Why does a simple website costs more than €3000
Do you know how much a website costs or have you ever wondered why a simple website, called a brochure-style website, costs at least €3000?
The Complexity of Websites
We often evaluate a website based on its design, similar to how we might judge a visually appealing window-shop or a book cover. However, a design is just one aspect of creating a website, and there are many other components involved.
Although a website may seem simple on the surface, numerous factors contribute to making it work and can result in significant costs. A website requires a lot of work behind the scenes that you may not notice as a user. Creating a website involves planning, designing, developing, programming, testing, launching and maintenance. All of these steps require specialized skills and tools.
- The first thing to know is that a website requires a place to exist on the internet, much like renting a house. This service is known as hosting, and, similar to rental properties, the cost of hosting services can vary depending on various factors with features that can influence the price. Investing in a high-quality hosting service may result in higher costs, but the hosting provider directly impacts the performance of your website.
- The structure of a website is not visually apparent when visiting a website. It can be likened to the foundation of a house. Building a solid foundation necessitates work and expertise. The technology used to build this foundation is directly linked to the various functionalities and associated features, which can rapidly escalate the cost.
- A professional website demands a combination of skills, expertise, and experience. It takes years for a qualified developer to acquire the necessary knowledge and proficiency in IT and programming languages.
- Even a simple website needs to be optimized to work correctly on different devices like smartphones and tablets. These factors necessitate thorough testing and adjustments.
- Enhancing a website’s visibility on search engines like Google calls for technical expertise and the need to stay updated in the rapidly evolving IT field, known for its fast-paced growth.
- Protecting your website from hackers requires investment in security measures.
- Your website needs high-quality content to be attractive and appealing. The associated budget can increase significantly when outsourcing high-quality content such as text, images, and videos.
- Once the website is completed and launched, the work is never finished. Websites require regular updates to maintain performance, visibility, and functionality.
We must consider these factors not only in terms of complexity but also in the context of selecting the optimal platform for the online presence.
Choosing the Right Platform
However, the question arises when considering the array of internet platforms that claim to be free. Platforms like Wix and Squarespace, often referred to as no-code platforms, offer free design options, but the moment you wish to use your own website domain name, a membership fee becomes necessary. This fee can range from €10 per month to as high as €100 per month, and it restricts you to a predefined design without much room for customization.
On the other hand, WordPress is a widely popular choice, but it comes with a steeper learning curve. However, the advantage of WordPress is its extensive customization capabilities. There are countless articles available online to help you decide which platform to choose, but through experience, we’ve come to realize that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer.
Wix is a viable option but lacks advanced customization features and can become expensive when opting for the full package, although it doesn’t require coding skills. WordPress is a powerful choice but can be costly, especially if you invest in various plugins and themes. It excels in SEO capabilities (we’ll talk about this).
So, which one should you choose? This decision is challenging for everyone, even those who are tech-savvy, because nobody wants to get stuck in a situation where they’re forced to redo everything, especially when it’s not their primary focus. That’s why we’ve decided to offer free website to help alleviate this dilemma.
There are so many more details to create a website; some of them are very technical, and this article does not aim to overwhelm you with technical jargon. Building a website is not easy and takes work, and even if you come across an attractive price, several factors must be considered. These factors directly affect your website’s performance. For people without an IT background, identifying and understanding these aspects can be challenging.
Enhancing Marketing Reach
Simply having a website doesn’t automatically bring in customers; that’s a well-established fact. If you view your website as a digital brochure, it serves its purpose, but the challenge lies in attracting visitors who convert into customers. Relying solely on a website isn’t enough; this is where the importance of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) comes into play. SEO is the key to securing higher rankings, particularly on search engines like Google. If you aim to be at the forefront of search results when someone is seeking your services, it necessitates an investment of both money and time.
This is where the adaptability of your chosen platform becomes crucial. Platforms like Wix may impose limitations unless you’re prepared to commit to a substantial monthly fee, and even then, there’s no guarantee of achieving top rankings on Google.
In contrast, WordPress offers a more cost-effective solution. While it’s not entirely free, it requires a relatively modest investment. You don’t need to spend a fortune to test the viability of your customer acquisition strategy.
