Delightful Website Design Cost in 2023
Website Design
How much does it cost to build a website is a question that gets asked occasionally – so here’s how Montfichet & Company – Atlanta answers the question. Pricing is always a tricky subject, but generally speaking, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1 per month for just the domain name registration and a basic web hosting package through to around $200 minimum or more for sophisticated websites that require lots of functionality.
If you choose an agency to build your website, expect to spend between $100 and $500 depending upon your requirements and how complex those requirements are. If you contract directly with an individual freelancer, then, generally speaking, you’ll be looking at very similar prices to what would be charged by an agency.
You can find cheap developers, or you can go up to the very expensive ones – based on your budget and requirements, but generally speaking, there is no such thing as a free lunch! If it seems too good to be true, then in all probability, that’s because it is.
How Much Should I Spend on my Website
You do not have to spend a fortune, though – many “professional” websites are developed for less than $600. There are also some excellent packages out there starting at under $100 for a domain name registration with web hosting included. These packages give you access to essential website design software like Wix. They can add content, including pictures, etc., and do things like email newsletters through their system. The more sophisticated systems provide greater functionality and include shopping cart facilities, membership management, and more.
Some people are overwhelmed by the idea that they need to select a web design package based on functionality – but it is not as difficult as doing your own plumbing, for example! Most packages have their own support forums with plenty of help available from other users who have already gone down this path to get you started at the beginning.
And, apart from the domain name and web hosting package, some of these websites require minimal ongoing costs – they are not like a brick-and-mortar business where you have big bills for electricity, rent, etc., coming in every day of the year. Instead, once your website is live, it can be left on autopilot, and the costs are spread over time.
Basic websites can be built in as little as a couple of hours by someone with reasonable skills, while more sophisticated ones may take several weeks or months to develop, depending upon how much functionality you need and what research needs to be done in order to get it right.
It’s not an absolute science as to how much you’ll pay (and neither is anything else!) but if you want a professional-looking website, then expect to pay something for the privilege – simple as that! If you need help building your website or have any questions about this article and what it covers, please feel free to post a comment below, and I’ll try my best to help.
5 Strategies to Lower your Website Development Cost
Once you have the above basic information, it is still hard for someone who has no experience or education in website design/building or anything related to creating a webpage on the internet. You could spend thousands and still have something that looks like a 2-year old’s birthday party make-over. Montfichet & Company – Atlanta recommends the following:
- Do your homework on the internet and learn as much about website building and the design process. There are plenty of sites out there willing to help with this for free or at a minimal cost.
- Start simple; yes, even with the cost of a domain name. However, it would be best if you started somewhere. You will not have any great PR until your website is up and running, so get going. DO NOT WAIT! The longer you wait, the harder it gets (trust me).
- Look at places that can make your website look professional right from the beginning, like Wix.com or Weebly.com. These sites make it easy to look great but do not pay for functionality. In fact, you have very little control over the appearance of your site (which can be good if that is what you want).
Wix.com is relatively simple and easy to use. There is a slight learning curve to look like you know what you’re doing (if you do not), but your website will look great from the beginning once that is over with.
If you want the perfect site where you have total control and design it from scratch, I recommend using Dreamweaver or similar software that creates HTML.
- Use a template like the one provided by Dreamweaver or similar software to create your website from scratch (start simple). Be sure to have someone who knows how to do this work for you. If you want a list of recommendations, let me know through the comments area below or send me a message.
- I recommend the template system that Dreamweaver offers. The templates get you 80% of your site done and allow you total control over how it looks and operates from day one! If you do not have the time for this, start simple with Wix.com or Weebly.com; otherwise, do what you want and learn as you go along.
Don’t waste time. Get your website up and running as soon as possible. You will not have any significant PR until it is up! Building a website can be an arduous task for some of you, but if you follow the five steps above, you will have a professional-looking site that people can find and remember, leading to a large amount of PR.
Is Website Building Really Free?
The most frequently asked question about website builders is whether it is really free. Yes and No are both correct answers to that question.
Website builders who require payment for going Pro or Premium are not free. You pay for the package you choose. If a website builder offers a free package, it is still not free because you get what they give you that comes with the package. You do not pay per month or year for using the service and getting free upgrades. Free builders are always limited in space, bandwidth, features, and design options compared to paid ones. If you look carefully at their fine print (or Terms and Conditions), you will find the following sentence: ” Upgrade to Pro or Premium for additional features.”
You might say that free website builders should not be misleading customers by calling themselves free. But it is a battle between two wrongs. Companies that call their product Free are as bad as those who do not tell their customers about the hidden costs. When you start using a Free website builder, you are almost never told that you will have to pay for more features or customization options if you want more features or customization options. It is up to you to find out how much they might cost and whether it’s worth your money. That knowledge can be tough to get from them.
