Web Site Cost Overview
With the economy as it is, I’ve been increasingly receiving requests in regard to Web site costs as folks look to the online environment to subsidize their income. Some have ideas they had on the backburner for some time while others are falling the prey of “slap up a site, sell anything, make bushels of money” hype.
What is clear is that perceptions about what a Web site should cost as well as what is involved in running a successful online venture, are not based in any reality that I can determine. Most think a quality, effective presentation that has everything they desire should only cost a couple hundred bucks — and that should include marketing expenses! And…. it should just work!
All the DIY hype about things being so easy a monkey could do it has apparently become what most choose to believe. Many are simply not willing to make the necessary investment to give their enterprise a running start (in time, effort and cost). Even if you did (or could do) everything yourself, a couple hundred bucks is barely enough to get you on the map.
Since I am being asked this type of question almost on a daily basis, I thought I would take the time to give you the top 3 issues that are involved in having a quality, professional presentation. What you need to think about and the general cost concerns that are involve.
- Web Hosting: Hosting that includes all the features and functionality you will need to succeed and to grow into cannot be found on low-end or free hosting services. Hosting server costs can range from $9.95/month and up depending on the functionality you have on your site. Free hosting programs simply will not cut it for a serious business effort. In some cases you can save on the setup fee by choosing an annual pay option.
- Design: Forget about setting up the simple HTML “Website” that up to a couple years ago was standard and customary. Go with WordPress and you’ll have the ability to utilize all the social media networking and marketing tools that are available as well as save money being able to easily make changes to your site yourself. You can purchase very professional CMS WordPress themes for $40-100. This not only offers you cost savings from having to reinvent the wheel, but shortens the overall project’s production time as well.
More times than not, most business owners do not have the coding skills or the experience to manipulate these established designs and maintain their professional look and feel. No, knowing how to use FrontPage or Dreamweaver won’t cut it. You need to know the code! To hire a developer to customize the template and add all the scripting and functionality in the background that you desire, fees will range from $200-500 for simple graphic additions and navigation customization.
In the case of WordPress, prices will again depend on functionality required to be integrated into the design and number of plugins or widgets involved. If you want a designer to start from a blank slate and reinvent the wheel for you, plan on at least $1,000 to 3,000 for a basic (5-10 page) well developed optimized site or $800 for a custom professional WordPress theme.
- Marketing: New sites are put into search engine holding areas until they pay their dues. It could take several months or more before a new site hits the live index and that most likely will be many pages far away from the top page. This is where marketing comes in.
Both on and off-line have to be addressed immediately to ensure visibility for your new site. Without a marketing budget you simply will not accomplish any realistic goals. The Web is NOT a “build it and they will come” environment. Count on the fact folks won’t be able to find you without aggressive marketing efforts. By using WordPress and having a Blog, you build your site with quality frequently updated content that search engines love — all it takes is your time! A simple Pay Per Click program, depending on the competitiveness of a market, could easily be “a couple hundred” all by itself — per month.
Then most importantly, you have to budget your time to market. Now with all the social media networking and marketing opportunities that require your time to participate, any online business would be remiss to not take advantage of all that is offered in this regard.
As I’ve noted in other posts, having a successful Web site is having a successful business. And to do so it takes your time, cost and planning. Forget about the hype in regard to easy or quick money. Doesn’t exist. Ignore the cheap and free junk that you see online or in your inbox. And don’t fall for those silly commercials claiming that you can make thousands a month by simply logging on to a Web site. That stuff is from folks whose only goal is to sell you something based on unrealistic expectations — taking advantage of what you don’t know so they can make money!
Now you do know.
What many new site owners overlook while they go into “sticker shock” over the reality of what doing things properly entails, is that when executed properly, the initial costs of your Web site’s development and marketing, will be made back multiple fold. That’s called ROI.
At your service,
Judith
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