How much do I have to pay for basic website development?

Asking “how much does a website cost?” is almost like asking “how much does a house cost?”

That is, the answer depends on multiple instances like the person who’s asking it and their desired needs and preferences.

What is the location?

How many bedrooms do they want?

What is the desired style?

You definitely get it…

However, since it is much simpler to create a website in 2021 vs the past, you might be pretty surprised by how affordable creating a website can be now if of, course you’re willing to get your hands a little dirty!

But first, let me ask you how much a website actually costs?

Before we dig further, let’s have a little game. Okay? Which one of these mentioned websites do you think is more costly? And even more importantly, how much do you think they actually cost? $500? $5,000?

Are you ready?

This is a tricky question because both of those websites are something that you could easily build for less than $100, even if you are not technical.

And that’s exactly my point: building a website in 2021 can cost much less than you might think!

How much does a website usually cost? Here’s what you will need to pay for:

When it comes to the total cost of a website, you can break these into two broad categories:

1.????Infrastructure – this is all the underlying stuff that supports your website. Software, hosting, domain name, etc.

2.????Design and functionality – this is all that your visitors are going to interact with, like the basic design of your site and its functions.

Beyond that, there’s also another question regarding whether you want to pay someone to set that up for you, or if you’re happy to choose the DIY route.

Let’s first break down the essential costs of a website.

How much does a website usually cost for backend infrastructure?

There are basically three main backend infrastructure costs that you’ll need to consider while building a website:

1.????Domain name

2.????Website software/content management system

3.????Hosting

1. Domain name – $10 per year

Your domain name is basically your website’s permanent address provided on the Internet.

You’ll purchase your domain name from a domain registrar.

The cost of your domain basically depends on your TLD. This is the part that comes after your name like “.com”, “.net”, etc. However, any regular “.com” domain will cost you like ~$10. You will then need to pay this ~$10 every year to maintain your ownership.

There are however different hosting companies like Bluehost, one of our most recommended WordPress hosts, which costs around about just $71.40 for your first year of usage. Plus, it includes a free domain name as well.

Website software – Free OR $16+ per month

In recent times, the vast majority of websites do not begin from scratch. Instead, you’ll have to use premade website software, which is called a content management system.

Like, more than 35% of all the websites on the Internet are actually powered by one single piece of software namely WordPress. Yes, that number undoubtedly is as crazy as it sounds and more than one-third of all the websites on the Internet actually do use WordPress.

Besides, being super flexible, one of the main reasons why WordPress is so much popular is because the software is completely 100% free.

So, if you are using WordPress, you won’t feel the need to pay a dime for your website software.

Another popular route that you could choose is a dedicated website builder – like either Squarespace or Wix . These tools do charge you a monthly fee if you want to use them, which you’ll have to pay for as long as you want your website to continue to work. Here’s what you can basically expect to pay:

Hosting – $5 per month to start, more depending on your visitors:

When you pay for your hosting, you’re basically renting some space on a computer to power your website and thus make it available to visitors from around the globe.

If you choose some website builders like Squarespace or Wix, those services already include hosting at their respective prices, so you won’t have to pay anything else.

However, if you are using self-hosted software like WordPress, or some other free content management systems called Joomla or Drupal , you’ll have to purchase your own hosting in order to install and run that particular software.

Website infrastructure total cost summary can be as little as $70:

·?????Summing things up, paying for the backend infrastructure for your site one whole year will include:

·?????~$70 if you are self-hosting WordPress – free domain via Bluehost, free WordPress software, and $70 for hosting.

·?????~$150+ for a website builder – $10 for your domain plus $140+ for a year of the website builder.

How much does a website actually cost for design and functionality?

Once you pay for everything, you’ll have a running website…but it is not going to look or function how you want it …yet.

?So how much is a website going to cost if you go DIY? Not that much! Trust me!

Ok, so if you’re willing to choose the DIY route, a website can be surprisingly pretty affordable. You’re looking at just a few hundred notes for your entire first year.

Most websites don’t actually require custom functionality, which means it is totally fine with off-the-rack solutions. What’s more important is the technical part of creating a website has become much, and it’s possible for nearly anyone to create their own website.

Thus if you’re just looking to get your business online with a very basic brochure site, or if you’re looking to create your own blog , you definitely don’t need to spend a fancy fortune or hire someone from outside to do it for you.

In fact, you can create something that looks very good and functions pretty well for as little as ~$70.

How much is it going to cost to pay someone to build your website?

Going the DIY route is no doubt the cheapest way to make a website, but it’s also cheaper partly because you’re putting your own sweat equity into the whole process.

If you are looking to hire someone to build your website, you will have to pay for the same basic infrastructure costs…plus that person’s sweat equity as well…plus a hefty premium for their expertise too,

So how much does that cost?

Sorry for the usual answer, but again it depends on the following:

·?????Your needs.

· Whom you’re talking to.

Let me ask you again. how much does a website cost? It is less than you might think!

Since it is now possible for any regular person to make a website, the cost of building a website is much lesser than you might think.

If you square away the basic infrastructure, it will cost you ~$70 per year for websites like WordPress, or maybe some ~$150 for a greater premium website builder.

Then from there, you can very easily squeak by exclusively with different free extensions, or, if you think realistically, you’ll probably end up spending another $100-$200 on premium extensions.

Well, that’s all about website building costs.

Thoughts?

?