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How Much Will a New Website Cost?
Whether you haven’t updated the look of your website in a few years (or ever) or you’re interested in a new, responsive website following Google’s update that will make mobile-friendly a ranking factor starting April 21st, you probably have the same question that every business owner has about new website design and development:
How much is a new website going to cost me?
Of course the obvious answer is that “it depends,” but that’s certainly not a helpful answer. So I went ahead and interviewed the head of our web department, Chase Wolf, to see what you can expect to get with your website budget.
But before we begin, I think it’s important to note that your company’s website is not a good place for you to pinch pennies.
For most of our clients, their website is their #1 source of new business. Many of our clients are small-to-medium-sized home service businesses who generate around 5 figures worth of revenue from their website alone every month. So when you’re considering how much of your budget you should commit to your new website, you need to keep in mind the amount of revenue that it’s likely to generate for you down the road.
According to Chase, there are several main components of website design and development that will vary according to your budget. These components include:
- The team working on your website – Is there just one person, an overseas company, one or two people, or a full team working on your website?
- Customization of the design – Are you going to be working with a template or have more input and revision power?
- Website copywriting – Are you going to have time to write all of your website’s content yourself or do you want it included in the project?
- The level of marketing – Your budget will dictate how much marketing is integrated in your new website.
- Timelines – How long will the project take?
- Level of customer service – How responsive will the team (or person) you’re working with be?
If Your Website Budget Is <$1,000
If you have a budget of less than $1,000, it’s likely that your new website design and development will be through a freelancer, overseas company, or company that mass produces websites (like Hibu).
You don’t usually deal with a full team of specialists with a less than $1,000 budget. When working with a company or freelancer at this level, keep in mind that you’re relying on them to do all design, coding, and QA of the site. For very simple websites (like a three page content-only website), this could be fine.
This project size won’t include a lot of special features that bigger sites might, and copywriting typically won’t be included.
Don’t expect much design customization and know you’ll probably be working from a template. The good news is, this can shorten the timeline of the project.
One important note at this budget level: You may or may not own the rights to site, so always double check. This means that if you part ways with the vendor you’re using, you get to take the website with you when you leave.
If Your Website Budget Is $1,000 – $4000
This is a good option if you’ve never had a site before or want to re-do it in a basic way.
Your team will likely include a designer, developer, AND copywriter.
Expect a higher level of quality at this budget level, and more will be included from a content and functionality perspective. You’ll also have more wiggle room for design customization, though you still might be working from a template. Don’t take this to be a bad thing! Many companies use templates for their first website—they allow you a professional-looking online presence without putting in too much time and budget.
Certain marketing strategies and tracking might be integrated, but won’t be as involved as higher price points.
If Your Website Budget Is $4,000 – $10,000
With this kind of budget, you see custom website designs that allow you to influence the direction of the styling. Here you’ll also get mobile considerations and some advanced functionality.
Expect to be working with a team and a more advanced designer at this level, which should greatly increase the quality of the project.
Your vendor or company will likely involve you in kickoff meetings, design meetings, development feedback meetings—so it can be a longer process. However, you get more customization and input for functionality and design.
Copywriting is typically included, as well as a higher level of marketing strategy and tracking, depending on who you work with. Some companies will also offer your team training on how to update the site once the project is complete.
If Your Website Budget Is >$10,000
What kind of website designs can you expect to see at this price point? Typically this is the budget you’ll need for:
- Highly custom or unique designs
- Enterprise level designs
- Complex ecommerce websites
- Websites with unique functionality or custom user experiences that can’t be replicated through templates or plugins
- Sites that require integration with outside data pulling or multi-platform integration
- Sites with involved, multi-step forms (such as government websites)
- Sites that display products and large qualities of inventory (with details and sorting features)
With this kind of budget, you’ll get a high level of customized mobile experience, copywriting (SEO), and potentially multiple design examples to choose from. You’ll have a multi-member team working on your site, which should include project managers, designers, developers, QA specialists, marketing specialists, and copywriters.
With multiple rounds of revisions, you can expect this website design to take longer given the size and complexity of your project. The process will be very hands-on, and you’ll be invited to multiple meetings to offer feedback and make sure things are customized to your liking. Training on how to use and update your site will also likely be included.
How Much Traffic Does a New Website Get?
Two very important things you should know:
1. A new website alone does not guarantee you’ll get more traffic.
2. If you don’t redirect your domain or pages, the SEO value of those pages will be lost (read: you will LOSE traffic and rankings!). Learn more about how to change domains and keep your rankings.
However, when done correctly, a new website can improve your rankings and therefore increase traffic. Take a look:
We put our client’s new website live in November 2014. Last month, they had an all-time high for organic search traffic. When comparing March 2014 with March 2015, there’s a 115% increase in organic traffic!
Will a New Website Increase My Conversion Rate?
Again, a new website alone does not necessarily increase conversion rate. Ideally, you should always be testing to improve your website’s conversion rate (even after your new site launches).
There is a benefit, however, in working with a team experienced in designing lead-generation websites. Take a look:
In a year and half of launching the new website, the client is now enjoying a 131% increase in goal completions.
Need a New Website?
If you’re in the market for a new website, make us your first call. Blue Corona specializes in building affordable, high-performance lead generation websites.
From design to content, our team will handle it all. Give us a call or fill out a contact form today.
About The Author: Blue Corona's Editorial Staff is determined to help you increase your leads and sales, optimize your marketing costs, and differentiate your brand by passing on our tribal knowledge. The team vigilantly stays on top of the latest in digital marketing, bringing you the top insights with expert commentary. Want to see something on our blog you haven't seen yet? Shoot us an email and our marketing team will get to work.
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The information on this website is for informational purposes only; it is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. It does not constitute professional advice. All information is subject to change at any time without notice. Contact us for complete details.
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