This is a question we get all the time. So I’m writing this to help you understand what a website should cost based on the size of your business, the general functions of the website, and the quality of the website.
Cost: Free or very low cost
Quality: Poor
Impact: A lot of your time spent and your reputation is at risk.
Free? Yes, or pretty close to it. There are some products out there that offer you a way to build a free website.
If you are developing the website yourself, there will likely be missed opportunity costs due to time lost focusing on your business. Of course, you’ll need to come up with all of the design idea, images to use, and words to say. Be prepared to read up on web design best practices or the end product will look like…well, like you did it yourself.
Cost: $1000 to $2000
Quality: Low
Impact: It could take forever, or you never get the final product. Shottie work at best is to be expected.
Everyone has a friend or relative in school that can build websites. We’ve even inherited client once who had their nephew who was on summer break from high school start on their website. But once the school season started, he was too busy to finish the website!
Using someone you know is creates websites on the site or as a hobby can be a good option for a startup business that doesn’t yet have the capital to hire a website development company.
When hiring a friend of relative, expect that you will need to provide most of the design decisions. They will likely have some technical ability to create a website, but will defer to you for the majority of the decisions on look, feel, tone, etc. Brush up on modern web design principles to ensure that what they create for you isn’t based on what was in vogue several years ago.
Cost: $2500 to $4000
Quality: Marginal to Good
Impact: It could take a long time to finish the project. Be prepared to work with the freelancers at night and on weekends.
You can also go online and hire a freelancer. A freelancer is someone who has a full time job doing something else, possibly unrelated to web design, but runs a small side business as well. You can hire a freelancer from all over the world, and will likely get connected with someone who is not local. If they’re from outside of the US then there will be a language and cultural barrier you’ll need to work to overcome, and idioms you say often may be lost on them.
Communications could be a challenge. You’ll be able to email or possibly have a Skype call with them during the project. This can save money, but not time. Since a freelancer has a full time commitment during the day to their real job, be prepared to communicate at night and weekends when they are free to work on your project. Basically, be prepared to not be their first priority. But as long as they are actually a web design by trade, you could end up getting a good product in the end. They’ll help make some design decisions, but you will still need to provide ample creative direction especially if they are not US based.
If you are looking to grow your business and stand out from the crowd, you should hire a professional company. That will allow you to focus on what’s important – your business. In this case, there are a few different price points I will cover below.
Example: Startup or Small Business Brochure Website
Cost: $5,000 to $7,000
Quality: High
Impact: Your company gains a professional online presence that represents your brand.
What this may include:
Example: Small Business, Sales Funnel Lead Generation Website
Cost: $9,000 to $11,000
Quality: High
Impact: Your new website works for your business, captures leads and drives sales.
What this may include:
Example: eCommerce or Corporate Website
Cost: $13,000 to $20,000+
Quality: Excellent
Impact: Your website becomes essential to your business operations, marketing, sales and hiring.
What this may include:
If cash is tight, or if you’re just starting off, then save money and do it yourself or have a friend or relative do it. If you have the budget and want to get serious about your business, hire a local professional website design company.
When budgeting for your website, you should take the following into consideration:
“Erik and the Array Digital team are top notch in the digital marketing spaces, particularly for SEO. Their understanding of Google, the algorithms, and the work involved to get websites ranking on the first page is unparalleled. Thank you Erik!!”
“I had a chance to consult with Kevin Daisey for my law firm’s marketing needs. He is knowledgeable, kind, and helpful. He provided me with a great marketing analysis. He also invited me to their podcast as a guest speaker. Thank you Array Digital!”
“Since starting with Array Digital in November 2020, I have more than tripled my intake. I added two attorneys and have added administrative staff to handle all the new business being generated. And, we are in the process of moving into a larger office suite to accommodate the growth.”
“The legal profession needs more architects and designers…folks who are thinking about the future of the profession and who are assembling a tribe of like minded lawyer leaders. Erik and his team are certainly ‘that’.”