Whether you’re launching an ecommerce brand, building a portfolio or looking to move your project online, one of the first hurdles you’ll encounter is how much to budget for your website.
Working out the ballpark cost to build a website can be pretty daunting if you’re new on the scene – from sorting your SSL certificate to choosing a CMS, there’s a lot of different factors to juggle. So with this in mind, here’s our guide to all the key costs you need to factor into your budget right from the get-go when planning your website project.
How much does it cost to build a website in 2022?
As you might have guessed, there’s no one answer to this question. With so many moving parts to think about and decisions to make, websites can vary hugely in terms of both build and running costs. For a basic website with 5-10 pages, you could pay as little as £100 a year for build and upkeep, whereas a complex ecommerce site with sophisticated search functionality and secure payment methods might cost you upwards of £10,000.
Ultimately, website build costs depend on the nature and needs of your project, as well as how you choose to build it – be it with a freelancer, website builder or as a DIY job. The good news is that these decisions are yours to make, so you’ll have some control over how much your site will cost.
What are the core components of a website build?
Let’s take a quick look at the core components you’ll need to consider when you’re working out costs:
- Domain: this is the central part of the URL for your site. It’s effectively your website’s name, so it’s crucial you buy the right one.
- SSL certificate: every site needs an SSL to guarantee that any online communications are secure and encrypted.
- CMS: while a CMS isn’t mandatory, most sites are built on them, with a whopping 39.5% of all websites using WordPress alone.
- Web hosting: a web hosting plan can make running your site a lot more manageable, especially with an expert provider like us.
- Content: all successful websites need strong, relevant copy and content that meets user intentions and clearly signposts the site’s offering.
- Design: you’ll need a theme, layout, concept and wireframing for your site, but you can get these via a website builder if you’re on a budget.
- Marketing: from social media to PPC and display ads, marketing your site can cost as little or as much as you choose.
The different ways to build a website
Now we’ve laid out the biggest expenses, it’s worth noting that there are effectively four different ways you can go about building a website. The approach you choose will probably depend on your budget, the complexity of the site you need, as well as how much time you’ve got.
1. Outsource the build to a web designer
Hiring a freelance web designer is one of the pricier options, but if you’ve got the budget to spend, and a project sizable enough to warrant it, this could be the right choice. Outsourcing to a qualified professional will give you complete control over every aspect of the build, with little to no technical knowledge required on your part.
2. Use an agency
As the most expensive choice, using an agency is simply out of reach financially for a lot of smaller companies or sole traders. But it does also mean outsourcing most of the stress in the lead up to launch. You can still have a creative input, and you’ll usually get access to a whole team, so you can really make the most of the different skill sets on board.
3. Use a website builder
A website builder is a smart, affordable option, perfect for small to medium sized businesses which lack the resource or expertise to tackle the build in house. A quality website builder will provide all the necessary tools to handle each stage of the build right up to launch day, with plenty of customisation available to make your site stand out, as well as analytics to help you measure performance.
4. Have a go at building the site yourself
This is the cheapest option – no surprises there. But if you’re going to build your own website, you’ll likely need to have a strong background in web design or development to do your project justice. Helpful areas of expertise include (but aren’t limited to) things like…
- HTML, CSS and JavaScript
- UX, UI and CRO
- Mobile optimisation
- SEO best practices
- SQL and PHP
If you’re really determined to build your site from scratch with no prior knowledge, be prepared for it to come at a high cost in terms of personal labour.
The cost of building a website broken down
But how do these three options compare when it comes to pricing up the specifics? Here’s a table of the core components for building a website, broken down by cost.
|
Component |
Web builder |
Web designer |
Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain | £0 (included) | £10+ p.a. | £10+ p.a. |
| SSL | £0 (included) | £50+ p.a. | £50+ p.a. |
| Web hosting | £0 (included) | £3-50 pcm | £3-50 pcm plus service charge |
| Themes | £0 (included) | £50-200 | £200+ |
| Cost of build | £5-50 pcm | £1,000-5,000 | £3,000-10,000 |
| Ongoing costs | £50-100 p.a. | £100-1,000 p.a. | £300-2,000 p.a. |
