The True Cost of Web Design

Now before we start I'm going to ask you to think of a budget. It's not important how much that is but it has to be realistic. You need to have two budgets in your mind:

• A one off design budget where you would pay 50% when the project starts and the remainder on completion
• An ongoing budget to cover support and maintenance

Now, with these figures in mind we're going to go through a brief (and by no means complete) list of some of the typical elements that might be included in a web design project.

The figure you will arrive at when you've finished with this process is what's referred to as the TCO or (Total Cost of Ownership) for your website project.

Please also bear in mind that web designers are busy people so everything you choose to do rather than ask them saves time ergo: money. For example, you can write up the content, source images and perhaps you already have a business logo. Providing all these things saves heaps of time.

For over 2 decades now I have been helping businesses both offline and online to increase their presence and revenue so the following is by no means complete and will hopefully guide you towards a decision that will no doubt help your business grow.

Consultation

You might think you need a website and perhaps you do only need a website but frequently when I am talking with a client I realise they need much much more. Perhaps they need a Facebook page, if they have a physical location then they're going to need a Google Local Business listing (which also comes with a YouTube channel). Perhaps Twitter would help them or Instagram.

It really depends on the type of business you run. Do you need a simple brochure style website or an online ordering system. Do you need a newsletter or a subscriptions based system. All these things and many more are discussed at this stage. What we're doing in effect is getting to know each other. I'm getting to know your business and how you work and at the same time I may well be thinking of a project I worked on that's very similar.

I'll also be looking for your USPs (Unique Selling Points) and what sets you apart from everyone else that does what you do.

I'll ask things like “So who's your ideal customer?”, “What Language do they speak?” and “Where are they based?”. If you're thinking “Everyone” then you might like to spend some time pondering these questions before contacting a web designer because it's unlikely you have the budget for a project like that.

Quotation

This is where we create a bespoke pricing schedule for your project. There may well be elements on here that were not discussed but are needed and in all cases our quotations are modular so you can pick the elements that you need right now to get your project off the ground.

Planning

Planning can include things like keyword research, a user journey and wireframes. Typically these will be reserved for larger projects say 20+ pages but in some small way every website needs this, even if it's done on the fly.

What's really important (and many business owners overlook this) is the user. No, not you... Them, the person visiting your website. So we spend a lot of time focusing on the user experience. What they see, how it looks and how it is laid out are critical to keeping them on your website and making an enquiry or a purchase.

At this stage we've made no purchases or even set anything up for your website. We've investigated and planned which of-course comes with a cost.

Typically we'd do this while on retainer and include it in the cost of the retainer as it's easier than charging for each element separately.

Domain Registration

You can register a domain name for as little as $1. You can even register them for free but beware the true cost. There'll be add-ons and additional services you need so choose your domain registrar carefully.

Something you also may not know is that you never own the domain, you simply lease it. You pay an annual or 10 yearly fee to use that domain and your registration details are kept on record with the registrar.

Web Hosting

There's no denying that registering a domain name is important but you need space on a server or “web Hosting” so people can see your website.

There's lots of types of web hosting available and the most common (but generally slower) option is shared. You share space with lots and lots of other websites basically.

We use a higher grade service called a VPS (Virtual Private Server) which means the website is typically served up in less than a second which obviously helps users and is also better for search results as Google likes fast websites.

Construct

So now we get on to the construct phase or wireframing in HTML so you can have a look at what we perceive to be your website. Typically this will be a fully functioning website with Lorem Ipsum content so the layout can be tested on desktop and mobile.

Here's the crazy part though... I estimate that we're already over your budget and we haven't even started on the design phase for real.

Typically by this stage a larger project will have invested around 1,000 – 2,000 (I haven't put a currency as I operate in three at the moment with clients in the US, UK and Europe).

There is one consolation though, for all our projects all this is included within the price and simply spread across an entire year as a retainer service.

Design

Now we get to the part you were thinking of when we first spoke, the design and implementation phase. Please note though that I haven't mentioned Google Search Console or Analytics here as that's all part of the delivery process.

A typical 3-5 page design, what we call a “brochure style” website is quite common. It might contain a Blog area but nothing dynamic like a shopping cart or directory of services as this would require much more work.

A project like this would typically cost 2,500 (or 250 per month spread over 12 months) and include everything mentioned above.

Depending on the project, market and requirements this price could go up which is why we spend a lot of time during the consultation phase talking about you and your ideal prospective clients.

Optimisation

Most web designers will charge extra for this service, we don't. It's included in the final price. Ongoing optimisation would fall under “Marketing” though as this requires a constant review and update of tactics and content available.

Marketing

Marketing can include (and is not limited to) on site optimisation, creation of interesting and engaging content for your website and social media. Managing social media accounts and followers, producing graphics and testing which works best for your audience on which platforms.

It's an ongoing and ever evolving process of test, monitor and rework. What works for you may not work for someone else and what works on one social media channel may not work on another.

You have to test, test and test again. All the while increasing your audience and doing your best to engage and inform rather than talk at your audience.

Maintenance & Training

Part of what we do once a website is live is maintain that website. Applying critical updates, ensuring the website remains secure and also working with you so that month on month you get to know how to manage and maintain the website yourself.

At the end of the day it's your website, not ours, and we want you to learn as much as you can to have complete ownership of that site.

By this stage I guess you've got an idea of what the true cost of a website might be. If you had a budget of say $500 or ￡500 in your mind when you started it doesn't mean that you can't have a website. It simply means that you need to invest more time and energy into the content and marketing of your online presence.

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