This is why many people opt to learn how to use WordPress instead of initially choosing Wix and later migrating to WordPress. However, it’s worth noting that as your business flourishes, you might find the investment of 100 euros per month for services like Wix justifiable.
User experience is expensive
User experience, often referred to as UX, is a critical part of building a website that’s easy and enjoyable for everyone to use. It’s not just about how a website looks but also how it works. When you visit a website, you want it to be user-friendly, responsive, and helpful. This means it should be easy to find what you’re looking for, load quickly, and work well on phones and tablets too. Another important aspect is making sure the website can be used by people with disabilities. A good user experience keeps people on a website longer and helps them do what they came to do, like making a purchase or getting in touch.
Think about it this way: have you ever left a website because it was full of annoying ads, didn’t display properly, or you couldn’t find what you needed? Nowadays, we often decide within seconds whether we like a website or not. So, it’s a good idea to make sure websites offer a similar and smooth experience so people don’t feel lost when they switch from one site to another. What really matters most – is it that a site looks fancy, or is it more important that people can easily find what they need? Ideally, it’s a combination of both, a website that’s attractive and useful.
Evaluating Website Quotes
One thing is certain: when an agency quotes less than €3000 for a brochure-style website, it’s probable that they are making compromises that could result in unfavorable outcomes. As for freelancers, the cost might vary depending on the hours invested, but if a website project exceeds one week with 40 hours or more of work, it’s likely to approach the €3000 range at a rate of €600 per day. If you come across a website offering priced under €1000, it’s safe to say that the quality might not meet your expectations.
Lifespan
Research suggests that, on average, a website’s lifespan is approximately 2 years and 7 months. Clearly, this is an average, and it may not be applicable to every organization.
Breakdown
- Domain Name: This is the web address (e.g., www.yourwebsite.com). The cost varies, but it’s usually around €10 to €50 per year.
- Web Hosting: Hosting costs depend on the type and quality of hosting you choose. Shared hosting can start at around €3 to €10 per month, while dedicated hosting or cloud hosting can be more expensive, ranging from €20 to €100+ per month.
- Web Design and Development: The cost for design and development can vary greatly based on the complexity of your website. A simple, basic website might cost around €1000 to €3,500, while more complex and custom sites can cost €1,000s to €10,000s.
- Content Creation: If you need professional content, such as text, images, or videos, costs can vary. You might hire a copywriter, photographer, or videographer, which can add €100s to €1,000s. to your budget.
- E-commerce Features: Just as a FYI, if you’re running an e-commerce website, there will be additional costs for setting up an online store, which can range from €1,000 to €10,000 or more, depending on the size and complexity.
- Maintenance and Updates: It’s important to consider ongoing maintenance and updates, which can cost a few €100s to €1000s per year.
- SEO and Marketing: If you want to promote your website, you may need to budget for search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing costs, which can vary widely depending on your goals and strategies, probably €1,000s to €10,000s.
- Legal and Compliance: Depending on your business, you might need legal and compliance services, like privacy policy creation or GDPR compliance, which can cost a €100s or more.
- Additional Features: Any additional features, like a private accounts or membership systems, can add to the cost €1,000s to €10,000s.
What do we provide?
- Domain Name: No, It must be you. You should or must be the owner of your own name.
- Web Hosting: yes.
- Web Design and Development: yes.
- Content Creation: We can certainly give it a try but nobody knows your business better than you do.
- E-commerce Features: Now, no. Yes, in the future.
- Maintenance and Updates: yes.
- SEO and Marketing: SEO, yes. Marketing Possibly in the future, but we’ll be here to provide our support.
- Legal and Compliance: yes.
- Additional Features: Now, no. Yes in the future.
The Ongoing Expense
Indeed, a website developed using platforms like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace can cost around €3000 or more, along with an annual subscription fee when created and managed by an agency. However, are you prepared to roll up your sleeves and delve into something unfamiliar just to save money? Keep in mind that the time you spend on this endeavor might be time taken away from working with your customers, which may not be the most cost-effective solution in the long run.
To summarize, the cost of a website is never a one-time expense. As mentioned earlier, hosting and features entail a subscription, an annual fee that must be renewed yearly.
sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/03/01/your-websites-life-span-may-be-shorter-than-you-think/
https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/website-lifespan-and-you/
