“How much will a website design cost?” it’s a very simple question and one that I get asked a lot. The answer, however, is always never as straightforward.

The first thing that I always reply with is…

“Do you see your new website as a cost burden to your business or as an investment?”

It may seem like a loaded question (and it is),  I’m usually met with a three-second pause and then in 99% of cases,  I hear “an investment”.

This is really the first thing you should try to do, realise that your website is part of your business, if done right it can help build your online presence and drive your sales. I understand that website design cost is always important,  but like any decision you make for your business it has to be cost-effective, give value for money and a return on what you’re putting into it.

This doesn’t address how much a website design costs though!

There are a number of factors that need to be considered to help your website developer understand what you’re trying to achieve and ultimately how much it will cost.

1. What is the nature of your business and what do you need the site to do?

This may sound obvious but it’s a great starting point.

The more your developer knows what you do and the products or services you offer the better they can advise you on the best course of action.

Any website company worth its salt will be able to offer you some great advice and talk to you about your options and more importantly LISTEN to your feedback.

2. In an ideal world, what will your website do for your business?

Again, this an obvious question, but in reality, people have different needs from a website.

Some want their website to compete with competitors and get the phone ringing, some need their website to act as an online brochure to supplement their sales efforts, some need to actually sell products online.  

Everyone has a different need and your developer should understand your aims, again advising you on the best approach. A website design cost will vary depending on the customer needs, the number of pages, the functionality of the website and a host of other factors.

3. Website structure and build.

At this point, it should be clear of who you are as a business and what you’re looking to achieve from your site. It’s at this point we’ll get to the nitty-gritty.

Taking in all the information, both you and your website company will have a clear objective.  They’ll be able to put together a plan of action for the website and an estimate of what it will likely cost website design.

4. Website design cost and budget

This is the number one concern each business owner has, and the reason for this blog. There is no right or wrong answer here, it’s what you can afford and what kind of investment you’re prepared to make to get the results you set out in your objective (see point three).

If your budget is way off your developer’s estimate (I’d really suggest you speak to at least three companies anyway) then you have a few of choices.

• Change your objective, starting smaller and getting something that can fit with what you can afford to pay to reduce website design costs to begin with. Talk to your developer and see what can be done. Adding to the site as time goes on.
• Re-evaluate your budget, knowing you’ll get exactly what you originally wanted.
• Look for alternative quotes from other suppliers.

The golden rules here is the same as with everything if it sounds too cheap, what are you actually getting? Work with someone that you trust and have a relationship with, do your research on your developer and look at past projects and reviews from clients and the most importantly do what is right for you and your business.

I’d love to be able give you a magic golden number on what a website design will cost but in reality without having an informal conversation about what’s involved to get you the response you need,  then I could be way off the mark. If you follow the above advice and your new developers are open and ask the right questions, you know you’re dealing with a good company. On the flipside, be very wary of any developers that can give you a cost in seconds without talking to you, even something that is relatively cheap, is expensive if it doesn’t get results.