How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website?

It is impossible to tell how much a website will cost in the long run as this depends upon multiple factors. These include the type and complexity of a website you intend to get, the price of hosting and domain name and third-party integrations (if any). The most crucial thing that affects the cost of any project, however, is the web design tool you intend to use for this purpose. There are many ways to set up a website – from using cloud website builders and up to writing your own project from scratch. Each option has its own pros and cons, but we will discuss this issue later. To estimate the cost, we will focus on the most suitable tools for beginners. This means that we will not review such an option as writing a project from scratch or using a popular framework. Labor expenses are quite substantial in this case, not to mention the final cost, which is eventually compatible with the budgets of large companies from the corporate sector only. Let’s proceed to pricing options:

• The use of a cloud website builder will cost you around $6-$50 per month;
• Application of the Content Management System (WordPress) costs between $11 and $50 per month;
• Creation of a website from scratch is around $10,000 per project granted that you hire a qualified web designer. Additionally, you will have to invest in further website maintenance.

Additionally, website development cost may include the following points with regard to the web service you may choose:

• Hosting (rent of shared, virtual or dedicated server, cloud infrastructure, cluster etc. Backup, caching systems along with the use of content delivery networks, rent of anti-virus tools etc. are included here as well);
• Domain (includes the process of registration and annual renewal expenses);
• CMS Licenses (you can use free engines here);
• Plugins, modules and add-ons (free options are available here as well);
• Templates/Themes (even cloud website builders may offer paid designs);
• HTTPS Website Version (there are paid/professional SSL certificates and free that do not provide any guarantees);
• Email, Push and SMS Notifications (these are important for large-scale websites and for commercial projects);
• Sales Commission Fees (the issue is relevant for selling websites and for digital stores, depending on payment tools used);
• Support Services and Niche Experts (SEO, marketing, CRM, contextual ads, content creation, position/competitor monitoring tools etc.).

Lots of items from the list may be implemented independently. The larger your website is, however, the higher the need for professional tools, services and specialists becomes. Eventually, you may simply lack effort to handle everything on your own. It’s high time to review the issue of website creation cost in details now, including diverse aspects and project types – namely blogs, business websites, digital stores etc.

Before You Start: Things to Consider

The process of website creation takes much effort, time and budget investment. If you manage to professionally complete the task, however, you will be able to reach all business objectives you have set on the first stage. We have reviewed some of the must-have aspects you should keep in mind to make it a success.

1. Identify Your Goals

Before you choose the best website creation tool and proceed to your project customization, you should clearly identify the goals. You should realize that your website should not be similar to all those popular projects that are currently available on the web, especially if they belong to the same niche. It should come with some peculiar features that will make it stand out from the crowd. This is where your budget, coding skills and time matter most. The more budget you are ready to invest, the more fancy parameters you will be able to add to your project. The same is about skills and time. The more refined programming skills you possess and the more time you have to spend on your website, the more effort you can apply and the more professional your project will eventually look. Consider these issues in advance.

2. Take Time to Practice

Experience and professionalism are crucial, no matter what you do. This is especially true, when it comes to website development. When you set up a website for the first time, the risk of facing problems and making mistakes is really high. The only way to decrease the risks is to practice. Take your time to pick a free web design tool to enhance your programming skills and experience. Start small and get ready to practice a lot before you proceed to your website creation.

3. Make a List of Questions to Answer

To approach the process of your project creation wisely, you need to ask and answer the right questions. It is even better to create a list of points to get ready to. It should include your budget, type of website you need, web design platform you would like to use, features you wish to add to your project, possibility to manage the website independently afterwards etc. To have a look at the list of the most widespread questions and answers, read here.

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website? – From $78

The cost of website creation depends on the web design option you pick for this purpose. On average, website prices range from $200 (in case of using website builders or CMS) to around $7000 (if you decide to hire a web designer). Apart from this, you shouldn’t forget about further website maintenance expenses. They start at $500 to reach $1000 and more per year. The cost of hosting, domain anime, plugins, premium themes, SEO and marketing should also be taken into account. To sum it all up and to simplify the estimation process for you, we have compiled a chart that includes all the relevant website building expenses. When it comes to choosing the best web building option, three solutions are at your disposal:

• Website Builder. This is the most cost-effective way to start a website, which will initially be interesting for non-coders. Website builders may even be free, which depends on the plan you choose. Mind, however, that free subscriptions are frequently limited in tools and features yet they allow everyone testing their functionality and practicing web design skills as required;
• CMS. The most popular CMS is WordPress, which is technically free for everyone. You can test its functionality and start projects with the software at no cost. To go live with them, however, you will have to invest into hosting, plugins, themes, domain name etc.;
• Web Designer/Agency. Hiring a web developer is the most expensive solution as this person will be completely responsible for your project creation, customization, updates and its further maintenance.

