Small business owners more than ever before need to have a website. It is crucial to your success both offline and online in this new digital era that which we live. So, you are doing your research and are wondering, "How much should a small business website cost?" The normal prices range from free to $5,000 for website designs and $10-$299 per month for maintenance of the website.
As a small business owner, you have three options when it comes to building your website and how much it will cost. Most of this will depend on your budget and goals.
1. The Cheap Option (free)
Growing up I would hear people say. "If it's free it for me."
Website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly are fine options if your business is operating on a shoestring budget. They offer free packages where they let you select a template and build a website. If you can't afford a domain they even let you host it on their site.
At first glance, this looks like an appealing option to you as a small business owner but there are some issues you should know about.
Though it costs you nothing to design your website...YOU ARE DESIGNING YOUR WEBSITE. Sorry I didn't mean to yell. My guess is you're not in the web designing business so this most likely is not your area of expertise. Think for a moment about how this will affect you?
You are going to spend weeks if not months trying to figure out how to design a website on one of these platforms. Your frustration is going to get worse and because of this, the business is going to suffer.
The other issue is the templates. Most people just copy the templates word for word, change their contact information, and they're done. What these small businesses don't realize is they got a website just like the other guy in the next town over.
Lastly, is the problem with the free website domain name they offer you. It will look something like yoursite.wix.com.
This will make your website visitors question your legitimacy and wonder if you are a real business.
Now that doesn't mean you can't have a great-looking website that generates leads and sales using one of these builders. It is just going to take you longer because of the learning curve. In most cases, you will also need to upgrade your plan and add paid plugins to get the website your business needs.
Next, we have...
2. The Expensive Option ($2,000-$5,000)
When it comes to building your small business website another option you have is working with a Web Agency. Web agencies will build, develop and create a marketing plan for your small business website.
They usually have large teams of designers and developers who can create the website you want. One of the benefits of working with a Web Agency is that you can get a custom website built in 1-3 months depending on the size and integrations your website requires.
Your website will also look great and be optimized as a tool to help your business grow.
The bad news is this service and level of excellence comes at a steep price for most small business owners. Larger teams mean they have greater expenses, and so those costs get passed on to you.
If you have an eCommerce business that is growing in sales and with hundreds of products, a web agency is most likely a good fit for you.
But most small business owners don't have that kind of budget for their website.
Which brings us to ...
3. The Best Option ($500-$2,000)
Last but not least, is what we consider the best option for most small business owners. Freelancers!
Freelancer web designers have many of the same skills, expertise, and experience that web agencies possess. The main difference between the two is their overhead costs.
Most freelance web designers work out of their homes and have maybe 1-2 part-time staff helping them. This translates to lower costs.
The average price for a freelance web designer to build your website is between $500-$2,000. Price is often determined by the size of the website and the integrations required. A 20-page website will cost more than a five-page website.
The issue with freelancers is that they can be flakey, hard to track down, and not always the right fit.
It is important that you do your homework when it comes to freelancers. Ask to see some of their work. This will give you a lot of information on the quality of their work. Ask about timelines and how long it will take to have your website up and running. If they say 3-6 months, you should find someone else more capable. Ask about additional costs to keep you on budget.
Which option is best for you?
This will depend on the amount of time you have, the kind of budget that is available, and the complexity of your small business website.
Each of these options has pros and cons. You need to weigh these options and decided which will be the best use of your time and resources.
If you are interested in seeing a demo website or getting a quote from Web Weaver Pro fill out the contact form and a web specialist will be in touch soon. Contact Us!