February 11, 2021

5 Things That Determine the Cost of a Website

what-determines-website-cost

A quality website is a crucial investment for any company. After all, it’s how people learn about the business, get information, and make purchases. But when getting quotes from Portland web designers, some companies might notice a wide range of prices. The cost of a website considers several factors that can play a role in how much web designers charge to create the site. Here are five things that determine the cost of a website.

Type of Website

The type of website and what it is set up to do determines how involved it is to create and monitor, which greatly impacts the cost. A basic website with information pages and a blog is fairly simple and will have a much lower price tag than an e-commerce website that is selling products or a website offering information or files for download.

The type of website also determines the features it requires, as well as the level of security. A more involved website likely has multiple plugins, apps, and components, which will add to the cost. Similarly, optimizing a more advanced website for mobile can also add to the fee.

What Determines Website CostSize of Website

Similar to the type of website is the size of the website. Many web designers charge based on the number of pages on a site. A small site might only have a handful of pages to share the needed information, which makes it a smaller and less expensive project. But on the other hand, a more robust website might require dozens of pages, which can raise the price. Static pages also tend to be less expensive than interactive pages.

Domain and Hosting

All websites require a domain name or URL. The domain fee is typically paid annually for the life of the website. Basic domain names tend to have a lower fee than customized domain extensions. Some web designers include the domain fee in their costs, and others ask the company to pay it separately.

Similarly, all websites must be hosted somewhere on the internet. The larger and more popular the website, the higher the hosting fee. A small static website will likely have a small annual hosting fee, but a larger and busier e-commerce site will likely have a much higher hosting cost.

Custom Design

Many smaller websites can follow a basic template by simply customizing the text and graphics but keeping the basic format of other websites. Websites that follow a template tend to have a much lower price tag because it doesn’t take as much time to personalize the site. On the other hand, some websites are created completely from scratch and are totally unique. These websites often have lots of custom design elements, including personalized logos and graphics, which can be time-consuming to create. In general, the more custom design, the higher the website price.

Maintenance

One-time website design is different than continually updating the site. A company that hires web designers to simply build the website and then be done will likely receive a much lower quote than a company that is looking not only for a new website, but also for continual maintenance. Website maintenance takes many forms, including updating when new technology and plugins are available, fixing bugs, adding new content, or making adjustments for search engine optimization. Maintenance can help keep a website relevant and high in the search results, but it also comes with a cost.

Not all websites are created equally, and the cost can vary greatly depending on the size, features, and maintenance required. Know what you want in a website when looking for a web design company to ensure you find a fair price that also includes a quality website.

Interested in getting a quote?  Reach out to Cyphon Design today.