What Would It REALLY Cost Me For A Web Site?

Many people ask me this question all the time, "What would it REALLY cost me for a web site?" I wondered the same thing before I became a web owner. But it was hard to get a clear answer. Now I know why. Prices run all over the place.

Plus, you need to have a clear idea of ALL the costs that are part of getting a web site, not just cost for a web designer. You'll find guidelines and price ranges in this article for all the services that you, as a new web owner, will need.

These guidelines for costs are based on the assumption that you're a small business owner or a sole proprietor on a budget.

Here's a run-down of the cost for basics you'll need:

1. How much will it cost to register your domain name?

You'll need to register a domain name at any of the many domain services on the web. Prices range from $12.95/yr - $35/yr for the same service. See http://www.secure domains.com and
http://www.000domains.com for $12.95/yr. Another low-cost registrar is godaddy.com.

2. How much will it cost to design your site?

Prices range all over the place: for a 4-page site, I've been quoted from $400 to $5000 for the same features!

Web designers either charge by 1) the hour or 2) the page. Some charge by the project. Make sure you understand the designer's pricing structure.

Reasonable per page charges are $85-150 per page for a good designer. Project quotes vary depending on the complexity of the design and layout.

Assuming a 5-page site, consider a $450-600 price range for a site with basic design elements. For special forms and other features, the price will increase.

The key is to get a good web designer because you can pay the same amount of money for someone who is mediocre. Just because the person is an expert in html doesn’t mean they really know what they’re doing.

They may know html, but that’s only part of what a good designer knows.

You have two other options to consider if you don't want to hire a designer to start from scratch:

One option is to get a ready-made web site template. Choosing a ready-made template for your web site has some advantages:

1) Prices tend to be less when you choose among ready-made templates.

2) Ready made templates allow you to get your web site online quickly, often in as little as 24 hours.

For an excellent discount on professional web site templates, see Private Practice Marketing
http://www.private-practice-marketing.com emplates.html. Ordering a ready-made template means that you are choosing a web site design from among a selection of pre-made designs.

At Private Practice Marketing, http://www.private-practice-marketing.com emplates.html,
you get the license to your design when you purchase the template which means that no one else will have the same web site design that you do. Not all sites give you the license when you
purchase the template so make sure you ask.

Another option is to get the only really good tool that does it all for you. No html needed. Beware of any fake imitations. Sitebuildit! really does all the research, including the right key words for your site plus other tedious steps that take excessive time when you do them manually. See it here: http://www.private-practice-marketing.com/marketing.htm.

The other design cost is frequent updates to your site to keep it fresh and interesting to your visitors.

When people visit your site again in a month or so, they expect a business to offer new content, similar to the way a store changes its display windows and rotates merchandise.

If you don't keep your site fresh, what does that say about how serious and legitimate you are as a web business owner?

You can do site updates weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Work out a special rate with your designer for this when that person does your original site design.

3. How much will it cost to host your site?

You can expect to pay a monthly fee to a hosting company to host your site. Some companies only quote a quarterly rather than monthly fee, so you'll need to translate that into a monthly cost.

Typical fees range from $9.95-19.95/month. I use http://www.realmarketing.com for $9.95/month for AttractClients.com, and Stoco.net for $10.95/month for Private Practice Marketing.com. I'm very happy with their services. Stoco.net is loaded with useful features, unusual for that price.

Your hosting cost will increase if you want extra services like a shopping cart or secure server, for example. These items can increase your cost to $45 or more per month.

There are many Web hosting providers that are willing to provide hosting starting with 50gb of web space. You can also compare different Web hosting providers on these sites: www.webhostdir.com, www.hostfinders.com, www.hostindex.com, www.hostsearch.com, and www.findahost.com.

Ask friends and colleagues for recommendations for good hosting services.

4. How much will it cost to create the headlines and text for your site?

I recommend a simple source because it gives you straight information that shows you how to write copy for the web.

Writing copy for the web is totally different than writing for the print media. So even if you are a good writer, your copy will not attract visitors unless you know how to write specifically for the web.

Get the single best downloadable ebook that teaches you how to do it and gives away the copywriters' secrets. This very affordable ebook will really teach you how to Make Your Words Sell. Learn how to do it yourself for about $20. See: http://myws.sitesell.com/mia123.html

When you learn how to do it yourself, you realize two major benefits:

1) Save the cost of hiring someone each month to keep your site fresh and updated.

2) Save the cost of hiring someone when you decide to add new sites later on.

Best of all, you KNOW how to do it, anytime!

In short, don't expect to create headlines and text with impact unless you use a good resource.

Words are very important online and text must be written in a way to have impact during those 1-2 seconds that you have to get a visitor's attention.

Without the right headlines and text, that visitor is gone with a click of the mouse.

5. How much will it cost for a merchant account?

You'll need a merchant account if you're serious about doing business on the web. A merchant account enables you to accept purchases online.

Merchant accounts have a number of fees and here are some guidelines:

Monthly statement fee $15 - $25

Internet gateway software $25 - $50

Annual fee $25 - $50

Discount rate 2.0% - 3.0%

Per transaction fee $.30 - $.50

As an alternative, you could set up an account with ibill at http://www.ibill.com or paypal at
http://www.paypal.com. Check their sites for detailed information. Some people say that overall ibill and paypal are less expensive than merchant accounts but you'll need to compare "apples to apples" based on your business needs.

There you have it! Plan your budget based on your basic needs and remember, leave a cushion for unanticipated expenses, like those "bells and whistles" you want to add to your site after you're online a while.

I wish you abundant success and much joy as a new web owner!