Whether you work online, offline, or both, your website is your online showcase, so investing in a custom web design makes sense. However, how much does it cost to create a website for a small business?
On average, small businesses spend $2,000-$10,000 to build a website. The cost of creating a website for your small business depends on the characteristics of your website. Websites with more custom parts or components tend to cost more due to their complexity.
In this article, we’ll be talking about the factors that influence the cost of a custom web design. However, before we dive into it, let’s first learn about the quick definition of what “web design” actually means.
What is Web Design?
Web design is the means of creating a website. It can be an e-commerce site or a blog. But, everything that has to do with the appearance of a website is included in the term “design.” To design a website, you need a programming language such as:
- Hypertext Markup Language: HTML tags are what web development teams use to create the structure of a website. Tags like <head>, <title>, and <br> are the most commonly used to allow certain design elements to adhere to an area of the page. This is rarely visible, so it is known as the “back end” of a site.
- Cascading Style Sheets: CSS code is used to optimize the appearance of newly created HTML tags. You can change any HTML tag’s colors, fonts, and sizes. With this code, you actively change the appearance of your website’s interface.
Some web designers also use programming languages like Flash or Javascript.
But Flash was essentially retired after Apple became the first big tech company it didn’t endorse, and Javascript is exceptionally high-level. It’s great for interactive design, but it’s generally too complex for most new web designers.
You may find that parts of web design overlap with content marketing to bring your designs to life. Creating custom graphics for your website coincides with graphic design, so it doesn’t look like a standard template.
Seven Factors that will Affect Your Custom Web Design Cost
Now that you have an idea of what web design is and the average cost of creating one, let’s talk about what that number represents. Several cost factors exist for custom web design costs for a small business, and many are imperatives.
Your custom website design costs almost always include these seven factors:
1. Domain Name ($0.95 – $12/domain)
Your domain name is like your online postal address. For example, Google is at google.com; google.com is the domain name of the search engine giant. Generally, you are buying a domain name similar to your company name, as Google did. A domain name typically costs between $0.95 and $12 per domain name.
Find and buy domain names from companies like GoDaddy, HostGator, and Dreamhost. If your domain name is not for sale, you may need to choose an alternative option. While you can contact the owner of the existing domain name, this option generally costs more.
2. Website Hosting ($25 – $125/year)
If your domain name is similar to your online address, website hosting is identical to your online power company. You need a website hosting system to turn on your store’s lights in the digital world. This is because web hosting companies endorse your site and make it available on the internet.
Website hosting prices range from $24 to $24,000 per year. As a small business, you will typically see lower web hosting costs. Most small websites use shared hosting, which costs between $24 and $120 per year.
With shared hosting, your company “shares” a server with several other websites. This is why shared hosting costs less. Shared hosting comes with more limited server resources. Still, it often works well for small websites because they use fewer resources.
If you need more server resources due to a slow site, you can always upgrade your plan. Meanwhile, here’s a list of today’s best web hosting providers rated by users and experts.
3. SSL Certificate ($0 – $1500/year)
A Secure Sockets Layer certificate protects your website and your visitor’s data. Although optional, most businesses consider an SSL certificate essential because it serves as a sign of trust and motivates users to complete your contact form or buy your product.
An SSL certificate also protects customer data from hackers, protecting your business and your brand. In some cases, your company can obtain an SSL certificate for free.
Your web hosting company may include an SSL certificate with your subscription. However, depending on your needs, you can choose to purchase an SSL certificate, which can cost up to $1500 per year to protect your website.
4. Design ($2000 – $15,000)
When it comes to custom web design costs, design is a cost that varies widely. Your company might prefer a sleek look, while another might want a high-end design that requires more designer time.
Additionally, you may need various layouts or templates, such as:
- Home page
- Product or service page
- Contact page
For this reason, website design costs can range between $2,000 and $15,000. In most cases, small businesses will not meet the $15,000 design cost.
When meeting with custom web design agencies, ask about their design costs. You may ask for examples of what a high-end design and a basic design look like so you can plan a realistic budget for your business.
5. Pages ($1000 – $5000)
Websites vary in size. Whereas an e-commerce store may have more than 100 pages, a service-based business may have less than 10. , these pages take time to design from a web design and development perspective build, even if some pages use the same method.
An e-commerce store might have 50 product pages, and these product pages use the same design template. However, the design and development team should upload images, videos, and copies to these pages and test them.
These tasks take time, so websites with more pages cost more. The cost of the page can range from $1,000 to $5,000 for sites with 1 to 50 pages, the average number of pages for small business sites.
Generally, web design agencies charge for pages in increments like 1 to 10 or 10 to 20 pages. For example, if your business needs eight pages, you will fall into the 1-10 page category and pay the price for that level.
6. Functionality ($2,000 – $25,000)
When it comes to a custom web design, functionality encompasses a variety of functions with an emphasis on e-commerce functions.
If your business wants to accept payments or orders online, plan for functional expenses in your custom web design costs. Even if you offer landscaping, plumbing, or home maintenance services, it’s worth delivering online payments.
For many shoppers, online payments provide convenience. If your business website accepts online payments, it can serve as a USP and help you get more customers. The cost of web design for functions ranges from $2,000 to $25,000.
As a smaller company, the cost of its functionality is likely to be lower compared to the high. This is because smaller websites don’t need the robust payment systems that big websites like Amazon use.
7. CMS ($2000 – $25,000)
A content management system allows your company to create, manage, and update website content without any programming knowledge. For many users, it is similar to using a word processing program such as Microsoft Word.
With a CMS or a Headless CMS Platform, your company can easily edit and update its website. If you want to change the prices of products or services, you can log into your CMS and make the changes without contacting your site’s developer.
On average, a CMS costs between $2,000 and $25,000. In most cases, your investment in a CMS will depend on your preferred CMS and the amount of customization. If your team spends more time customizing your CMS, it makes sense for your CMS to be more expensive.
Get Your Dream Website
As you can see, designing any website requires a lot of thought. It would be best if you thought about your branding style, how the website will look on mobile devices, and how fast it loads to make sure you impress your customers (and Google).
Don’t panic if you feel overwhelmed. Most days, it can be overwhelming. Do it step by step, and you will achieve it.
Rumzz is a writer and content marketer. She enjoys spending time with her family & loves to go out and experience new moments whenever they come to light. Rumzz discovers satisfaction in investigating new subjects that help to extend her points of view. You can frequently locate her immersed in a good book or out searching for a new experience.
