Let’s talk about website design. Your company’s website is essentially the modern-day version of your storefront. It’s where people “browse” to get a feel for what you do, who you are, what you stand for, and how much they need your product or service.
The main question business owners ask is what the cost of website design should be. That question deserves a more nuanced response than just a number.
It’s hard to emphasize just how important it is to really make sure your website represents your brand well. If you’re a new company, or you’re in the middle of a major rebrand, one of the major questions you’ll need to answer is whether or not you’ll outsource website design to a professional or attempt to do it yourself.
In this post, we discuss the true cost of each of these options.
Many business owners wonder whether they should attempt to create their own website using a popular web-building service, or hire a professional to do that for them. The upfront monetary costs for these two options are vastly different.
Building a site can cost anywhere from about $200 if you are designing and developing yourself, to $10,000+ if you use a professional website designer. That range can go even higher depending on the functionality needed for your site and the designer/developer you use. While the $200 price tag looks very appealing, don’t get fooled by the lure of cheap. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for.
Who Should Use a Professional Designer?
There’s more to consider than just dollars. While it’s true that you can DIY your own site (more on that in a bit), the main resource you’ll be spending on the site will be your time. Even the best website builders have a learning curve, so unless you’re really tech-savvy and have experience with the backend of website builders, you’ll likely spend between 20-60 hours on your website. You have to consider how much your time is worth. Would your time be better spent on other aspects of your business? Just because you can do something does not mean you should.
On top of saving you time, website designers and developers have both the tech skills and creative experience to build a website that’s branded, beautiful, and functional. They will also be able to edit and expand your website’s size and capabilities over time. If you start out building it yourself, guess who will be the one tasked with all the changes and problem solving that follows? You guessed it! You.
More than anything, the purpose of your business’s website is to create a memorable, positive experience for your customers and facilitate sales. If you take the do-it-yourself route, you risk ending up with a less-than-ideal user experience which could end up costing your business thousands of dollars in the long run. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Don’t lose the race out of the gate!
Your business cannot afford to have a slow, clunky, or off-brand website. That would be like having a business in a shabby, rundown store.
That’s why, for most businesses who have the budget for it, hiring a professional web designer is the way to go.
Who Should Use Website Builders?
Small businesses or startups who have a small budget and someone on their team who’s tech-savvy enough to teach themselves the backend of the site will probably find this option to be best for them.
Popular builders such as Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify have plans that cost roughly $12-15 per month to use their templates.
These web builders usually include web hosting, but that’s not always a good thing – because these platforms host your website for you, they own your website. These companies could shut down your website at virtually any time. That’s why we always recommend self-hosting your website and using WordPress.
Templates provided on highly-rated web builders such as these are designed to create a user-friendly experience for your audience. The downside? You won’t have 100% complete control over the look and feel of your site. But if you choose a theme/template that already jives well with your brand, you shouldn’t have too many issues.
Additional Costs to Keep in Mind
It’s important to note that along with the design of a website, there are other costs associated with your site that you’ll need to budget for.
- Domain name: When you sign up for a Wix website, your domain name is usually something like www.yourname.wix.com until you purchase your domain name. This usually costs somewhere around $10-15 per year.
- Additional Apps/Functionality: If you need your site to have certain functionalities that aren’t offered with the basic version of your web host (like Squarespace or Wix), you may have to pay another monthly fee for that software. More sophisticated platforms like WordPress have many plugins that give your website added functionalities for an annual fee. Consult a professional designer or developer for how to add these into your site.
- Hosting: Most web builders also offer web hosting for you. The one exception to this is WordPress, which does not. You’ll have to source a host for your website if you use WordPress or go with a designer/developer that already has hosting setup. The normal cost for this option is around $10-99 per month, depending on the traffic your site will need to support. As your site traffic grows, so does your need for bandwidth. You’ll need to have a website pro on your team to help you navigate this when the time comes.
If you find yourself in need of a team to help you with the design of your website, whether that’s from scratch or using a website builder, contact us at Deal Design today. We specialize in customer-friendly websites that fit your needs and budget.
