In 2021, an online presence is crucial for any company, but website development is a complicated endeavor. Businesses should understand the variety of costs involved. Would you like a website only or a smartphone app to go with it? Should the layout be straightforward or world-class? How many pages will be included? The scope of design and branding efforts, integration with social media, streaming video, SEO, and a host of other features affect the total price.
It boils down to three things: complexity, functionality, and size. You may end up spending $3,000 or $150,000. So, how much exactly will it be? The short answer is: it depends. Prices vary based on the provider and the required range of features. That is precisely what a website design cost calculator can show you. It produces a ballpark estimate immediately.
What Is a Website Cost Calculator for?
The more functions are incorporated — the higher the price. For example, an e-store with advanced eCommerce functionality may cost up to $200,000 to create! These days, every reliable development firm has a website cost calculator on its website. Using it is super easy.
Select the desired elements, and the system will give a total based on your needs. A website development cost calculator considers all key price components. Learn about these essentials from our comprehensive guide.
How to Use the Website Cost Estimation Guide
Any website cost estimator is based on simple logic: linear correlation between the number of features and the cost. We have analyzed the biggest contributing factors, so you can choose the ones you need. Note that the exact list of elements varies depending on the firm. Most commonly, the system will calculate website cost based on the following choices:
- number of pages (from 1 to 250+);
- design (from simple to high-end);
- copywriting services (for example, 20 or 50 pages of content);
- number of keywords for SEO (from 0 to 150);
- responsiveness of the design (yes/no);
- integration of databases (up to the full development level);
- eCommerce functionality (from none to full development);
- CMS (none/standard/advanced/full development).
The Big Picture
Creating a website is just the beginning. You need to make sure target consumers can see it. Generally, the design comes second after branding. This is when the team creates or improves your company’s visual identity, including its logo (if necessary).
With inferior branding, you will never beat the competition. Make sure your product or service stands out. According to Folyo, typical prices for logos in 2019 were:
Before the agency can launch its design effort, it will clarify your business’s nature, requirements, and vision. Professionals will suggest the best way to structure the necessary information and functionality. Efficient two-way communication is vital.
After the user interface has been designed, developers start working on the code. It should be tested and easy to maintain. In addition to the website design and development cost, you will need to pay for support and maintenance. The new system must be secure and up-to-date at all times. Your agency may provide these services after the website goes live.
You will also need to hire a digital marketing agency for SEO and other promotional efforts. These services may also be provided by the design and development company. Finally, you might have an in-house digital marketer.
Overview of Typical Website Costs
The price of launching a website is what you pay for technical and design expertise. A business may choose a free ready-made template, hire a freelancer, or a development agency. It is the primary factor behind the cost.
Every website pricing calculator is based on the pricing of the respective agency. As we have shown, the more customized the site — the more expensive it is. A website cost estimation tool shows how much your desired functionality costs. Generally, there are two main avenues:
Option 1: Using a Free Template
To lower the costs, you may opt for one of many WordPress templates. The firm will help you select the best ready-made design and implement it smoothly. You will be able to make slight changes if necessary. These templates allow a certain (limited in comparison) degree of customization.
Option 2: Custom Design
Here, the agency creates a website from scratch based on the goals and needs of your business. Custom design requires smooth communication between the client and the development team. The provider comes up with a unique solution, and this costs more. The total may be assessed using a website price calculator.
Professionals give clients total say about how the new website must look. A ready-made template may cost you nothing, but it cannot communicate a unique message. It is also vital to use responsive web design (RDW), so your site is mobile-friendly. Not only does this create a great UI, but it is also suitable for your Google ranking. Here is a breakdown of the main website costs:
1Web Design Costs
The website setup stage includes the choice of a domain and hosting provider. eCommerce websites also need an SSL protocol to guarantee payment security. Next, designers work on every visual aspect, from the colors to the layout to every tiny detail. All these elements are evaluated using a custom website cost calculator.
The most straightforward projects with custom design and 10 pages at most fall within the $400-$10,000 range. A quote for a complex site with rich functionality and many pages may go well over $25,000— the more elaborate the project — the more programming it requires. Typically, a small business platform may cost between $2,000 and $6,000, and eCommerce is always at the expensive end of the range.
The lowest price you can find is around $500 — for a website, this is dirt cheap. The catch is that low-priced services are usually rendered by companies based in countries like Pakistan. You will probably dislike the result. Such providers are notorious for inferior quality, and the developers’ native language is not the only problem. Be wary of such offers — they really are too good to be true.
Interior Page Design
Every interior page may be cheaper or as expensive as the home page. The more work that is put into it — the higher the costs. You may opt for a basic but nicely formatted look or request a high-end design with painstaking work on every tiny detail.
When there are just a couple of images and a few blocks of text, less time is spent on arranging them. Interactive elements, calls to action, or parallax background all increase the price. Generally, it is worth spending more on all the important content, such as your main services page.
2Content Management System
A CMS is used for the creation, changing, and management of content on a website. If it is reliable, you will make a positive impression on the typical customer. Some popular CMSs are free (e.g., Joomla, WordPress, or OpenCart for e-stores). However, it would be best if you still had them configured and customized for your project.
A powerful CMS not only allows easy management of content — it also facilitates your marketing efforts. Paid systems, such as HubSpot, come with extras like the SSL certificate (to provide encrypted connection). CMS costs may amount to $40,000 for large companies. A standard custom one may set you back $2,000 or $25,000 — the range of broad.
