As a company for website design, the TIEM Design team get lots of questions about website costs. People seem scared to find out how much a new one will cost and fear sneaky hidden charges. We are here to help!
Creating and maintaining a website is a vital part of running a successful business in today’s digital age. However, understanding the costs involved in yearly website maintenance can be challenging. This article will delve into the various aspects that influence the yearly cost of a website, making it clear how much you might expect to spend. Additionally, we’ll discuss how to choose the right company for website design to fit your budget and needs.
Understanding the Components of Website Costs
When considering the cost of a website per year, it’s essential to break down the different components that contribute to the overall expense. Here are some key factors to consider:
Domain Name Registration
The domain name is the web address where your site lives; for example, www.yourbusiness.com. The cost of registering a domain name typically ranges from £10 to £30 annually, depending on the registrar and the type of domain you choose (.com, .co.uk, etc.). Remember that this is a recurring cost, meaning you’ll need to budget for it every year.
Website Hosting Services
Web hosting is another crucial aspect of website costs. It involves storing your website files on a server to make them accessible on the internet. The prices for web hosting can vary significantly based on the hosting type you choose:
Shared Hosting: This is the most economical option, typically ranging from £125-200 per year. It’s suitable for small businesses or personal websites.
VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting: This option provides more resources and control, costing between £150 and £600 annually.
Dedicated Hosting: The pricier option, suitable for high-traffic websites, costing anywhere from £600 to over £1,500 per year
Selecting a reliable company for website design often goes hand-in-hand with your hosting decision, as many design companies offer their own hosting solutions. We offer a range of hosting solutions to suit your needs but we are also happy to work with your own provider! The benefits of us hosting a website that we build for you is that everything is under one roof.
Initial Development Costs
The cost of designing a website can range from £600 for a simple site to £10,000 or more for a complex, fully-fledged e-commerce site. These initial costs usually include design, development, and possibly some initial setup of any necessary software. Don’t panic! We create vast variety of websites with costs nowhere near £10,000. You don’t need to spend £10,000 to get an ecommerce website either. Chat to us today to see how we can help create your dream website in the most cost effective way.
Ongoing Maintenance Costs
Once your website is live, ongoing maintenance is essential for site performance and security. A lot of people don’t have this and will end up having to pay some ad-hoc work at some point to fix issues over time. Depending on the complexity of the site and the services included, you might pay anywhere from £30 to £300 a month for maintenance. This can include updates to content, security patches, and technical support.
Additional Costs to Consider
There are some additional options for the website once it’s gone live and it’s worth looking at these early on.
Content Creation
Content is king, and having engaging, fresh content on your website is crucial. Hiring a content writer can cost anywhere from £50 to £400 per article, while blog posts can range from £30 to £150 each. If you’re running an online business, budgeting for regular content updates is useful for SEO and user engagement.
SEO and Digital Marketing
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important consideration for any website. Professional SEO services can cost between £100 and £2,000 per month, depending on the level of service required. Investing in SEO helps your website rank higher in search engines, ultimately increasing your visibility and potential customer base. We believe that this is an important consideration.
Would you like to chat to TIEM Design about a new website project?
It must be noted that you can have a shiny new website without paying for additional extras such ass SEO, content creation. You always need to budget for hosting and domain costs, but everything else is optional. Having said this, to get the most out of your website, additional things must be considered and budgeted for. We’d love to talk you through these options!