What Does It Really Cost?
How much does it REALLY cost to build a website? is one of the most asked questions you’ll I find online, whether it is a “FREE” platform or a web design agency, the truth is, costs for building a site can vary significantly, as it mostly depends on your budget and business goals.
Let’s break down websites into a few different budget categories shall we?
Build a small website with a minimal budget
Build an advanced website with more features
Build an online store
Build a custom-built website
Have one built for you
So What Tools Do You Need to Build a Website?
You don’t need have to hire a professional developer to build a website. Even for those who are not very tech savvy, building any type of website on a budget can be achieved using different tools available on the web.
Having said that, knowing what tools you’ll need to build a site, is another thing altogether, as chances are you’ll overspend your budget on things that you’ll never need.
So, to answer the question, what type of tools would I need to get started? . Well lets break it down a bit shall we?
Relevant Domain name (e.g. Google.com, facebook.com)
Website builder (e.g. WordPress, Wix, Weebly)
Secure Web hosting (Hostgator, Godaddy)
Your Sites Domain Name
Your domain name is your site’s address on the internet, like Google.com or facebook.com, it’s what visitors type into their browsers to access your website.
Once you register a domain name, you’ll get the right to use that name for your website for a year. You will need to renew your domain, from your domain name registrar if you want to keep the name for your site.
Website Builder
Whether a beginner or a developer, you’ll need to use a website builder to make a website. A website builder makes it easy to create a website, with the look and layout you want, but remember, not all builders are created equal. Some, particularly the “free” type, only offer limited functions, so the style, look and functionality of your site, can be less than what you are hoping for.
Web Hosting
Web hosting is like the home of your website. This is where you store the content and files of your website. So it works like this..
When a visitor tries to access your website by typing in your web address (domain name), then they’ll be directed to the website files stored on your web hosting server.
The term web hosting refers to the company that rents out their computer/servers to host your website and provides internet connectivity to ensure your website is available online around the clock.
There are a lot of different types of web hosting services such as shared hosting, VPS or virtual private server, WordPress hosting, blog hosting, dedicated hosting etc. When you’re starting out, we recommend you to choose shared hosting which is ideal for most website owners in terms of affordability and needs.
How Much Would Building A Typical Website Set You Back?
Depending on your needs, website development costs anywhere between $100 and $500. If you need a feature-rich, custom-built website, it can go as high as $30,000 or more.
To build a small website, you’ll need to have a budget for the domain name and web hosting. A domain name usually costs around $14.99 – $40 per year and web hosting around $4.99 – $49.99 per month. Altogether, starting a site can cost you as low as $60 – $600 annually. As you can see, costs vary depending on what your needs.
The combined cost of domain name and hosting may be quite expensive for you, especially if you’re just starting out.
That’s why we’ve worked out a deal just for taking the time to read this post, as Justin so nicely explained!!
