How much should i spend on a website?
Designing a website is a huge investment for any business, large or small. It can take around 3-6 months to develop a fully functioning website, whether achieved through using a ‘website builder’ yourself, like Wix or Squarespace, or through hiring a website designer. Although estimated figures may be given on designers’ websites or brochures, it’s difficult to know what to expect when paying for your own site to be developed. There are multiple factors to consider when identifying the right amount to spend on establishing an online presence for your business and in this post, we aim to give you guidance on this decision process.
It is no surprise that web presence is the quickest and easiest way in today’s age to market your business and lead to financial success. Easy-to-use, purpose-focused sites are often those that optimise engagement and traffic the most, because they are accessible and succinct, but the requirements and preferred features will be different for every business. Budget is one important factor to consider when choosing any designer. It’s vital to remember that maintaining a website is a long-term investment rather than a one-time payment. Therefore, the price of site maintenance must also be taken into account whilst also acknowledging that, although the initial payment may seem expensive, the website will be a positive investment for your business and account for the majority of your marketing budget. Essentially, any business should be spending an amount proportional to its financial situation.
Clarifying your own needs for your website will give you a clearer idea of how much you should be spending on developing one. For example, why are you launching a website? This may be for e-commerce, blog posts or basic contact information. How will your site be used by internet browsers? There are certain features you are likely to want to incorporate into the build so that your clients can access information easily and so that your website will maintain a bespoke, polished feel for reflecting professionalism. What features do you most value when using a website yourself? A good start to any website development involves the gathering of inspiration, so browsing the internet and identifying key features you would like to include or avoid on your own website will steer you towards the level of designer you may require. Some website developers will be objectively better than others, but a simple website build may only require a low-level designer. Similarly, your business may need multiple pages with specialised features that only extremely experienced website design companies can accommodate. However, the size of the company still may not reflect their pricing structures, so obtaining quotes from different designers will help to gauge how much you may need to spend.
Statistically, business advisors recommend allocating anywhere between 5% and 10% of your gross revenue to marketing, and 50% of this marketing budget should go towards developing an online presence. Once again, every business is unique, so these calculations may not be the best option for your business. However, let’s take a look at an example: if a business has a gross revenue of £40 000, theoretically they should allocate between £4000 and £2000 to marketing, of which between £2000 and £1000 should go towards online presence. This includes the initial downpayment of launching the site, such as the purchase of a domain name, hosting and SSL certificate, but also the long-term maintenance. These calculations may provide an insight into the amount you should expect to spend.
‘Free’ website builders may at first seem appealing and an easy option. However, these websites do not possess the unique and sophisticated nature of those built by a designer because they often advertise their own software through your website and use generic templates. It can also be deceiving because, in order to run efficiently, website builders sometimes require a monthly payment to maintain the site. Hiring a website designer enables complete control over the customisation and complexity of a professional website build. Meanwhile, website designers are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to cope with the technical and coding requirements of more complex builds.
Calculating how much to spend on a website requires a multifaceted approach, focusing on the requirements of your business and budget, as well as the type and level of designer you wish to hire, if any. Take a look at our ‘How to choose a website designer’ post for more information regarding identifying the best website developer for you. In short, there is no simple answer to how much you should spend on a website. The answer relies on the aims of your marketing strategies and the intentions for your business. We recommend contacting website designers to discover the range of prices you may expect to pay. Contact us at Orangedot Media today to start talking to our team and receive a quote for designing your website.