Some website builders claim to be free, but they have a catch: Free website builders with free signups and no fees are not really free because they make you use their domain. Website builders who have no hidden charges and support use custom domains for life are truly free. You do not pay even a single penny to use them. You do not have to pay even a single dollar when you decide to move away and use another domain instead of their compulsory one. They give you complete control over your site, and you get to make your own choice without having to consult anyone.
Two types of Free Website Builders
What kind of free website builders are we talking about? There are two types of free website builders that are actually free. If you pay for a domain name, it is not free. The following two types of Free website builders are the ones we talk about:
Free Domain – Website builders which do not charge you even a single dollar for their service. It costs them money to keep your site alive and functioning. The free service you get comes with many limitations.
Free website builders with no hidden costs are also the ones that allow you to use your own domain name, which means that after signing up, you can start building your site immediately without having to wait for the hosting site to give or sell you a domain. Instead, you can purchase your own domain name and use it from the start.
Website builders come in two options: Free/Affiliate websites Paid (Pro, Premium) websites for free website builders, “free” means they are entirely free of charge for users! However, there may be some hidden costs.
For paid website builders, “free” means that they offer free trial periods for users to try out! They charge you only after your free trial period ends. There are no hidden costs for the user during the free trial, and they can freely choose to stop the service without any penalties at any time! If their signup page or a link to it is hosted on a free website builder, we cannot be sure if they are actually free because such sites may have some hidden costs. In these cases, it is better to find out by contacting the service directly before signing up and paying anything!
Limitations to Free Website Builders
Free website builders with no hidden costs are genuinely free of charge for users! They allow you to use custom domains as well! You can sign up for the service and start building your website site right away! But their features are limited by the following restrictions:
The first thing you will notice about free website builders with no hidden costs is that they have limited space/bandwidth. So, you get to keep only a few pages before you have to upgrade your account or start paying for more storage space. Limited Space/bandwidth is an issue for users who plan on building large websites.
- Limited Bandwidth – You will also find that websites hosted on these free website builders have limited bandwidth. Free website builders restrict the speed of your site to their servers and keep it there. These restrictions become an issue for large websites, which require a lot more bandwidth to load fast. It can also be an issue for mobile users. We recommend avoiding free website builders if speed is essential.
- Limited features – Another limitation of free website builder services is the limitations they have on features. They provide minimal customization and only basic functionality, which may not be good enough for a demanding user. For example, their free website builders contain ads on almost all pages (even in personal accounts), and it is tough to remove them. Usually, users have to upgrade their account or pay for the service if they want their site without the ads.
- You cannot upload your logo unless you are willing to upgrade your account or pay for their premium service.
- Their free hosting plans come with limited storage space and bandwidth, which you may have to upgrade if your website becomes large.
- You cannot use custom domains on their free website builder unless you upgrade your account or pay for the service (of course, you can do this by purchasing a domain from a third party ).
- You cannot change their template unless you upgrade your account or pay for the service – which is required if you want to make any updates to your site.
- They do not allow blogs on free hosted websites. Users who intend to start blogging will have a hard time using these website builders!
- Free hosting plans may also come with substantially slower speeds than most paid hosting sites.
There are many other limitations, but you should remember that all free website builders have restrictions that a demanding user may not like. If you do not want to upgrade or pay for premium features, these free website builders can be a good deal for you.
Some services do not have any hidden costs! For example, they will allow you to build your site using custom domains, and they do not have ads on their sign-up page. These services do not have anything but the most basic templates, and they do not place any storage or bandwidth limitations on you.
These free website builders are completely free, and they will never require you to upgrade your services to get more space, bandwidth, or features. You can use their site as your main site without paying anything. That is why we recommend you look at these free website builders if you want a completely free website.
Why can’t I find information on these entirely free services? Is there anything wrong with them? NO! These free website builders are not listed on anyone’s comparison charts because their features are too basic. These limitations make them utterly free as no upgrades are required, but the basic features are not powerful enough for a demanding user.
However, you may use these services to build a website or blog that does not require customization. These sites don’t have too many bells and whistles, but they include what is necessary for building a simple site or blog. Of course, you will have to pay if you want additional features.
Services that require upgrades do not list their free website builder plans anywhere because they don’t want new users to see the limitations of their free accounts! Only by doing your own research can you find these completely free sites, so it’s worth your time to do so!
Conclusion
In conclusion, free website builders can be a good deal if you only want to build a simple site. However, these services have hidden costs and/or restrictions that make it difficult for demanding users to find value in them.
If you found this blog article beneficial, feel free to leave a comment below. We are located at 3343 Peachtree Road Ste. 180-581 in Atlanta, Georgia. You can also email our team of experts directly at Atlanta@montfichet.com or contact us at 404-900-9814. For hands-on training visit our sister company The Trusted Automation.
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