Pricing
One of the factors that makes pricing a website tricky is that really websites themselves don’t really cost anything, at all. We utilize open-source platforms to develop sites for our clients. Actally, there are really not any hard costs involved. What you’re actually paying for, is the time and expertise of your website developer.
When we get hired to develop a website, our clients are hiring us to engage in a fairly formal and detailed process. A process that involves all kinds of documentation, meetings, research and strategic planning, in addition to the more tangible deliverables like wireframes, design mock-ups, and revisions...and of course eventually all the code that comprises the final website in question. In terms of hours, our projects typically clock in somewhere between the 40-80 hour mark. And, of course, we need to charge for that time. Add to that, the fact that we need to recoup our own hard costs and you get to $3,000 websites pretty quickly.
That said, not everyone needs a $10,000 website. In fact, I’m going to venture that most of you reading this don’t. So, what do you do? And what should a website cost you? Of course it depends on what your website is going to do, and getting clear on all of this before you go out asking for quotes is a great way to get a more accurate quote out of your website developer to be.
The "Too Small" Budget ($500-$1000)
We get a lot of clients that are at this budget range. And rightfully so. If you are just starting your business, you may have a small budget. Everyone has to start somewhere. Usually, though, this is what someone paid for their first website in 1995. Unfortunatly, a professionally-built website will cost more than this. As with everything else, the price for a website has gone up. This is because the level of expertise and experience needed in this field has increased dramatically. If your budget is in this area, some hosting companies provide some basic do-it-yourself templates that require a bit of computer knowledge, but you can still get the job done.
The Small Budget ($2000+)
(yeah I know…that still seems like a good chunk of change to most of us)
Let me just be honest here. If you want a professionally-developed website on the cheap, this is probably where you will have to start. Even the smallest, simplest of websites require a LOT of time in every stage of development. So let’s just throw it out there — the simplest websites that we create, start at $2000. And no, this is not expensive in the web design world. We always recommend potential clients to get at least one more quote form another company to compare.
And what does a small, simple website look like? It actually more than you think. It will be built on a robust Content Management System; you will be able to easily edit yourself; we integrate a number of modules that enhance the core installation; and it's modular. meaning you can easily add more functionality later without having to redo the site. It is definitely enough to get your name out there.
The Small-Medium Budget ($3000+)
With a little bit of a larger budget, you’re going to get a custom design and more functionality. This is where you can really start to see a real return on your investment. You begin to add something for your site visitors that will get them coming back. You will also get a unique image for you and your business.
The Medium Budget ($4000+)
In addition to a custom design and more functionality, here’s where you get to start adding things like shopping carts and integrated payment systems into your repertoire. You can start to add some user functionality that is really going to get your website working for you.
The Large Budget ($8,000+)
If you want to start your own social networking site or site that has a lot of different things that the user can do, you could do it with a budget this size. Our NGO package sits in this price range. Every NGO may not need this package, but though our experience, we have put together the most comprehensive set of tools a Non-Profit will need. Without saying this package is the be-all-end-all solution for NGOs, it is. (Well, I guess we did say it. If in doubt, let us prove it.).
To be honest, most small-medium business will be around the $3000-$4000 mark. You will get a site that will really work for you and won't be needing to come back for more in a couple of months.
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