Do you need a website and have no idea how much it will cost?*
Find out about the DIFFERENT ELEMENTS you need to build your website and where you can SAVE.
DOMAIN NAME - $10-$20/yr
If you want your business to have it's own website address there is no way around buying a domain name. (yourcompanyname.com.au) Lucky it is not expensive, it's more about finding the name you want is available.
Do you have a domain name in mind? Check availability on Godaddy.com.
BE AWARE domain providers offer the first year much cheaper, following years are often more expensive.
HOSTING - from around $80-$240/yr
Your website needs to be saved somewhere to be accessible for others. You will need a space on a 'server'. These servers are owned by third party companies.
Hosting is like rent you need to pay for your website to live on a server owned by a third party.
image from http://tutorials.jenkov.com/html4/the-web.html
Hosting companies with a fantastic reputation are Siteground and Bluehost.
BE AWARE hosting quality is important. It is worthwhile spending a bit extra for improved SPEED, SECURITY and great CUSTOMER SRVICE in case your website is hacked or not working.
If you don't know anything about hosting talk to your website designer and they will get this up and running for you. There are a range of cost options depending on the extent and complexity of the website.
WEB DESIGN - from around $500
Web Design usually includes the layout of your website, pages, theme, colours, structure, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) etc.
Hire a website designer of your choice. Cost depends on how many pages are required for your website. If you want a customised website with your input it will cost from around $500.
Of course there are cheaper offers out there. Just make sure it is a customised site with SEO and security SSL certificate. Also check for customer service and how much they charge for additional items on your website - like contact form, shop, blog, booking form etc.
TEXT / COPY - from $40/hr
You will have to provide TEXT / information about your business to your web designer as they don't have a clue on what your business is about, what services you offer and why you want to stand out.
Text for your website is essential to engage visitors. It also helps your web designer to make sure your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is effective. SEO is important so people can find you on Search Engines like GOOGLE.
FREE The content for your website doesn't have to cost anything if you provide it yourself.
You can also hire a copywriter. They usually charge from $40-60/hr.
Professional Stock IMAGES - from $15
Let's be honest, your business will look unprofessional if you use blurry and bad images.
You are an amazing photographer or have a friend that is? Cool. Then this won't cost you anything. Another option is to download high resolution FREE IMAGES. Check Unsplash.com.
To be unique I recommend to pay for your main image that represents your business. There is nothing more embarrassing than your competitor using the same images as you!
Professional stock images are available online, but to get the images you want at a reasonable price you commonly require a subscription.
Your web designer usually has the appropriate subscription so you can get the images from them for a good price without signing up for anything.
You want to do it all yourself?
Use Website Builder Software - from $190/yr
If you want to design your own website with one of the online WEBSITE BUILDERS like Wix, Squarespace or Webbly, hosting is included in their yearly fee. So you get to use their design platform and hosting from around $190/year.
You will still have to buy your domain name.
FREE: The website builder WIX offers free website design, but you will have ads and a wix domain. (yourbusinessname.wixsite.com.au)
With WIX you can take as much time as you need to build your own website for free. They only charge you when you upgrade to a paid plan starting from around $16/month.
SUMMARY
*COSTS to run a basic website (4 pages like Home, About, Services, Contact)
*All costs/pricing quoted above are estimates only.
DOMAIN - from $10-$20/yr
HOSTING - from $80-$y240/yr (make sure it is save, fast and has great customer service!)
WEBDESIGN - from $500 (basic website site)
FREE with website builders like WIX , Squarespace or Webbly if you design yourself.
TEXT - from $40/hr for professional copy writer
FREE - write your own content
IMAGES - from $15/ea. for a professional stock image
FREE - use your own images or download free from internet (like Unsplash.com)
Of course there are completely free website options available, but they come with third party ads, non dedicated domain names and are limited in their capability and design.
TIGRIS WebDesign has flexible pricing options to work with your budget. We offer different website design platforms like Wordpress, Divi, Wix or Squarspace to match your needs.