Thus, the final cost of website creation will mostly depend on the option you will go for. Hiring a web designer seems to be the simplest solution from the technical point of view, but this is also the most expensive way. Using CMS and website builders is less costly, but you will have to dive deep into details to set up a full-featured website with any of these systems. To help you make the right choice, we’ll guide you through all the options. Let’s get started now.

The Cost of Using a Website Builder – $78 per year

Website builders differ in multiple parameters. You can pick a service with regard to your web design needs, be it an all-in-one system or a specialized platform. The most popular types of projects launched with website builders include promo/business sites, portfolios, blogs, landing pages, corporate projects and digital stores. It’s no secret that many website builders offer free plans, which are frequently unlimited. They work great for beginners willing to test the system and improve their skills, but they won’t let you set up and publish a feature-laden website. Free subscriptions generally come with limitations, ads displayed on projects, free non-custom domains (subdomains), low bandwidth and disk storage space, absence of eCommerce features and poor customer support. Thus, you won;t be able to get the most out of your website created on a free plan. The overall cost of a website initially depends upon its type and complexity. Whatever idea exactly you have, you still need to approach it individually based on your preferences, project design parameters and result you wish to avail in the long run. As far as most website builders come with integrated hosting and offer domain names for free, you won’t have to additionally pay for them. At the same time, you may face the need to invest into special features and parameters. The most popular and feature-rich all-in-one website builder is Wix. It works great for all types of web projects for personal and commercial use, offering distinctive and versatile prices for each user category. Wix – is an ideal all-in-one website builder, which delivers an extensive feature set required to launch and manage a quality project – either personal or commercial. The system stands out from the crowd due to its integrated App Market with lots of widgets and add-ons applicable for business website development. There is also an opportunity to choose from two website editing options here – Wix ADI tool and standard editor. This is a perfect solution for users with a diverse web design background. Wix has a unique tool tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs – the advanced Ascend platform that encompasses the most professional and handy business tools required to successfully start and manage business websites. Wix has a free plan that lets you start a website absolutely for free and this subscription is everlasting. This option, however, works best for testing the platform rather than for creating professional websites with it. Fortunately, the cost of paid plans the website builder offers is more than affordable for each and every user. The website builder has a separate group of plans that can be used to start different types of projects – “Website” and “Business/eCommerce.” “Website” plans include 4 subscriptions to set up simple websites: business cards, landing pages, portfolios and blogs:

• Combo ($13/mo) — the plan for personal use offers 2GB bandwidth, 3 GB storage space, no ad banners, 30 minutes of video hours. When buying an annual subscription, you get a free domain and SSL certificate, a place on the server to store videos for 30 minutes, a bonus for advertising in Google Ads;
• Unlimited ($17/mo) — unlimited bandwidth, 50 GB disk storage video, 2-hour bonuses for advertising in Google Ads, Wix Vouchers, apps for increasing productivity and analyzing visitors;
• Pro ($22/mo) – opportunity to connect custom domain, remove Wix Ads, professional logo and social media tools, events calendar for 1 year;
• VIP ($39/mo) – unlimited package options plus an additional 100 GB on disk, 5 hours of video storage, unlimited video, unmetered bandwidth, priority support, and logo maker.

“Business and eCommerce” plans, correspondingly, include three subscriptions for creating online stores and large business websites:

• Business Basic ($27/ mo) – acceptance of online payments, free domain when purchased for a year, analytics tools, and productivity boost, unlimited bandwidth, 50 GB on disk, 5 hours of video;
• Business Unlimited ($32/ mo) — all the features of the basic kit, along with 100 GB of disk storage space, 10 hours of video, logo maker;
• Business VIP ($59/ mo) — all the options and tools of an unlimited plan plus unlimited disk space, unlimited video duration and priority support.

