For many businesses, a website is the place where they sell their products and services around the clock. Therefore, it is always recommended that you invest a good chunk of your budget into good website design. Nevertheless, if you are a small business that wants to have a website developed, then you might be wondering how much it might cost you to have a good website designed and developed. 

Well, studies suggest that on an average, businesses might spend anywhere from around $2000 to almost $10000 when developing their website. While this may seem a very large variation in the cost of developing a website, that is because the price is largely dependent on the features that are implemented into the website itself. If you implement a larger set of features into your site, then of course the price would be much larger than if you just had a few basic features implemented. In addition, if you opt for customized features, then that would cost a premium in itself, as they require much more work due to their complexity and uniqueness. 

Therefore, if you are looking to have a website developed for your business, there might be a few questions in your mind about the process of costing. The first thing the factors that affect the cost. The second is whether it is in your interest to use a website builder or a proper web design company for your site. Lastly, how much to set aside to maintain your website in the end. To know the answer to these, be sure to read on. 

As described above, the average cost for developing a website is a very wide bracket. That is because features such as the domain name and web hosting packages, the design and the functional features of your website have a large effect on the cost of the result. Therefore, if you are on a tight budget, then figuring out what needs to be on the website in orders of priority is to your benefit. 

Now, let us look at some of the features that affect the cost of the website building process, and in the case of the factors below, affect the cost quite drastically. 

Factors That Dictate the Cost of the Website:

Knowing the average cost might not be enough for many, especially those that have a limited budget to play with. For people like those, they need as accurate an estimate as possible, and knowing the factors that affect the cost will be to their benefit. So let us have a look at these all-important features that have a major impact on the cost of your website.

1. Domain Name of your Site

The first step to any website building is choosing the right domain name. The domain name is very important, as it is your address. Through this address, netizens can access your business and browse your services or products. The common practice is to get a domain name as close to your brand name as possible, so that it is relatable and easy to remember. 

Now a domain name can cost you anywhere from less than a dollar, to around $50 for a domain name. That is dependent on the fact that your desired domain name is available for sale. If it is not, then there are various avenues to pursue. The most common way is to contact the owner of that domain name and ask them to sell it you, which might end up costing you a lot if the agree to the sale. In the end, if the cost of buying it is too much, or the owner is not willing to sell it, then the only way is to choose an alternate domain name.

You can find the available domain names on a number of online platforms, such as GoDaddy and HostGator, where they will also show you the alternate domain names that go with your desired domain name. This way you can choose the best deal out there for your domain name. 

2. Web Hosting Plan

If you consider that the domain name is your address on the internet, then you web hosting the power plant, which powers your storefront. No power plant means no power to run your store. That is the reason we say that the web hosting is the power that runs your site for use on the internet. 

Now, average cost of a web hosting can vary from $20 dollars, all the way up in excess of $20000 a year. That is largely dependent on the requirements of your website. For a small business that is just developing their website, a smaller and cheaper package may easily work you. That can cost you in the ballpark of $100 a year. 

The way they do that is to use shared hosting which allows several websites to share a server, which drives the cost of hosting down. However, the other side of that coin is that you get limited server resources, which might mean that you end up with a lagging website. The good news however, is that you can easily upgrade your hosting plan for better server speeds whenever you need it. 

3. Certificate of Security

Data security is of vital importance nowadays, and therefore a good option to pursue is to opt for a SSL certificate. A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate helps your site protect your visitor’s data with your website, thus creating a more4 secure environment. 

Although getting a SSL certificate is optional, getting one is in your best interest. It allows you to portray a signal that tells your visitors that your communication will be secure, especially if you give your visitors the option to buy products through your website, while also protecting your user data from potential hackers, which is a great way to preserve brand value. 

The popularity of its use has resulted in many web-hosting providers supplying a SSL certificate free for those whose websites they host. However, if you do not get one free, you can always buy one for yourself, though it may cost you around and up to $1500 per year. 

4. Design

Now comes, what we believe, is the biggest factor that affects the cost of your website. For smaller businesses, the design of a website can vary quite dramatically. If you prefer and austere and simplistic design, it will cost quite less than if you opt for a bright and visually compelling web design. That is because of the work-hours that a designer might put into designing your site, is the factor that dictates the price. Not only that, multiple pages might require different design templates, for different pages of the website. That is why the design cost average is so varied. 

A small business website might cost on the lower end of the spectrum, but knowing what it may cost if you opt for a better design is always better. Always ask any web–designing agency their design costs, as well as samples of their work so that you have their costs associated with actual visual sample. That way you will have an idea of the costs each type of design entail, so that you can assign a realistic cost to it, while helping you allot a proper portion of your budget. 

Small businesses, as described above, can have a wide array of costs, largely dependent on the factors described above. Therefore, as a business owner, always shortlist what features you require in your website at all costs, and which features you can omit without affecting the overall browsing experience, before going to a web development agency. A way to do that is to use a website cost calculator available on the internet, which might help you get an estimate of what it might cost you to develop a site for your brand. 

If you are looking for a good web-designing agency, then Sky Potential is the way to go. Their expert designers and developers are there to help you get the best product for your price, which will help you boost your business.

Also Read: Building a Mobile App for Your Business