How much should a website cost?

A common question from most business owners is "how much does a website cost?"...

Well, that's actually a pretty difficult question to answer because it depends on so many factors.  Websites can range from practically free to tens or even hundreds of thousands, depending on the company you work with and the technology you require.

Is the price fair?

Here at Marameo Design we have our own reasons on why our websites are priced the way they are.

The breakdown of a typical small business website:

Research – This is the first stage in the project, where requirements and the purpose of the website are determined. A website needs a real business reason to exist, and we need to know what that is.

• The website needs to pass the what, why, how, what if? test. ie what/who the business is, why they should deal with you as opposed to a competitor, how you work, what the benefits are of using your product/service or alternatively, the downside of not using your product/service.

Hosting – Domain name, Email and Website hosting needs to be considered at this stage.

• Do you own a domain name? What kind of traffic your website will develop? What kind of Hosting do you need?
  

CMS - A Content Management System will allow you to update your website yourself, like a word document.

• Watch out here for vendor lock-in. If you want to pick up your site and change hosting company or web designer, can you do so?

Content – Content is one of the most important part of your web site. How can your website be effective in communicating to your customers without content? Just what content you want your website to have will determine how the site will be designed and structured. Knowing and planning for this upfront is key.

• Think about the problem/s you’re actually trying to solve with a website and how that might potentially need to look, do some research on competitors who have successfully achieved a similar outcome in your industry.

Accessibility – Now we’re moving towards the design phase, so it’s time to start thinking about accessibility. We’re committed to complying with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 when it comes to developing a website for all. This makes sure online information and services are accessible by people with disabilities. We adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, which covers a wide range of recommendations for making Web content more accessible.

• Most people designing their own website or using an online site builder will miss this step completely. On the other hand, there’s plenty of companies who will also leave it out, or fail to inform you about it due to price or ignorance.

Wireframing & Visual Design – At this stage in the project a designer may present wireframes of the concept ideas to develop an outline with the customer. Once a layout structure is agreed, they then develop the visual design of the website. At the completion of this stage images or “flats” are produced for each of the individual page types.

• If you’re after a unique business look and feel, don’t succumb to the temptation of a templated site. While this may reduce the price, chances are, there’s other sites out there that look identical to yours.

Prototyping – We produce a prototype website for our customers allowing them to view it in a web browser. This allows them to “click around” the site and get a better representation of how different effects or transitions will appear. At this stage, cross-browser testing and necessary website code validation occurs.

• Check that the site functions correctly and give it a thorough test. Select a handful of your best customers and give them the option to test it for you.

Deployment – The website is then deployed to a test server, so the customer can approve that the website has been produced to the required standard.

Other Considerations – You might think that the website is now complete, but a website needs constant revision and updating to remain relevant. Other options at this stage involve setup of specific analytical tools, search engine optimisation techniques, email marketing tools and maybe a complete online strategy.

Knowing all this information, how much would you now pay?

You should be able to make an informed decision as a consumer that you are indeed getting what you paid for. If you’ve got a specific budget in mind, you need to appreciate and understand what that will get you from a reputable company.
The value of the website to your business is the single most important point to remember.

Finally, I’ve included a guide to fairly common pricing structures by companies who follow this similar process for small business websites:

• $0-$2,500 – Simple templated design or inexperienced student or freelancer.
• $6,000-$15,000 – Small business website with a unique business look. Reputable company/freelancer.
• $20,000+ – Custom website with unique requirements. Usually requires a large amount of additional programming.

Remember, you do get what you pay for.

Call us on 02 9516 4974 or info@marameodesign.com for a free analysis of your web site, and a free consultation on how we can make your online business work better.