Additionally you may need to invest in premium applications available in Wix App Market. Some of them are offered as bonuses when upgrading for annual plans, by the way. Thus, if you need a promo site or a landing page, a basic Combo plan that costs $13/mo will be enough. However, if you intend to sell anything via your website, then Business Basic subscription will work best. Its cost constitutes $27/mo. Wix also regularly offers bonuses and discounts that let you save up to 50% when starting a business project. Additionally, business plan subscribers get other multiple benefits, namely a bonus domain name, Google Ads Certificate, versatile online payment acceptance options, removal of the system ad banners, integrated Google Analytics, Premium Customer Support and other merits. If you’re unsatisfied with Wix service, you may get a refund within 14 days from your payment. To sum it all up, the annual cost of starting a website with Wix may range from $156 for the simplest project and up to $708 for the most expensive and complicated website. The cost does not include premium widgets and extensions. If you manage to opt for a discount price, the cost of the project will reduce to range from $78 and $354 per year respectively.

The Cost of Using CMS (WordPress) – $122 per year

As the world-popular Content Management System, WordPress provides more control over the project and the budget you invest into it. The software will work best for code-aware users, people who are ready to learn and master the platform, bloggers and business owners. If you need complete website customization and wish to be responsible for the entire process of its creation, using WordPress is a great idea. So, what does it cost to launch a website with this CMS? It’s quite complicated to identify the budget of your WordPress-powered project from the start. On the one hand, the CMS is absolutely free. You don’t have to invest a penny to download, install and use it. The system comes with multiple free themes, plugins and special tools, but there are also lots of premium options out there, which can enhance your project design and performance. Additionally, you have to take care of hosting and domain name choice. Otherwise, you won’t be able to make your website accessible on the web. Let’s try to estimate the approximate cost of using WordPress for an average project now. WordPress – is the most popular and feature-laden Content Management System. It can be used for different types of projects, but it works best for blogs, digital stores, landing pages, news portals, corporate and business websites. The software is known for its advanced integration options as it lets you pick and use lots of plugins and extensions for business website development. The plugins can be both free and paid, which, correspondingly, affects the cost of project development in the long run. The budget you will invest depends upon several factors. Apart from plugin cost, you should also get ready to buy reliable hosting and domain name to make your project accessible on the web. In this respect, Bluehost is the most suitable solution as WordPress officially recommends it as the best option for hosting projects launched with the CMS. The cost of the cheapest Bluehost subscription constitutes $2.95/mo or $35.4/year. The system offers a free domain during the first year of use as well as free hosting and lots of other bonuses and features. HostGator is another trusted hosting provider used for WordPress projects. The cost of its plans starts at $2.75/mo or $50.53/year. Other expenses include:

• .com Domain – free for the first year of use, then around $18.99/year;
• Templates – around $45-60 (one-time payment);
• Email notifications – free;
• SSL Certificate – free when provided by hosting;
• Advanced backups – from $23.95/year;
• Extra plugins/extensions – versatile pricing.

To sum it all up, the average cost of starting and managing a website on WordPress starts at $122 per year. The final price may vary with regard to the hosting plan number and cost of plugins/templates, advanced tools you will use when working on the project. This is not to mention the price of content writing, SSL Certificate connection, domain name, security features and other advantages. If you need professional assistance or further project maintenance help, this will additionally cost you $80-$200 per hour depending on the web designer’s proficiency.

How Much Does It Cost to Build an eCommerce Website?

Starting an eCommerce website takes more effort and time because of the distinctions in the integrated functionality of a web store you expect to get. eCommerce projects differ with regard to their features, special parameters, platforms you pick for this purpose, number of products offered for sale as well as extra niche features, marketing tools, hosting and domain name provider. Let’s review the eCommerce terms/services offered by the most popular systems now.

Average Cost of a Website Made with eCommerce Website Builders (Shopify)

Shopify – is a specialized eCommerce software, the functionality of which is centered around web store development. The system makes it possible to build full-featured online stores of different sizes and complexity. As an eCommerce-focused platform, Shopify grants access to the stunning diversity of web store-related features, tools and customization options. Thus, you can enjoy powerful synchronization options, product/web store management features, CSV file import, multi channel/multilingual support, abandoned checkout recovery, SSL Certification, anti fraud protection, AR feature, versatile payment/shipping options, integrated POS platform and a set of advanced marketing tools. As far as the software offers a range of eCommerce plans, the eventual cost of building a web store with it will depend upon the subscription you will go for – from $9 (works well for testing the software only) to $299/mo. Shopify allows testing the system for free during 14 days and it currently offers plans, starting from $29/mo:

• Basic Shopify ($29/mo) – free SSL Certificate connection, website and blog integration, complete web store customization, powerful integrated CRM etc.;
• Shopify ($79/mo) – professional reporting option, gift cards etc.;
• Advanced Shopify ($299/mo) – advanced report builder, real-time carrier shipping etc.

