One question we get asked a lot is how much a WordPress website is going to cost. This is one of the most asked questions, and you can find the starting prices on our webdesign service page. What you don’t see on that page, is what really goes into the cost of your WordPress website. Let’s break it down.
What do you really need?
A website with requested functionalities, website hosting, domain name and great content.
WordPress Website
It’s one of the top Content Management Systems (CMS) available and one of the most affordable. The core software for a WordPress site is free, but how much the site will cost you depends on several factors. Ultimately, the cost of your website depends on your goals and the tools you need to add to achieve them. Let’s break down some of these costs to help you avoid overspending and help you maximize your efforts.
There are a lot of working pieces that come together to make a functional website. It is advisable to start small and then build the website out to accommodate your business needs. Here’s a look at the various elements that go into building a WordPress website and the associated costs.
How Much Does Website Hosting Cost?
Choosing a web hosting service is one of the most important choices you’ll make. Think of web hosting as where your site lives on the internet. Every website needs a web host, and there are tons of choices. There is a wide variety of hosting plans to choose from, you’ll just need to choose one that fits your requirements and your budget. WordPress can be used on most hosting environments and prices can range from about $15 per month to several hundreds of dollars. It depends on the package you choose. Shared hosting is cheaper than totally managed WordPress hosting. Choose your hosting wisely because you get what you are paying for.
We recommend using WPEngine; they are a dedicated provider for WordPress websites. Most of our clients need the Lite or the Startup package. If you don’t want to deal with a hosting provider, we offer website Care Packages, that include website hosting.
How Much Does a Domain Name Cost and Why Do I Need One?
Every business site will need its own domain name, and you’ll need to purchase it from a domain name registrar. Having your own domain such as yourbusinessname.com looks professional and helps search engines find you when a user searches for your business name or related services. You should be able to get a unique domain name for less than $20 per year. Some hosting plans do include a free domain name. We recommend Namecheap.com to register a new domain.
What will the Website Design Cost Me?
No matter what type of site you are designing eCommerce or a blog, your design can make or break it. If you are setting up a digital storefront, it’s essential to invest in professional web design. The cost of a professionally designed site depends on the features included. Expect to pay between $3,000 and $15,000. This is an investment that will pay off in time.
– Website Template – There are free website templates and themes available from WordPress. There are also many available to purchase. The problem with using pre-designed templates is that you don’t have the variability you may need and it can limit the features and plugins that are available.
– Website Features – A professional designer uses programming skills to provide you with the features you want. Themes and templates don’t always offer to add features like sliders, banners, a photo gallery, or a contact form.
Types of Free and Paid WordPress Plugins
You’ll have to have a web hosting service in place and a well-designed site before you start looking at plugins. There are a lot of great free plugins to enhance your site. Most of the free plugins provide a free version so you can use it for a while before deciding if it’s a good fit for your site. Plugins add advanced functionality to your site. Some are designed to enhance search engine optimization, provide site visitor analytics, book appointments, or process payments. Most of them have a free version that provides some functionality. They also offer premium versions with advanced functionally that you could not get from the free version. They usually range from about $5 to $100 per month. There are a few that are paid annually and some with just a one-time fee.
If you choose our monthly website care plan to guard your investment, our monthly fee includes the fee for all the plugins on your website.
Do I Need Copywriting Services?
Do you want to write your content?
If you are good at writing and have the time to create your website content, go for it!
It would save you money for sure, but will take a lot of time. Most web designers are willing to guide you through a process to help you create your own content page by page. The advantage of writing your content is that you know your business the best, and you know your target market and how to talk to them. But you are not a copywriter. Writing for a website and being persuasive is different from talking to your customers.
A good copywriter leads your visitors through a journey to encourage them to choose your service.
Website copywriting fees vary greatly. Expect to pay between $100 and $1,000 per page. That’s a broad price range that is the result of a number of factors. Some things that affect website copy price include the page length and topic. It also depends on the writer or agency. You’ll pay more for more experienced writers or copywriting agencies. Their background and skill levels also influence pricing.
( We include several pages of custom copywriting into our webdesign packages to make life easier for our clients)
Why Hire a Professional When You Can Do It on Your Own?
There are a lot of things you can do on your own when designing a WordPress website. Free options for templates and plugins make it very appealing to try tackling it on your own. The question is not so much if you can build your own website, but should you?
Your website represents you, your brand, your voice, or your company. It’s the way you interact with others on one level or another. If your website is difficult to understand or to navigate, you’ll lose that connection. If it’s a business site, you’ll lose business and revenue. Think about these four things when considering whether or not you should hire a professional website designer.
· A designer can create a custom website that will meet all your needs, expectations, and capabilities you need. Creating your own site with a provided template will limit your capabilities and restrict your text and graphics.
· Web designers know how to do more than create a stunning fully functional site. They also know how to optimize your site for search engines so it can be found and made visible to potential site visitors.
· Hiring a professional web designer who knows what they are doing can mean your site is completed quickly and efficiently. There are many roadblocks when designing your own site, especially if you haven’t done it before. A pro can save you lots of time and money.
· Professional designers stay up with the current trends in website design and technology. They understand search engine functionalities and coding. When you hire a pro, you are ensuring your site is equipped with the latest technology needed for both the development and maintenance of your site.
Final Thoughts
It may seem like you are saving a lot of money to create a DIY website. Hiring a pro can seem like quite the upfront investment. But hiring someone who knows what they are doing increases the likelihood that your site will be a success and that outweighs your initial cost by a long shot. Having a stellar website helps your business, improves your visitor’s experience, and increases the lifetime value of your customers or visitors.
Once you decided to start a website project, it may be a good idea to get some quotes for a professional design. The extra cost would save you time and stress and give you a professional result.
