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In 2021, the average American spends 3 hours a day on their phone browsing social media. This is an increase of 2 hours from 2020, despite only 1% of Americans owning mobile phones in 2010. With so many people using mobile devices to connect and consume content, it’s no wonder that companies are starting to see websites as just another point of contact with consumers- they’re turning them into digital storefronts with minimal effort or cost.
In 2021, website design cost will be determined by the amount of time it takes to complete a project. The “website design cost calculator” is a free tool that allows users to input information about their website, and see how much it will cost them.
Local, brick-and-mortar companies, for example, rely heavily on their websites for success. Despite this, the SBA estimates that roughly 40% of small companies do not have a website. This is most likely due to the fact that websites used to be either prohibitively costly or very difficult to put up. Websites, on the other hand, are easier—and cheaper—than ever to create, with expenses as low as $0 to create and roughly $10 per month to maintain, so there’s no reason not to have one.
Costs of Website Development by Type
The cost of a website varies substantially depending on the sort of site you want and how you choose to construct it. The cheapest alternative, for example, is to create it yourself using WordPress (as little as $2.95 per month with Bluehost for web hosting) or a site builder like Squarespace ($12 per month). Outsourcing to a marketing agency or web design business is the most costly option, with costs ranging from a few hundred dollars to over $10,000.
The following are the three basic methods for obtaining a website:
- Build your own site using WordPress: This option is best for individuals who have some technical knowledge (or the time and desire to learn) and want to create a highly customized site.
- Develop your own using an all-in-one site builder: This is the best choice for individuals who wish to build and manage their own website in-house at a low cost.
- Engage a pro: This option is best for organizations with sophisticated site requirements and established enterprises with the financial means to hire a professional web development team.
Want to understand more about the process of creating your own website before deciding how you’ll do it? Check out our post on what to anticipate when creating a website for your small company.
Three Ways to Create a Website (Costs Compared)
To learn more about an approach, choose one that interests you:
Choose to discover more. Option 1: Create Your Own WordPress Website Option 2: Use a Site Builder to Create Your Own WordPress Website Option three is to hire a professional.
Option 1: Create a WordPress Website from Scratch
Option 1: Create a WordPress Website from Scratch
What We Enjoy
- Free and low-cost content management system (CMS)
- Code allows us a lot of flexibility.
- Capabilities in SEO
What Isn’t There
- Services from other parties are necessary (e.g., web hosting and domain)
- It’s a pain to use.
- Vulnerable to cyber-threats
- It needs a lot of maintenance.
A Quick Look at Pricing
- System for managing content for free
- To go live on the internet, you’ll need to sign up for a web hosting package ($3 to $10 per month).
- Your domain must be purchased separately ($12 per year).
- Premium themes range in price from $30 to $80.
- Monthly and/or yearly fees apply to premium plugins.
Due to its inexpensive cost, broad functionality, and considerable customization options, WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS). Even though WordPress is a free, open source platform, it is not without charges. You’ll need a domain name, site hosting, and optional extras like premium themes and plugins, for example. Expect to spend roughly $100 to construct a WordPress site, plus $3 to $10 every month after that.
Take a look at the whole breakdown of the true expenses of developing a WordPress site.
A Quick Look at the Costs of WordPress
How to Create a WordPress Website from Scratch
Even if you’re a seasoned web designer, creating your own WordPress website takes a significant amount of time and work. Expect a high learning curve if you’re new to WordPress.
To get a WordPress website up and running, you’ll need a web hosting package and a domain name. Then, using your site host’s one-click WordPress installation tool, locate and install a theme, as well as install and activate any plugins you want to utilize. Finally, start personalizing your site.
Get the step-by-step instructions on how to construct a WordPress website for additional information.
Pro tip: Get web hosting first to save money. For as low as $2.95 a month, many top web hosting providers, such as Bluehost, provide a free domain, free SSL, and free business email as part of their plans. Using the one-click WordPress installation will also save you the trouble of manually linking your domain name and web hosting to WordPress.
Option 2: Use a site builder to create your own.
Option 2: Use a site builder to create your own.
What We Enjoy
- Extremely simple to use
- There is nothing missing.
- Create a professional website in no time.
What Isn’t There
- Customization possibilities may be limited.
- It’s possible that SEO techniques are inadequate.
- Ecommerce plans may be rather pricey.
A Quick Look at Pricing
- Monthly plans vary from $6 to $14.
- The cost of web hosting is always included.
- Most plans include a domain name.
- Free SSL certificates are widely available.
- All of the themes and templates are available for free.
- There are no hidden fees.
- The majority of service providers give free trials.
Using an all-in-one site builder is without a doubt one of the simplest and most cost-effective methods to create a professional website. These website builders provide with everything you’ll need to get started, including a domain registration, hosting, and a template. They also include drag-and-drop editing interfaces that make creating a code-free website as easy as possible. Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and GoDaddy are some of the most popular site builders, with monthly fees ranging from $6 to $26.
