When you start your own project or business, you have many fixed costs that you can usually do little about: office space, insurance, technical equipment, and even paper clips have their price. The positive: These costs can be calculated well in advance.
On the other hand, the costs for your own company website are less easy to plan. Because web agencies or freelancers rarely offer fixed prices, since each project is billed according to the effort.
The prices are similarly confusing when researching online. On the Internet you can find prices ranging from a few hundred to many thousands of euros – and that without a logo or the running costs for domains and hosting.
Against this background, most entrepreneurs assume that this price category must be roughly right. With today’s technology, there are also completely different ways to create a professional website for less than 200 euros.
In this article, we show how much a website should really cost today. To get straight to the point: it’s a lot less than most people think…
In this article you will read:
- The fact: websites used to be expensive and complicated
- Experience shows: You probably don’t need to pay a professional
- How much does a self-made website cost – and what can it do?
- What types of websites are there? What are the costs and the effort?
- The main types of websites
- Other website types you should know about
- What do I do if I have neither technical knowledge nor design skills?
The fact: Website building used to be expensive and complicated
Let’s go back ten years into the past. Well, five years is enough: if you couldn’t program yourself, you hired a web agency – that was quite normal and three to four-digit total prices had to be factored in.
Of course, the do-it-yourself version already existed back then. However, the modular systems of the time were not really intuitive. Despite days of hard work, the result often looked mediocre in the end.
Today it’s completely different. Website builders have come a long way in recent years: they are technically much more powerful, but at the same time much easier to use. And for the monthly package prices, you don’t pay more than for a lunch. Not bad for a service that gets your business online in no time. True?
Experience shows: You probably don’t need to pay a professional
First of all, I should say this: Many web designers and developers do excellent work. For complex web projects and special requirements, professionals are worth their money.
For most smaller business websites, however, the requirements versus the costs quickly become a mismatch:
Because what exactly do most companies need? A modern design and a few pages with the most important information, plus maybe a contact form, a location map, and possibly a video. That’s it.
Such homepages are easily possible today with a modular system (and also a lot more). And: For the majority of company pages, nobody has to spend thousands of euros anymore.
How much does a self-made website cost – and what can it do?
For website builders, the price depends on the package you choose. These cost between 9 and 20 euros per month with most providers. The advantage of this is simple: You choose exactly the package that suits you.
Normally, a number of services are already included in the various packages – such as an individual domain, hosting, security, customer service, and a few other things. With agencies, on the other hand, these points are often billed as extra costs.
What types of websites are there? What are the costs and the effort?
Efforts and costs depend on the type of website you choose. Maybe you just need a very basic online presence for your business. This type of website, which is only a few pages long, is relatively inexpensive and quick to build.
An online shop that integrates various product pages, shipping, and up-to-date legal information, on the other hand, requires a little more effort.
That’s not to say that creating a website has to be complicated. But knowing what type of website you want will help you estimate the workload.
The main types of websites
There are so many different types of websites that it can be hard to know where to start when you first create a website. Do not worry! We have compiled a list of the most important website types. Here are some of the most popular websites for anyone creating a website for the first time:
Company website
Pretty much every business these days is expected to have a website. It not only helps potential customers, partners, or investors to find and learn more about your company but also gives it a high level of legitimacy and trustworthiness.
This type of website, also called a corporate website, represents your company. It should promote your brand and explain what products or services your company offers. A company website also contains practical information such as your contact details and company history.
Effort: Medium
Online store
Also known as an eCommerce site, this site allows people to buy products or services directly from your business. A successful online store represents your brand, is easy to navigate, and easy to use. For example, customers should be able to filter products by category, enter payment information, and select their preferred shipping method.
When creating an online store, you should consider how you want to set up your product pages (including product images and product descriptions) and what type of legal notices you may need.
Effort: high
Blog
A blog is a website that is regularly updated using articles, photos, and videos. It’s more like a magazine, is often themed, and can be very simple in design. Therefore, the cost is low (in many cases, you can create a blog for free). However, the most successful blogs always need new content, which is why writing new posts regularly can be quite time-consuming.
