How much does a website cost?

How much does a website cost?

Several different technologies come together to deliver web applications to devices across the world, and each technology has a cost associated with it. To run a website you need the following

  1. Domain name: The URL of your website (i.e. “example.com”).
  2. Hosting: The computer your website “lives” on.
  3. Third party expenses: Payment gateways, premium plugins, etc…
  4. Website: An actual website to put on the host computer and connect to the URL and third party applications.

Domain

Domain names are acquired through a registrar, or a company that is licensed to sell internet domain names. Domains are like street addresses. They identify your position on the internet and make it easier for others to find you. Domains can be very cheap, or incredibly expensive depending on the perceived value of the domain. For example, “example.com” is more valuable than “ex-am-ple.com” because one is easier to identify intuitively than the other. Expect to pay between $5 and $25 a year for a standard domain name, but keep in mind that domains like “insurance.com” can go for as much as a million dollars a year or more!

Host

A host is merely a computer for your website to live on. This computer must be on all the time and fully up to date with the latest security updates and features, as well as maintain a constant connection to the internet. You could purchase a computer and host your own website, but I strongly recommend against it. Not only are you likely to have security issues, but you may end up paying more for a business internet connection anyway (Using incoming port 80 connections on your modem usually requires a business level internet connection). Hosting companies are very reasonably priced, and you should generally expect to pay between $50 and $250 a year to host your site. At $50 a year don’t expect any support though!

Third Party Expenses

Third party expenses include, but are not limited to, shopping cart software, payment gateways, subscription services like live chat customer service software, or any other kind of licensed software needed to create a business solution. Oftentimes these costs are associated with web-stores. Occasionally there will be a one time expense for the purchasing of a premium plugin or module for your site, but plugins usually cost less than $100, and they aren’t always needed.

Website

The burning question; “How much will my website cost?” Well… it’s tough to say. It all depends on what you want your website to do. Every website is a machine that performs a function, and it’s this function that determines the cost of the website. Contact us for a free consultation and estimate, and we’ll do our best to deliver the highest quality work at a cost that is reasonable for you.

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