3Creation of Content
Now, you have a well-designed website, but what will you fill it with? Companies need to publish engaging and unique content to keep the audience interested. Without fail, content is king. If the design is bread, it is the cheese and butter on it. CMS is an essential element of a website prices calculator. It is also crucial to understand what type of content is most popular with the audience:
The content will be managed through the CMS of your choice. You may hire a freelance writer or have this expertise in-house. The design agency that built the site may also offer this service at an additional cost. That is why the total website design cost estimation correlates with the number of pages.
A retailer with a broad product line needs more pages than a small bakery. Every agency has its own system for scaling up the price. This is reflected in its online website cost calculator. It will commonly look like this:
- between $1,000 and $2,000 for a website with 1-10 pages;
- between $6,500 to $10,000 for a website with 150-250 pages.
4Hosting Costs
Creating a website is just the first step. Consider the running costs as well. On average, web hosting costs between $4 and $50 monthly. In comparison with development, these expenses seem negligible, but you should still consider them. Some web design companies include these in your maintenance fees.
Hosting may be compared to renting, as you essentially pay for keeping your site online. Basic sites need 1 GB of space annually at most, combined with 3-10 GB of bandwidth. Hosting costs grow along with the size of data on the site (e.g., hosting large videos will ramp up the price). Clients are not asked to change their hosting provider.
5Domain Registration
It should set you back just $7-$14 annually. The small fee entitles you to use the domain name. The latter may be acquired independently or through the design provider. As you can see, some domains evoke more trust than others:
A necessary precaution is making sure it is registered in your company’s name, not the provider’s. Otherwise, switching design companies will be a hassle in the future (are you sure you can rely on your current design team forever?).
If the domain is registered in their name, they may be regarded as its rightful owner. That allows scammers to bilk their clients. They demand a ‘ransom’ for the domain!
6Maintenance Costs
Every website needs maintenance, at least occasionally. After all, no technology is infallible in the long run. The more complex the system — the more potential causes of malfunctioning. What will you do when (not if) something goes wrong?
Fixing the site requires technical expertise you may not have in-house. The hourly rate of a web developer varies between $80 and $180. Alternatively, you may get these services from the agency that built the website for you.
Pros and Cons of Hourly Rates
These rates may look attractive until your freelance designer suddenly hits a roadblock. The project gets stalled, and the costs skyrocket (mainly if it is a large-scale endeavor). Besides, can you be sure they have worked as many hours as you paid for? At the very least, the exact amount of time must be specified in the contract.
A freelancer charges between $30 and $90 on average. For a professional, this component of website cost estimates rises to $45-$120. Globally, the average hourly rate charged by a web design firm is $50.18.
Examples of Website Cost Estimates
Attract Group has been providing web design services to businesses for a decade. The company has successfully developed projects of different complexity for healthcare, retail, and e-learning companies. Here are a few examples of its work.
1A Website for Healthy Eaters
The team developed a SaaS web app for the Menudoplan company. The project, which took 14 months, helped kick off the client’s business (fitness menu planning), as it is only feasible online. The modules include:
- Menu generation based on the nutritionists’ advice.
- Automatically generated grocery lists.
- Import of Excel spreadsheets (with measurements, recipes, meals, and ingredients).
Besides, the team created a convenient admin panel and integrated management of personal accounts. Users can store their food preferences, change or replace meals—the total business website development costs for a similar site range between $10,000 and $50,000.
2A Website and App for eCommerce
J&H Tackle, an online retail store for fishing gear, ordered a web platform to automate commercial processes and meet aggressive sales targets. The website has an intricate design, and it was built on a robust algorithm that makes it scalable and future-proof. If you wanted a similar project from scratch, the web design calculator would give a range between $25,000 and $50,000.
Returns, refunds, and reports are now automated and easily manageable. Mobile apps for iOS and Android complement the platform. The entire development process took 10 months. This website has become a top e-commerce site for fishing tackle. Its features include:
- sorting and filtering of products;
- user account management, including interaction with the store owner;
- returns and reimbursements;
- admin panel;
- online payments;
- shipping options;
- bonus and gift cards;
- personalized promo codes;
- custom shopping cart;
- on-site tracking of delivery;
- abandoned cart;
- statistics;
- marketing management;
- site content management;
- fast order exchange option;
- custom coupons;
- feedback and rating module.
3A Loyalty Platform for a Retail Chain
Grocery chain Kopiika invested in a loyalty platform (web and mobile) to establish a substantial online presence and reach new customers. Through the system, users can access their personal accounts with purchase history and bonus balance, learn about promotions, and have a smooth shopping experience overall.
Thanks to synchronization with the company’s CRM, deals and discounts are reflected in personal accounts with little or no manual editing. Administrators can easily manage all positions. This system took six months to build. The cost of a similar platform ranges between $50,000 and $100,000. The features include:
- an admin panel;
- feedback;
- bonus status;
- finding the nearest store;
- route plotting;
- manual card registration (when exchanged);
- purchase history;
- planned purchases.
Final Words
Businesses may assess the cost of a custom website using a convenient website design calculator online. The total estimate depends on a wide range of factors, from the number of pages to CMS to maintenance. Website development is a combination of design and technical expertise. Its importance for business growth and conversion can not be overemphasized.
Useful sites allow companies to conquer the market or enlarge their share. They facilitate growth and boost customer loyalty. Automated workflow saves time and streamlines operations, which contributes to brand image and client retention. A website design cost estimator is an invaluable tool helping companies assess the required resources.