing maintenance:
- Cost: $0 to $100 per month
- Description: Regular updates, backups, and security checks that can be managed by the site owner.
Total cost estimate:
- Initial launch cost: $200 to $1,000
- Maintenance cost: $10 to $140 per month
Medium complexity website built by a freelancer
Domain name:
- Cost: $10 to $50 per year
- Description: Your website's address on the internet.
Web hosting:
- Cost: $10 to $50 per month
- Description: A more robust hosting solution, possibly VPS hosting, to handle increased traffic and functionality.
Website builder or CMS:
- Cost: $20 to $100 per month
- Description: Using a CMS like WordPress with a premium theme or a more advanced website builder.
Design and development:
- Cost: $2,000 to $10,000 (one-time)
- Description: A custom-designed website by a freelance developer/designer, with more complex functionality.
Plugins and third-party add-ons:
- Cost: $100 to $1,000 (one-time or recurring)
- Description: Additional features such as e-commerce, advanced SEO, analytics, and more.
Content creation:
- Cost: $500 to $5,000
- Description: Professional content, including stock or custom images, videos, and AI-generated or human-written copy.
Ongoing maintenance:
- Cost: $100 to $500 per month
- Description: Implementation of regular updates and security patches often outsourced to the freelancer.
Total cost estimate:
- Initial launch cost: $3,000 to $20,000+
- Maintenance cost: $130 to $650+ per month
High complexity website built with an agency
Domain name:
- Cost: $10 to $100 per year
- Description: Your website's address on the internet.
Web hosting:
- Cost: $50 to $300+ per month
- Description: Premium hosting solutions, possibly dedicated or cloud hosting for high traffic and performance.
Website builder or CMS:
- Cost: $100 to $500+ per month
- Description: Advanced CMS or custom-built platforms with enterprise-level features.
Design and development:
- Cost: $10,000 to $100,000+ (one-time)
- Description: A fully custom-designed website with complex features and integrations, built by a professional agency.
Plugins and third-party add-ons:
- Cost: $1,000 to $10,000+ (one-time or recurring)
- Description: Enterprise-level features such as custom integrations, advanced e-commerce, CRM, and more.
Content creation:
- Cost: $5,000 to $50,000+
- Description: High-quality, professionally produced content including video production, custom graphics, and brand-aligned copywriting.
Ongoing maintenance:
- Cost: $500 to $5,000+ per month
- Description: Comprehensive support and maintenance packages including updates, security, and ongoing development.
Total cost estimate:
- Initial launch cost: $20,000 to $200,000+
- Maintenance cost: $500 to $5,000+
Website development costs — Summary
From the examples above, it's clear that the final cost of building a website is influenced primarily by its complexity, size, and the professionals you choose to work with. While the tools you select are generally low-cost, they tend to have a minor impact on the overall price.
In the next chapter, we’ll dive deeper into the most popular types of websites and explore how their architecture can affect the cost.