Mind that Shopify is transaction fee-free, but you will have to pay for credit card transactions in case you accept these payments in your store. All in all, Shopify is a trusted professional eCommerce software, which is additionally optimized for mobile marketing. The approximate cost of starting the Shopify-based web store starts from $348 per year. You can purchase the domain name within Shopify or connect the one of your own. The software also provides a free myshopify.com domain name to all the web stores upon the completion of the sign up process.

Average Cost of a Website Made with CMS (WordPress+WooCommerce)

When it comes to quick and professional web store launch on your own hosting, the use of CMS frequently proces to be a worthy solution. WordPress is a full-scale software that allows starting any kind of digital store with powerful integrated eCommerce functionality. For this very purpose, the system uses external plugins, integration of which gives your project a distinctive eCommerce focus. WooCommerce is the most popular and functional extension. WooCommerce – is a WordPress plugin, which makes it possible to start quality feature-laden CMS-based web stores. With WooCommerce, you can design quality online stores with advanced functionality, making use of the integrated set of features. These include an opportunity to create and manage product catalogues, set up product categories, manage user registration, accept online payments/orders, track customer orders, manage shipping/tax/payment settings, implement discounts and special offers, create appealing show windows, introduce customer loyalty options etc. WooCommerce is compatible with multiple WordPress plugins and tools, which allows integrating third-party extensions, if required. As the majority of WordPress plugins, WooCommerce is free. You can download it from the official WordPress website without investing anything at all. To get the most out of WooCommerce functionality, though, you might have to install other plugins, many of which are paid. To get your web store online, you will also have to get hosting and domain name. The cost will, correspondingly, depend upon the domain zone and hosting provider you will give preference to. The cheapest solution in this respect is dealing with Bluehost, which provides multiple advantages and offers a free domain during the first year of the system use. The cheapest Bluehost subscription currently constitutes $2.95/month or 35.4/year, which is more than a reasonable investment. HostGator can also be used as a host provider here with its cheapest subscription constituting $2.75/mo or $50.53/year. Other expenses include:

• .com Domain – free for the first year of use, then around $18.99/year;
• Templates – around $45-60 (one-time payment);
• Email notifications – free;
• SSL Certificate – free when provided by hosting;
• Advanced backups – from $23.95/year;
• Extra plugins/extensions – versatile pricing.

Thus, the approximate final cost of setting up a web store with the minimum assortment of products, when using WordPress+WooCommerce starts at $163 per year. The use of extra plugins, themes, hosting plans, SSL Certificate etc. will increase the price. The same is about professional web design assistance, the cost of which ranges between $80-$200 per hour.

How Much Does It Cost to Make a Blog? – $48

A blog is one of the simplest website types you can build on your own. This is the project, which lets you provide website visitors with your niche-related information. Starting a blog doesn’t take much effort and time and you can cope with the task on your own, even if you are not a coding pro. What’s more, a blog is also the cheapest type of website you can start. It is possible to do that at no cost at all on specialized platforms, but this option is definitely not the best one. Just like any other type of project, a quality blog should come with multiple niche-specific features and it should also come with reliable hosting and domain name. Special must-have blog-related features include quick and convenient posting, ready-made commenting system, availability of multiple user accounts, opportunity to divide the posts into categories. These and other tasks can be solved by using website builder and CMS. Let’s review the most suitable options now.

