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Web Design - A Pricing Guide

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Should I Use A Website Builder?

There are many tools called "website builders" to help the average person create a website on their own. Should you use a website builder? I'll answer this question with a question:

Do you change your own motor oil? To do so, you get under the car, remove the oil pan screw, drain the oil, change the filter, replace the screw, replace the oil. Simple right? Although, changing car oil is a simple task, most people take their car in to have the oil changed by a skilled professional; paying $100 for 15 minutes of work. So why would you try and build something as complex as your business website by yourself, or through friends and family, using something as generic and limited as a website builder?

Companies will advertise that they have a solution to your website problems by giving you the power to Do-It-Yourself. These website builders force your business into a point and click, cookie cutter model. Most are bulky, and inefficient. They are a one size fits all approach to something as special as your unique business. Geared for simplicity of use, they do not take into consideration your sales model or customer's user experience. And if the website builder is geared towards sales, take a look at how much it will be costing you down the road when your online store is thriving. They are usually free or little money to start and become expensive fairly quick. You'll surely wish you started with the keys in your own hand, done right from the start.

What you need is a professional web developer, not a website builder. A knowledgeable, skilled, human professional from within your own country, that will analyze your business model, design webpages towards conversions, check and repair bugs with both coding and marketing issues, keep up with maintenance and up-selling, and who is capable of analyzing your current industry to position your business for success. Someone who will make sure that your website is functioning properly across all devices and screens, and can gear your money pages with rich meaningful copy to generate you sales.

Please check out our video on The Basics of Web Design for more information on why you should have Host Much design your website for you.

How Much Does Web Design Cost?

How much does it really cost to have a professional web design firm like Host Much, custom-build your website with security features and all the other important elements, bells and whistles?

Our web design fee is typically $190 per hour. Although, a company website (even for a small business) could potentially cost between $5,000 and $10,000, with $7,000 being the average cost to set up, design, build, database, refactor, test and create content. However, we do offer discounts on design work to our loyal customers that have a Elite Web Hosting or Superior Web Hosting account with us.

Okay, But How Much Will You Charge Me Total?

Depending on your project, we have two options:

1. Flat Fee Web Design

Basic websites starting at $1750+. We can layout your needs, create a wish-list and come up with a cost effective solution for your budget. A plug n' play starter website for personal or small business use.

2. Hourly Rate

While the cost to actually develop the entire website could range from $120/hr to $210/hr based on the complexity of the website (i.e., custom functions, templates, frameworks, databasing) and the specific needs for content creation, layout and other programming, the average hourly rate is approximately $150. Multiply that by the average development hours of 50 and you get $7,500 for the average project.

Here’s a basic web design price list:

• Setup: $380
• Project Scope, Domain, Web Hosting, SSL, Template, Layout,
• Planning, Design & Building: $5,500
• HTML, CSS, Javascript, Databasing, Programming, Testing, Modifications & Revisions
• Content creation: $1500
• Most clients need us to create their content.
• Client training & consulting: $760
• --------------------------
• Total:   $8,140

* An out of the box template website will usually cost $1750, and a custom website design will usually cost a minimum of $5,000 but can go upwards of $12,000 depending on project complexity. Content creation will also vary from $500 to upwards of $5,000 depending on how much content the client wants us to create for them, the quality, voice, etc... You can view our web design packages here.

Conclusion

Websites are complex. They do not have a one price fits all. Just like businesses do not have a one price fits all sales price. Timeframes vary. Plan for $150 an hour on development. Create a features list and allow several hours of development time per feature. Detail your project so you can receive an accurate quote on hours. If $150 per hour seems too high for your website budget and you think you should just do-it-yourself, you're wrong. One or two mistakes can have devastating effects on your website and company brand. What's your free time worth to you? If your not comfortable paying hourly, you should negotiate a flat rate website package based on the functionality that your site requires and have a skilled professional do the job for you.

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