If you run a small business or are self-employed, blogs can also be an important tool to gain more visibility. Businesses large and small use blogs for marketing purposes. A blog that offers useful and interesting content focused on topics relevant to your business can help you attract new website visitors (and potential customers). It builds credibility and keeps your target audience engaged.
Effort: Medium
Landing page
A landing page is a single page on a website used for marketing purposes. Visitors who “land” on this type of website are presented with a call-to-action (CTA) asking them to do something very specific – like sign up for a newsletter or redeem a coupon.
A landing page should be simple and to the point. It helps guide users along a very specific customer journey. Often companies have many landing pages, each designed for a specific marketing campaign or product.
Effort: Low
Other website types you should know about
Here are some other popular website types. They are particularly relevant in certain industries or for certain topics.
Portfolio website
A portfolio website is designed to showcase your work samples. These websites are an important tool for freelancers and creatives, such as designers, to showcase their services.
A portfolio website is simpler than a company website as it is specifically designed to showcase work samples. Because they’re more visual, there’s often less text and fewer pages, meaning they’re easier for you to create.
Music website
A music website is a website that showcases the work of individual musicians or bands. As well as promoting your music itself, this type of site also showcases your brand, helps you book events, and provides informative content like biographies or photos.
A music website also offers you the opportunity to set up a shop to sell your merchandise (e.g. albums and t-shirts).
Coaching website
Coaching websites help coaches share their knowledge and expertise. For example, a good coaching website allows visitors to directly buy products or book sessions. They also contain important information such as “Contact Us” and “About Me”. This type of website fulfills an important marketing function as a “shop window” for your coaching business.
Photography website
Being an expert in photography does not always mean being a gifted web designer. Luckily, setting up a photography website can be pretty easy. At its core, a photography website is a showcase for your work – much like a portfolio website. It shows future customers what to expect and establishes your brand.
The photos are in the foreground, which is why choosing the right images for your website is particularly important.
Wedding website
Websites are an increasingly important part of weddings these days. Wedding websites contain important information for the guests, such as schedules, arrival information, and even a dress code. They often also include heartwarming details about the bride and groom and space for guests to send their congratulations.
Wedding websites can serve as a networking resource for attendees, with details of area activities for those traveling from out of town. They also enable guests to use the contact form to give their consent for the big day.
Job application homepage
Personal websites for job seekers – often called application homepages – are an important tool for staying competitive in the job market. These CV websites present your strengths, work experience, and career highlights digitally for recruiters.
Job application websites can consist of a single web page containing your resume and contact information, or even include your work portfolio, testimonials or press releases, photos and other biographical details, and links to your social media profiles.
What do I do if I have neither technical knowledge nor design skills?
Modern website builders are designed to do all the work for users. This means that you do not have to acquire any programming knowledge yourself – the know-how of the developers and designers is already included in the construction kit.
That’s why you don’t need any prior knowledge for a website builder to make a change to your website later. Things are different with a website from an agency: If you ever want to change the opening hours here, you need some knowledge to get everything done correctly.
Anyone who founds and manages a company generally has little time – and a series of fixed costs that are already a burden on the budget. Your own website, on the other hand, does not have to be time-consuming or expensive.
Conclusion
Starting and running a small business involves a lot of upfront costs, but building a website shouldn’t be one of them. If you’re thinking of spending thousands of dollars on a custom website, we hope we’ve persuaded you to reconsider and try a DIY option instead.
Website Costs FAQs
How much does a website cost?
An average website with just a few pages can be built with a DIY website builder for as little as $9-$20 a month. A professionally designed website can cost anywhere from $700 to $10,000, depending on the number of pages, complexity of design, and any specific functionality you need. If you hire a professional web designer, a website can cost thousands of dollars.
How much do freelance web developers cost?
It is estimated that a website will cost you between $700 and $10,000 depending on the functions and the number of subpages if it is professionally created.
Are there also free websites?
Yes! You can create a free website with any of the popular website builders such as Wix, Yola, or Squarespace. You can choose from a range of website designs and images. You only have to pay if you want to use premium functions, such as connecting your own domain or email address. DIY website builders are getting easier to use every year and today they deliver better results than ever before.