Average Cost of a Blog Made with Website Builders (Squarespace) – From $48 per year

Squarespace – is one of the most feature-laden DIY website builders, which makes it possible to start all types of blogs for personal and commercial use due to its powerful integrated blogging engine. The system lets you connect and manage a full-featured blog to your website, getting the most out of its functionality. What you can do here is adding and editing posts, scheduling new publications, customizing blog/post URLs, adjusting SEO parameters, synchronizing with external services etc. Likewise, the platform offers quite an extensive selection of templates that work well for different types of blogs. If needed, you can transfer a blog created with WordPress, Posterous, Blogger, Tumblr or any other blogging software to Squarespace. The platform doesn’t have a completely free plan, but you can test its functionality during a free trial that extends for 14 days. To proceed to the blog development process, you will need to choose one of premium subscriptions. Fortunately, the choice is quite extensive here as the website builder has four paid plans:

• Personal ($14/mo) – 20 web pages, free custom domain name, SSL Security, unlimited bandwidth, 30 minutes video storage, SEO tools, 24/7 customer support, 2 contributors, Squarespace extensions, limited Video Studio App access etc.;
• Business ($23/mo) – unlimited web pages, unlimited contributors, AdWords credit, professional email from Google, premium integrations, unlimited Video Studio App access, advanced website analytics, Google Ads Credits etc.;
• Basic Commerce ($27/mo) – unlimited number of products to sell, unlimited amount of storage and bandwidth, POS, integrated accounting options, customer accounts, eCommerce analytics, merchandising tools, products on Instagram etc.;
• Advanced Commerce ($49/mo) – real time carrier shipping, label printing, abandoned checkout autorecovery, subscriptions sales, commerce APIs etc.

All subscriptions come with free integrated hosting and domain connection opportunity. If you already have a domain purchased from the third-party provider, the software allows transferring it to the platform with a few easy steps. To sum it all up, the cost of starting a blog with Squarespace may constitute $48 or $276 per year as we won’t consider the cost of eCommerce plans here.

Average Cost of a Website Made with CMS (WordPress+Elementor) – from $84 per year

Blog creation shouldn’t be difficult as this is, probably, the simplest type of project you may create on your own. As far as WordPress was initially designed with blogging focus in mind, the system itself offers multiple tools and features for effective blog development. To simplify the process, however, and to make it more convenient for first-timers, it is recommended to use WordPress in conjunction with Elementor – a powerful visual editor that makes the web design process easy and hassle-free for everyone. Elementor – is a reputable and innovative visual page builder designed exclusively for WordPress projects. Pugin integration and its further use do not require deep coding proficiency, which makes it a top choice for users willing to post their content without HTML/CSS code editing. Along with the ease of use, Elementor offers an extensive selection of themes, dozens of high end design customization tools, advanced settings and opportunity of third-party plugin integration. By the way, the software is compatible with WordPress and its applications, which allows extending your project performance and applicability. The plugin delivers enhanced visual customization, opportunity of simple inline editing that lets you adjust block positions in the live mode and control your project creation in progress. You can also get access to multiple visual effects and animations to ensure great project impact upon the target audience. As a WordPress plugin, Elementor is free to download and integrate. Further software use implies the upgrade to a premium plan. There are four of them here:

• Essential ($49/year) – and is limited to only 1 website, 100+ widgets, 90+ website kits, designer templates, motion and interactions, custom CSS, WooCommerce/Landing Page Builder integration, premium support etc.;
• Expert ($199/year) – with up to 25 websites to create, Essential plan features, Elementor expert profile etc.;
• Studio ($499/year) – for studios and teams to build up to 100 projects, VIP support etc.;
• Agency ($999/year) – and lets users build up to 1,000 professional sites, advanced features and tools.

The cost of using Elementor ranges between $49 and $999 per year. Additionally, get ready to invest in hosting. It makes sense to choose from Bluehost and HostGator here as well. These are the most cost-effective yet feature-laden hosting companies in the modern website development niche. Their use will cost you $2.95/mo ($35.4/year) and $2.75/mo ($50.53/year) respectively. Thus, the total annual price for an Elementor-powered blog may reach from around $85 to $1035.

Making a Website from Scratch with a Web Designer/Agency: How Much Does It Take?

If you feel that you are not ready to create a website on your own for some reasons, you can always go for another option – ordering the project you need from professionals. This solution has both pros and cons. On the one hand, you can be 100% sure that the work will be completed on a top level and you don’t have to spend your effort/time into the process. On the other hand, you should realize that ordering a ready-made website is a far more expensive solution, which is quite understandable for everyone. Generally, the price tags of freelance web designers and agencies vary a lot. This is because you have to take into account initial website requirements, the parameters and result you expect to avail in the long run. Obviously, a simple promo site with mediocre design will cost you less, while complex projects like large-scale eCommerce websites or professional landing pages require more substantial investments. Mind that hiring third-party professionals does not mean that you won’t have to pay for hosting, domain name, external integrations and further project maintenance. In case you are still ready to hire professionals, it is high time to find out the budget you should be ready to spend on your project when dealing with a freelance web designer or a web studio.

