If you JUST build it,
they will NOT come.

I take web design and development projects seriously. I don’t subscribe to the “if you build it, they will come” mindset. I take a holistic approach with regards to strategic planning, user experience, implementation, functionality, and constant marketing. With the high level of competition that exists today, as well as the advancements in web technology, I’m currently looking for companies or individuals who view their website as an online business that is scalable and will grow as it generates more leads, sells more products, improves customer service and builds customer loyalty.

How Much Does a Website Design Cost?


“How much is a website?” is by far the most common question I get. Well, creating a website is like building a custom house — you have to plan, budget, blueprint, design, build, add content, move in, announce your new address, invite friends, maintain and eventually update or add-on as needs change.

As with building a house, without knowing the details of a project, it is impossible to say how much a website costs. It’s not really JUST about the website – the valuation and price of the site should be proportionate to your expectations and measurements of success (response, metrics, ROI). That means, before a designer can give you an estimated cost, they should take note of all the client's specific needs like: strategy, design, functionality, content development and programming. By determining a project price based on your individual website specifics, it will allow them to give you the best possible price.

There are thousands of web designers, and finding one that fits YOUR needs is often confusing. Obviously, you neighbor who dabbles in HTML on the side is vastly different from a true web design partner who wants to help you grow your online business. Avoid the temptation to think of your web designer as someone performing a short-term, administrative task. Your designer should be someone that can successfully “sell” your company, business, or product online. The biggest single key to success in a website project is allocating the time to go through the planning and discovery process with your web design partner.

Prior to contacting web designers, take a bit of time to plan out what your website needs are. Knowing what you want out of your website will make it easier for the right designer to put together a detailed project scope and give you an accurate price for your website. As well, do some research and find out if the web designer specializes in the “if you build it, they will come” brochureware approach or the holistic, strategic approach that generates more leads, sells more products, improves customer service and builds customer loyalty.

Some questions to to ask yourself before searching for a web design partner:

  • Do you have an existing brand? If so, how important is your brand?
  • Do you have an existing logo?
  • Do you have a tagline?
  • Do you have a value proposition? Tell us why you, your products or your services are better than your competition.
  • What message is the website supposed to convey?
  • Who is your primary target audience? The primary age group of the audience? Their professions, disciplines, and interests? Describe your “average” visitor as best you can.
  • Who are your competitors? In addition to getting a good look at what key terms they may be targeting, take a look at these sites to get an idea of the features they are using and what the competition will be like in terms of SEO.
  • What are your business goals and objectives for the site? How will you know that your site is successful?
  • What are your user goals? Why do you think people will visit your site? When people don’t know you exist, why would they find you or happen upon your site? Why would they come back? If they do know you, why would they take the time to visit your site?
  • What subjects, in order of priority, do you want to cover on the website? Define at least five separate areas of subject matter and state what’s unique about your business.
  • Do you prefer a budget-concious template site? Or a custom designed site branded to your company?
  • Will your site need to generate business/leads/contacts/communicate/etc.?
  • Do you require a content management system to update your website yourself?
  • Do you need to get to the top of the search engine results to simply collect pageviews? Or do you need to actually convert traffic to business?
  • Do you need e-commerce or a simple Paypal button?
  • Will you be selling through a community site like Etsy?
  • Do you have site keywords for search engines?
  • Will you be writing content for successful search engine placement? Or do you need a copywriter?
  • Are serious about using your website as a marketing tool?
  • Do you have a marketing plan? Do you have a monthly Internet Marketing Budget?
  • Do you need a blog and social media plan?
  • Do you need custom or stock illustration or photography?
  • Are the your source materials in electronic form?
  • Do you need SEO (search engine optimization)?
  • How do you intend to attract traffic to your site?
  • Does the website need to be scalable?
  • Will you need a maintenance agreement?
  • Does the website need to be portable (i.e. can it be moved it off of a system)?
  • Have you purchased a domain name?
  • Do you have a hosting provider?
  • What look and feel would the client like for the website? The client should show the designer examples of websites they like and dislike.
  • Are there any collateral marketing materials that the website should be consistent with?
  • Do you require interactivity and/or multimedia?
  • How would you like to communicate with you visitors?

Website Pricing Tiers

$1,500 - $2,000

At this price level, a basic brochureware web presence would be based on a pre-existing template. A templated website design is a site that has already been created and is not unique to your company. This can often be completed by a single web designer because there is minimal programming to be done. Strategic consulting, branding, original illustration, content development, programming, e-commerce, database integration, Flash, marketing plan and SEO are not included.

$2,000 - $5,000

At this price level, a small attractive website is possible with limitations. If the requested features and graphical details are kept to a minimum, this price range can often include a simple Wordpress Content Management System (CMS) that allows for updates to the website on your own. Keep in mind, extensive design requests often requires the ommission of the CMS. As well, extensive feature requests often result in cutbacks of the graphical design. Strategic consulting, branding, original illustration, content development, e-commerce, database integration, Flash, marketing plan and SEO are not included. This would often require both a web designer and web developer.

$5,000 - $10,000

At this price level, a medium custom website is possible. The site will be a unique, professional design that is custom-tailored to your brand. This could include extras such as limited strategic consulting, branding, original illustration, content development and CMS. A marketing plan and SEO are not included. Your team will be fairly small with 2-5 people being typical.

$10,000 or more

Large custom sites with strategic planning, branding and advanced features belong in this range. At this price level, you are paying for the expertise and resources of a dedicated project manager who manages a team of agency professionals that work on your project.

E-mail me with your questions at kcoles@sbcglobal.net.


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