We are like you – we want to know what something costs, and will usually keep looking until we get an answer. So here goes…
Most businesses and organizations can expect to have their website designed, built and launched for $3,500 to $5,000. This includes project-wide consultation, custom responsive design, navigation and webpage building and optimization, site admin training, and launch. For those with more extensive needs like content creation, custom module development, accessibility requirements, etc. the cost may be greater. For very small businesses and organizations, the cost may be less.
Another consideration is website hosting and support. Who will handle site updates, security updates, content updates, and assistance with search engine marketing. What about server security, reliability and availability? These needs are what are often overlooked when evaluating cost. Whether you rely on your web development company to manage your website, or rely on their support as you or your staff manage it, there is always significant annual cost associated with hosting, supporting and managing an effective website.
Sounds Expensive? Here’s another way to think about it.
There was a time when a business had to spend a significant amount of money just to get noticed in the yellow pages of a phone book. The more information you wanted in front of the eyes of users, the larger the ad and the cost.
Today the World Wide Web has the lead role in customer acquisition by far. Comprehensive information about your business is easily and immediately accessible. Furthermore, a website can go beyond customer acquisition to supporting existing customers. Here's the best part. Usually, a well-managed and supported website will do all this for less than what we used to pay for a small Yellow Pages ad.
Let’s do the math. Let’s say your website costs $4,000 and will not be redesigned and rebuilt for five years - that’s $800 a year. Then let’s say that your hosting and support is $80 month - that’s $960 a year. Le't even add some geographically targeted online advertising for $1,200 a year. That makes the total cost $2,960 a year for your primary client acquisition and support tool.
Compare that to the cost of a relatively small business card size ad in a yellow page book at $3,000 a year; or a quarter, half or full-page ad costing upward of $12,000 a year. That what we used to pay just to catch someone’s eye hoping they would call us. Now your website can acquire, AND support those customers for much less.
That’s HOW LITTLE an effective website actually costs.