Cost of Hiring a Freelance Web Designer – $7720

The decision to hire a freelancer to design a website for you may be the result of several factors. Generally, hiring a third-party web developer is a worthy solution for users, who need complex and feature-laden websites with substantial financial investments as well as for people with zero knowledge, tech proficiency and lack of time. Whatever the reasons are, you should be aware of the approximate cost of using the services of this specialist and the potential threats you may encounter during the process.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Hiring a Web Designer

When looking for a web designer, you need to take into account several must-have factors that may have a notable impact upon the final price of your budget. These include:

• Project specialization and complexity;
• The ways of handling hosting, domains and plugin integration process (DIY or with the help of a web designer);
• The party responsible for further website maintenance;
• The need for a ready-made template or the necessity to create unique design for your project;
• Features you would like to see in your project;
• Size of website and the number of pages you want it to include.

These are the basic factors you need to think about before looking for a web designer. As soon as you are done with that, you may inquire about the prices freelancers charge for their services.

How Much Will Your Project Cost?

Most freelancers usually set hourly rates for their assistance. The prices differ a lot based on the competency and expertise of a specialist, available skills, time you have to get a ready made project, location a web designer comes from and other requirements you may have. The average web development costs range from $100 and up to $180 per hour. The final cost of a project will include different kinds of tasks a specialist handles during this time, be it design development, website setup, writing additional modules, settings adjustment etc. Further website maintenance and management may cost a lot, because you won’t be able to do that on your own as well. Right after the project is launched, you will have to take care of regular content updates, safety support, SEO etc. This also requires financial investments. Make sure to clear out these nuances in advance to make the required calculations. You should also get ready to pay for website hosting and domain name. The cost of the cheapest hosting plan offered by Bluehost constitutes $2.95/mo or around $35-$50 per year. As to the domain names, their cost may differ with regard to the domain age. New domains may cost around $10-15 per year, depending upon the registrar type and domain zone. The cost of aged domains may reach hundreds or even thousands of dollars, but users, who need websites for personal or business use, are generally not interested in getting so expensive domains. Considering the above mentioned expenses, you can calculate how much it costs to build a website. To sum it up, I can conclude that the minimal cost of launching a website is around $7,720 per standard project developed by a skilled freelancer yet the price may vary with regard to parameters you will go for. It is possible to reduce the cost, however, by handling some of the steps independently.

Cost of Hiring a Web Agency

Hiring a professional web design agency is another option to try, if you need a feature-rich website. These services are capable at the development of all types of web projects, offering top notch quality and trustability. Thus, SiteBuilders.PRO delivers a broad spectrum of website building and consulting services. The advantages of the service include:

• Manual website creation;
• Negotiable project cost;
• Ultimate design customization;
• Content creation;
• Individual client/project approach;
• Blog post writing;
• Tracking and enhancement of SEO positions.

SiteBuilders.PRO employs a team of experts, who are niche-competent and can handle projects of any complexity levels. Along with website creation services, they offer extensive site migration and design customization opportunities, charging reasonable fees for their assistance. The cost of starting a website from scratch starts at $345. This includes the cost of hosting (around $35/year), domain name ($10), template ($100), web designer services and ongoing project maintenance. The price is more than affordable, considering official agency warranty and fixed deadlines.

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website

As you see, the average cost of website development depends upon multiple factors and should be defined in each case individually. It makes sense to use a website builder, if:

• You are a non-coder;
• You lack budget;
• You are pressed for time;
• You wish to improve coding skills and need practice;
• You don’t intend to dive deep into programming/tech nuances.

It is reasonable to pick a CMS, if:

• You have baseline web design skills;
• You wish to control your website and its maintenance;
• You have enough time to work on the project;
• You are ready to learn programming basics;
• You expect high degree of project customization;
• You are ready to solve tech issues.

It is smart to hire a web designer/agency, if:

• You are ready to invest a lot in your project;
• You don’t wish to bother about website creation aspects;
• You need a professional large-scale website;
• You are pressed for time;
• You are ready to entrust your website with professionals.

