How Much Should a Web Site Cost?

  Every web site is different and web developers have different formulas for determining costs, so there is no flat price for a particular type of site. Some web designers will charge by the hour, others charge a flat rate per page, and still others will have per project or pre-made package rates. The previous variations are considerations to keep in mind when calculating your web development budget.

Your business may be large or small, but your clients and prospects are searching for information, and trying to locate the right resources to make their purchase decisions. Regardless of the price tier you ultimately select, every good site should have a professional look, have appropriate content that visitors can relate to, and be fully optimized and easily found in the various search engines.

Web Design Price Tiers

Web site pricing can range from $100 to $100,000, and the cost will not necessarily reflect your end result. Competition among web designers, as well as increased internet competition overall has driven the creation of higher quality web sites at lower cost. No price tier as shown below is necessarily ideal and each will have features that work better for some businesses than others.  Of course, your expected return on investment (ROI) should also be taken into consideration when determining a web site budget.

$2,500 or less

The difficulty in this tier is to achieve a professional quality site that doesn’t appear ordinary or “cookie cutter” in appearance. The original graphic design work often required to make a site appear unique and creative will be hard pressed to keep costs within the tier budget.  The end result may be marginally satisfactory and have a generic look. Still, a basic web presence can likely be economically accomplished.

$2,500 to $5,000

At this price level a small business can likely obtain features such as custom graphics, 10 or 15 web pages, stock photos, and perhaps flash designs. This level of site can be considered as an informational site for a smaller company. Graphic design hours may have to be closely monitored to stay within budget.

$5,000 to $10,000

A professional quality web site for the small to medium-sized business should be obtainable in this price tier. The web designer should not be constrained in labor hours to be able to create a unique and professional look to a site customized to your business. You should have custom graphics on a high quality home page, a content management system, search engine optimization (SEO), and an overall design distinguishing you from your competition. Added features such as flash content, drop down menus, online forms, and web site search would be typical components.

$10,000 to $20,000

Advanced features, complex programming, or special high quality design work become achievable in this price tier. Extra components such as intranet, calendars, database management, and technical features can often be included in a more extensive site of perhaps 50 to 75 pages.

$20,000 to $50,000

At this cost level you can enter into complex projects and transactions in e-commerce, or employ components that go beyond web design such as marketing and PR in a variety of media. You are likely to be working with an advertising agency or marketing firm and could be engaging in high-profile work with name brand products or services.

$50,000 or more

Only a very large company is likely to be working with web sites at this price level. You are probably involved with experts in specialties such as database, security, and programming to create a complex, enterprise level web site. Web pages can number into the thousands and the site utilizes advanced programming. The site may be database driven, likely to be tightly controlled by administration, and highly interactive with the visitor.

Conclusion

The cost of a web site will vary greatly depending upon features, needed internet marketing services, the quality of design work, and certainly the particular cost structure for a web developer in the very competitive marketplace. First determine the price tier that best suits your business, and then interview web developers who work in that price range. There is no magic formula for calculating the cost of a new web design or a redesign, but striving to match your web site needs with your chosen developer will help you stay within budget.