The following are the finest all-in-one website builders and their prices:
- Squarespace: The best overall website builder, with plans beginning at $12 per month with top-notch web design and built-in marketing tools to help new companies flourish.
- Wix: The finest website builder for individuals who seek the greatest customization options, owing to its drag-and-drop site editor’s huge versatility. Monthly plans start at $14.
- Weebly: The most beginner-friendly and cost-effective ecommerce website builder, with monthly subscriptions starting at $6.
- With its powerful built-in booking system, GoDaddy is the best website builder for service-based companies wishing to transform their website into a 24/7 receptionist. Monthly plans start at $9.99.
The biggest advantage of utilizing a site builder is that it makes creating a professional-looking website quite simple—and at a low cost. Drag-and-drop editing interfaces are often quite easy, with little to no learning curve and the ability for anybody to rapidly design a site. The disadvantages are that site builders are less configurable than WordPress, may not be as excellent for SEO, and ecommerce options may be pricey.
How to Use a Site Builder to Create a Website
Site builders make it simple to create a great website without having any technical knowledge or coding skills. While the procedures differ based on the site builder you choose, the overall process is quite consistent. To begin, go to the site builder and sign up for an account. Then, choose a theme or template and personalize it. Upgrade to a premium subscription and connect your domain to become active.
Learn more about the top website builders or follow the step-by-step instructions by platform:
Option three is to hire a professional.
Option three is to hire a professional.
What We Enjoy
- Invest in a professionally designed website.
- There is nothing missing.
- There’s no need to learn a new content management system.
What Isn’t There
- It is possible to become exceedingly costly.
- Design control is limited to non-existent (or a lot of hand-holding)
- It is typical to have long turnaround times.
A Quick Look at Pricing
- Freelancers are usually the most cost-effective, with rates ranging from $100 to $500.
- The cost of a marketing agency might vary from $40 to $1,000 or more.
- The most costly are web development businesses, which may cost upwards of $10,000.
It’s understandable that not everyone wants to construct their own website, and it’s sometimes better to leave it to the professionals. The cost will vary from $400 to over $10,000 depending on how you go about hiring a designer and the needs of your site.
Another expense is continuing maintenance, which may range from $5 per month for web hosting to hundreds of dollars if you engage a company to administer your website on a monthly basis.
The three most prevalent methods for getting a professionally developed website are as follows:
- Best for creating sites with unique functions that need extensive coding is a web design agency.
- Full-service marketing agency: This is the best option for creating a site that is optimized for search and generates leads, since a marketing firm will have a lot of experience with this.
- Freelance web designer: Best for creating a basic, informative website on a budget.
A freelancer from Upwork or Fiverr, for example, would enough for most small enterprises. Keep in mind, however, that the cost of hiring a marketing firm to develop a website is frequently shockingly low. Hibu, for example, produces quality websites for as little as $400, making it less expensive than many freelancers while providing you with a more experienced crew.
Hiring a Professional (Costs Compared)
*Note: Whether your ongoing cost includes only web hosting costs or includes ongoing professional website management services, the cost to maintain varies greatly for marketing agencies and web design firms.
Get a free, no-obligation quotation from Hibu now to get an idea of how much it would cost to have your website professionally developed for you.
Pay a visit to Hibu.
Most Commonly Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best way to obtain a free domain name?
There are just a handful legitimate methods for obtaining a free domain name. The first is a web hosting plan, such as Bluehost’s $2.95 per month plan, while the second is a site building plan, such as Squarespace’s $12 per month plan. The third option is to utilize a free domain registrar like Freenom. However, since a professional domain extension, such as.com or.net, is not available, companies are urged not to use them. Find out how to get a free domain name.
Which WordPress themes are the best?
The finest WordPress theme for you will be determined by the sort of website you want as well as the aesthetic you desire. Choose a theme that has the functionality and look that you need for the least amount of customisation. Learn all there is to know about WordPress themes and how to install them.
What does it cost to create an ecommerce website?
The cost of building an ecommerce site, like any other website, may range from $0 to over $10,000. Whether you design your ecommerce site yourself using a site builder like WordPress, or outsource it to a web development company, is the most important element in how cheap or costly it is to build. Check out the finest ecommerce website builders if you want to create your own.
Squarespace vs. WordPress: which is better?
Squarespace and WordPress are two of the most popular website builders for a reason. Squarespace is more user-friendly in general since it offers everything a company needs to develop and launch a website, from a free domain and web hosting to a drag-and-drop site builder for only $12 per month. WordPress provides more customization options and may be better for SEO, but it does need some technical knowledge. Get the whole Squarespace vs. WordPress comparison.
Conclusion
You don’t need to pay a lot for a web designer, and you don’t need to know how to code to create a decent website. Professionally created websites are no longer prohibitively expensive. Instead, marketing organizations like Hibu may provide one for as little as a few hundred dollars. If that isn’t enough, a site builder like Squarespace will let you create your own site for as little as $12 a month.
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The “how much does a website cost per month” is an important question that many people ask. In 2021, the answer will be DIY vs Professional Web Design because of how expensive it has become to use professional web design services.
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