Make a List of Questions to Answer

• • What Features Do I Wish My Website to Have?

The complexity and budget of your website initially depends upon its size, integrated functionality and special features. Thus, you need to define in advance what type of project you need, what goals you pursue and what features your website should have. To make the right decision, you have to know whether you will manage an all-in-one or specialized website. It is also a must to think about blogging or eCommerce features, marketing, business, promotion issues and other aspects with regard to your project niche.

• • What Is the Budget?

A budget matters a lot, when it comes to your website development. The more you are ready to invest, the more functional and user-friendly your project will be. Thus, if you are pressed for budget, you won’t be able to hire a professional web developer, integrate extra modules/extensions, enable eCommerce features, adjust SEO settings etc. The budget also affects the type of web design software you will select for your project as well as the scale of its ongoing maintenance.

• • Am I Ready to Handle the Tech Issues Independently?

Do you possess enough coding skills and web design expertise to handle the tech issues of your own or you will need professional third-party assistance? Do you have enough time to dive deep into programming details to be able to adjust SEO settings, edit code and customize the entire project? Answers to these questions will obviously affect the final cost of the project. You will save big, if you can cope with these aspects independently, while hiring a web designer is a costly option.

• • Who Will Be Responsible for My Website Maintenance and Management?

If you are a code-aware user and have enough time to manage the website independently, then you will save a notable part of your budget. This option has several advantages, the major of which is the opportunity to edit your project when required. You won’t have to wait until a specialist is available to complete the task – it is you, who bears the entire responsibility for your website. In case you feel that it would be better to hire a third-party specialist to handle these issues for you, get ready to pay more for his/her services. Additionally, you should realize that it will definitely take more time and money to wait until a pro manages the project.

Bottom Line

The cost of getting a website is formed individually in each situation and depends upon lots of factors, namely DIY web building or ordering a ready made website, the type of the platform chosen, the cost of hosting, domain name, templates, modules/plugins, temporary expenses, complexity of a project etc. The most expensive solution is to order a website from a web studio. This variant works well for people, who don’t wish to know all the nuances of the web design process, but intend to get a full-featured website to come up to their goals and needs. The same is about hiring a freelancer. These experts can develop different types of websites with ease, but you won’t be able to deal with its maintenance and further promotion. This means that you will eventually have to keep working with a web studio or a freelancer to be able to update and manage your website, when needed. Professional Web Design Services work best for users looking for third-party assistance. They offer top notch website development services with the opportunity of ongoing project maintenance at reasonable fees. Building a website with CMS is an effective DIY solution you can choose to get the job done effectively. These systems are not quite difficult to master, but you will still need to possess web design skills and experience to cope with the task on your own. Do not forget that CMS frequently imply plugin and template integration, which is not altogether secure for your website. You have to know what specialists to deal with to be on the safe side. The simplest and the most affordable web design alternative is the use of website builders. These systems ensure maximum simplicity and do not require the knowledge of programming at all. They are intuitive in nature and come with out-of-the-box functionality needed to run and manage a functional personal or business website. The cost of designing a website with a website builder is often twice lower as compared to the expenses you will encounter when using other web building tools. What’s important, you don’t have to care about website hosting and domain name as these features are often granted by default based on the subscription terms. One of the most important issues to consider when choosing a website builder is the type of project you are going to launch with it. There are specific systems that work well for the development of a particular website type. Thus, Wix and Squarespace are all-in-one website builders that can be used to start almost all types of projects, including blogs, business websites, portfolios and even small/mid-sized online stores. WordPress is a popular CMS, which allows starting feature-rich web projects for personal and commercial use, encompassing powerful integrations and design customization options. If you intend to create a feature-laden eCommerce project, it makes sense to pick a specialized platform, such as Shopify or WooCommerce. These systems are specially meant for web store development and management, providing a powerful and versatile set of eCommerce features/tools. All in all, the cost of launching a website with website builders may constitute around $ 350-$800 depending upon the platform and pricing plan chosen as well as upon the type of project. What you should also know is that all the cost estimations reviewed above are not final as there are many factors that may affect the price of your project in the long run. These are only approximate calculations you may use to understand what budget you should be ready to spend on each solution. To find out the exact cost of your project, you have to define what you expect from it and what tasks you wish to cover. This will help you find out the web design solution that will work best for your particular case.