HOW MUCH SHOULD A WEBSITE COST?

"Do I really want people's first impression of our company is that we look like we invested as little money as possible into our website?"

​"How much should I pay for website?"   As a digital marketer this is probably one of the most common questions we come across both through contacts and forms filled out on our website asking for a quote.  So I figured its about time we gave our answer.  Of course the obvious answer is that “it depends,” but that’s certainly not a helpful answer.  So I went ahead and compiled some thoughts from our UX designers as well as some top web designers that we really respect around the country to see what you can expect to get with your website budget.  Before we begin, I think it’s important to note that your company’s website is not a good place for you to pinch pennies.  Let me know repeat that.  ITS NOT THE PLACE TO PINCH PENNIES.   Look yourself in the mirror and say "Do I really want people's first impression on my company online is that we look like we skimped on our website?"

For many of our clients, their website is their leading source of new business revenue.   For clients that don't think their website matters, its already too late.  Many of our clients are small-to-medium-sized  businesses who generate around 5-6 figures worth of revenue from their website alone every month. So when you’re considering how much of your budget you should commit to your new website, you need to keep in mind the amount of revenue that it’s likely to generate for you down the road.

After a long discussion with the web design team here are several main components of website design and development that will vary according to your budget. These components include:

• Your website team – Is there just one person, an overseas company, one or two people, or a full team working on your website?
• Customization – Are you going to be working with a template or have more input and revision power?
• Website copywriters – Are you going to have time to write all of your website’s new content yourself or will your website team be responsible for all of that.  More often then not the website team ends up writing way more content than anticipated nearly every project we take on.
• Timelines – How long will the project take?
• Level of customer service – How responsive will the team (or person) you’re working with be?  Typically freelancers can work very quickly but are also the least responsive but often since they are doing all the work and working with the client at the same time communication can become cumbersome and frustrating.  On the reverse side if you are dealing with the Account Manager at a web agency that does not understand the nuances of a web design and project management that poses a whole new level of problems.  (Will save this for a rant on this topic in another blog). 

If Your Website Budget Is  
If you have a budget of less than $1,000, it’s likely that your new website design and development will be through a freelancer, overseas company, or company that mass produces websites (like Yodle, Hibu, Reach Local etc).

You don’t usually deal with a full team of specialists with a less than $1,000 budget and its often paired with some other contract subscription services.   When working with a company or freelancer at this level, keep in mind that you’re relying on them to do all design, coding, and QA of the site. For very simple websites (like a three page content-only website), this could be fine. This project size won’t include a lot of special features that bigger sites might, and copywriting typically won’t be included.

Don’t expect much design customization and know you’ll probably be working from a template. The good news is, this can shorten the timeline of the project but overall design quality can suffer it will look at bit more generic and less Apple.com

One important note at this budget level: You may or may not own the rights to site, so always double check. This means that if you part ways with the vendor you’re using, you get to take the website with you when you leave which can impact your organic rankings if you have two websites out there without control of one that will lay stagnant.

If Your Website Budget Is $1,000 – $4000
This is a good option if you’ve never had a site before or want to re-do it in a basic way.  Your team will likely include a designer, developer, AND copywriter.

Expect a higher level of quality at this budget level, and more will be included from a content and functionality perspective. You’ll also have more wiggle room for design customization, though you still might be working from a template. Don’t take this to be a bad thing! Many companies use templates for their first website—they allow you a professional-looking online presence without putting in too much time and budget.  Certain marketing strategies and tracking might be integrated, but won’t be as involved as higher price points.

If Your Website Budget Is $4,000 – $10,000
With this kind of budget, you see custom website designs that allow you to influence the direction of the styling. Here you’ll also get mobile considerations and some advanced functionality.  Expect to be working with a team and a more advanced designer at this level, which should greatly increase the quality of the project.  Your vendor or company will likely involve you in kickoff meetings, design meetings, development feedback meetings—so it can be a longer process. However, you get more customization and input for functionality and design.

Copywriting is typically included, as well as a higher level of marketing strategy and tracking, depending on who you work with. Some companies will also offer your team training on how to update the site once the project is complete.

If Your Website Budget Is >$10,000
What kind of website designs can you expect to see at this price point? Typically this is the budget you’ll need for:

• Highly custom or unique designs
• Enterprise level designs
• Complex ecommerce websites
• Websites with unique functionality or custom user experiences that can’t be replicated through templates or plugins
• Sites that require integration with outside data pulling or multi-platform integration
• Sites with involved, multi-step forms (such as government websites)
• Sites that display products and large qualities of inventory (with details and sorting features)

With this kind of budget, you’ll get a high level of customized mobile experience, copywriting (SEO), and potentially multiple design examples to choose from. You’ll have a multi-member team working on your site, which should include project managers, designers, developers, QA specialists, marketing specialists, and copywriters.

With multiple rounds of revisions, you can expect this website design to take longer given the size and complexity of your project. The process will be very hands-on, and you’ll be invited to multiple meetings to offer feedback and make sure things are customized to your liking. Training on how to use and update your site will also likely be included.

How Much Traffic Does a New Website Get?  

Two very important things you should know:

1. A new website alone does not guarantee you’ll get more traffic.
2. If you don’t redirect your domain or pages, the SEO value of those pages will be lost (read: you will LOSE traffic and rankings!). Learn more about how to change domains and keep your rankings.

Will a New Website Increase My Conversion Rate?    Again, a new website alone does not necessarily increase conversion rate. Ideally, you should always be testing to improve your website’s conversion rate (even after your new site launches).  There is a benefit, however, in working with a team experienced in designing lead-generation websites. Take a look:

In a year and half of launching the new website, the client is now enjoying a 75% growth in traffic month over month, 47% increase in goal completions (goals being transactions completed on their website).

Need a New Website?    If you’re in the market for a new website, make us your first call.  Banyan Creative can help you take the next step in building a high performance website that drives revenue growth and helps you achieve your business goals.

From design to content, let our team will handle it all. Give us a call or fill out a contact form today.