“How Much Does It Cost To Make a Website” is probably the most popular question asked by many professionals interested in starting an Internet business. There is not a single universal price for creating a website. Many factors play a part in how much a site developer will charge for his or her services. Fortunately, there is a price range that you can refer to.
You should expect to pay an hourly rate if you hire a site developer. A complex site development project will command a higher price. The costs of creating your own site will be lower if your use a CMS. Let’s take a close look at the costs involved in the two options.
Hiring a Professional Website Developer
Locating an exceptional web design freelancer or firm is not as difficult as you may think. Cost is always the biggest concern for individuals or business owners looking for a site design. A developer is a solid choice if you have a reasonable budget and no time on your hands. It is also a prudent choice if you are not familiar with CMS installation or HTML/CSS code.
According to recent studies conducted over the last two years, the following is a clear breakdown of the average costs of creating a website at different levels:
Basic website – ($900 – $2500)
A basic website is ideal for a small business. A basic website is the perfect platform for introducing products or services to potential customers. A basic website also includes a contact page through which your customers can reach you. The website normally functions without the assistance of a CMS. This makes it a little more difficult to manage or update.
A blog can also be considered as a basic website. Blogs are not static in nature. They require little time to create and the resources needed to set them up are minimal.
Small business site with CMS integration – ($3500 – $10,000)
It is vital to use a CMS for a small to medium business website. This will help make things go smoothly. A small business website with CMS integration requires a larger investment. Social media features, customer design elements, and many more elements require more of the developer’s time. Most corporate websites fall into this category.
Advanced package – ($15,000 – $100000)
Anyone creating a site within this specific price range is likely searching for a custom-coded web system with many powerful features. An advanced package requires the skill of two or more developers. It will take several days or weeks for them to build a site that falls in this category. Creating your own social network application to compete with other social network applications like Pinterest would cost this amount.
Creating a Site with WordPress
WordPress is perfect for novice and experienced web developers. You can use WordPress without any knowledge of coding skills. Let’s preview the types of websites you can create with this amazing software:
WordPress is ideal for:
- Newspaper and Magazine Sites
- Blogs – Individual and Company Blogs
- Corporate and Portfolio Websites
- City Directories and Classified Ad Sites
- Small Niche Community Sites (With Built-In Social Networking Capabilities)
- Basic and Intermediate Forums
- Small to Medium E-commerce Stores
WordPress is Not Suitable For:
- Portals
- Dedicated or Advanced Forums
- Large E-commerce Sites
- Huge Social Networks
WordPress can provide positive results for the four systems listed above, but the functionality will be limited. WordPress is sensational when it comes to creating various sites, but it is imperative for you to remember that you can also use CMS to create sites listed in the first category.
How much does it cost to make a website with WordPress?
WordPress is free and open-source. You do not need a course to learn how to use WordPress. You only need basic knowledge on how to install it on your server. You also need to know add themes, content, and plug-ins. Please keep in mind that premium plug-ins and themes cost money. You should also be ready to pay for your domain name and hosting.
Here is the breakdown:
- Domain Name – $10-$15 per year
- Hosting Fees – $50-$100 per year for shared hosting
- Premium Theme (Not Mandatory) – $50
- One Premium Plug-In (Optional) – $20
The prices above should be taken into consideration when you are ready to build a site. Please remember that the same hosting fees apply when you hire a site developer. You do not need any money to create your own WordPress website.
What Type of Skills Do I Need to Create My Own WordPress Website?
You may be wondering if you have what it takes to build your own website. You should push any doubts aside, because you can build a website with CMS if you can use a web browser. The same might not be said for Drupal, Magneto, or Joomla. WordPress can be mastered by anyone.
The whole process begins with a three-step installation of WordPress on your domain from your cPanel account (after hosting is purchased). You will be able to log in to your administration back-end where you can add your content, themes, and plug-ins. The process is not as difficult as it seem. You can always refer to the dependable WordPress.Org forums if you need help.
