If you’re considering investing in a new website design for your business, one of the first questions you’re likely to ask is, “How much should a website cost?”

Hey, we don’t blame you. Pricing is important to all of us. And even if your budget is flexible, you probably want to know the going rate for a good website — because you don’t want to get gouged on price (nor do you want to pay too little for a subpar site!).

To give you a better idea of the industry standard, we’re sharing the key factors that contribute to website cost, what you can expect to pay for a great website, and even how to monetize your website to recoup some of that cost. Let’s dive in!

1. The Key Factors That Contribute to Website Cost

To begin with, you need to know that there are several line items at play in your website cost — and several factors that play into each of those line items. You will probably not enter your credit card information just once.

Any website requires at least three key elements:

1. Domain name: Your website’s address on the internet (e.g. GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.)
2. Website hosting: Where your website’s content is stored (e.g. BlueHost, WP Engine, etc.)
3. Website builder: The platform used to create and manage your website (e.g. Showit, Squarespace, etc.)

Beyond that, unless you’re planning to DIY everything, you’ll need to pay for one or more of the following services:

• Website design: What your website will look like 
• Website development: How your website is built (including ecommerce functionality)
• Website copy: The words on your website
• Website branding: The logos, photos, and other imagery on your website
• Website marketing: How you promote your website (including SEO)
• Website maintenance: How you upkeep and edit your website

…And then, beyond that, there are multiple factors that can cause those services to fluctuate in price, such as:

1. The size of your project: Do you need one page, five pages, 50 pages, or more? How much content will be on those pages?
2. The complexity of your project: Do you require complicated features, like custom animation or product pages? Or do you just need some simple words on a page?
3. The expertise of the service provider: Will you hire someone who is highly skilled, experienced, and professional? Or are you willing to sacrifice that proficiency for a lower cost?
4. Content migration: Are you moving content from another website or source (and if so, how much)? Or are you starting completely from scratch?
5. Level of support: How many meetings or rounds of revisions will you require? Do you expect to receive training or ongoing support after the site is launched?

…And that’s just the beginning.

With all these factors contributing to website cost, it’s no wonder there’s confusion about how much a business should expect to pay for a website design or redesign!

2. What a Great Website Should Cost

Clearly, “How much should a website cost?” is not an easy question to answer.

Here’s a breakdown of the price range you can expect to pay per factor that contributes to website cost:

• Domain name: $2 – $20+ (per year)
• Website hosting: $2 – $50+ (per year)
• Website builder: $0 – $60+ (per month)
• Website services (design, development, copy, etc.): $300 – $12,000+

We know, we know… those aren’t exactly clear-cut costs. But that’s because there truly aren’t any clear-cut costs in the website world. 

Especially when it comes to website services, costs fluctuate widely. Between your college-aged cousin who will work for free so she can build her portfolio to a renowned web design agency that can afford to charge $150,000 or more, website cost is pretty much the wild west!

If you’re just starting out, working within a budget, or simply overwhelmed by all the information, we recommend choosing an affordable option like Showit. Our website plans start at just $19 per month, and we’ll even cover the cost of web hosting for you!

Beyond that, you’ll just need to buy your own domain (typically ~$20 per year) and, if you want, either a template design or professional design services to take your site to the finish line. 

Or, you can save that money and design your website yourself using a free template and our super-easy website builder. Trust us, even newbie designers can do it!

3. How to Monetize Your Website

Typically, you’ll recoup the cost of your website not long after launching, as you’ll use it to sell your products or services for many months to come.

But if you’re looking for additional ways to make money from your website, here are a few effective monetization strategies for websites:

• Affiliate marketing: Commissions from referrals
• Digital products: Ebooks, courses, website templates, etc.
• Paid subscriptions: Monthly memberships, exclusive emails, etc.
• Sponsored content: Blog posts, product reviews, etc.
• Gated content: Premium articles, videos, etc.

Your ability to monetize your website is limited only by your own creativity. So go ahead — get creative!

Get Started on Showit for Free!

If you really want to get creative, build a website on Showit: the platform that allows you complete creative freedom to design the website of your dreams (without complex code or a hefty cost!).

Start your free 14-day trial of Showit today (no credit card required) to see how we provide you with an affordable and exceptional website experience, from concept to launch and all the support throughout!