W E B W O R K S

chuck@kreativewebworks.com

How Much Does a Website Cost?

The Search for the Elusive Digital Pricing Model

B Y C H U C K B A N K O F F

ow much does a website cost?

What I can suggest to you is to NOT base your

Good question. How much

decision solely on price. All websites are not

does a car cost? How much does

created equal. Neither are web developers

food cost? Lobster tails are food, but

then again, so are ramen noodles. For

the most part, websites come in two

or digital marketing agencies.

ﬂavors; ones that someone builds for How do Professional Agencies you will be getting. ASK QUESTIONS!

Program packaging method. This

you, and ones you build yourself. Here Decide What to Charge?

are some examples of each.

Whereas DIY website builders give is the concept that we use at our

you a set of tools, they have limits agency. We consider a website to be

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Websites and don’t factor in your labor. That just one component of an overall

Sounds good because it sounds includes copywriting, creative deci- digital marketing strategy. With our

inexpensive. That could possibly work sions and strategy. It’s fairly easy for “PartnerPlus” programs and our dig-

for you if you know about design, them to assign a value and slap on ital inbound marketing programs, we

copywriting and search engine opti- a price because what they offer has don’t charge extra for the website. It’s

mization—and have a modicum of been standardized. All the variables just part of the process.

technical ability. You will also need are your responsibility.

time to learn the platform, and prob-

ably time to do it over when it doesn’t company builds you a website, they

When an individual designer or What Factors Go into Pricing?

Business planning and expertise.

look as good as it did in your head, or have to deﬁne and factor in the entire If you’re writing all the copy, dictating

if it didn’t get the desired lead-gener- scope of the project BEFORE they can layout and making all the strategic

ating results. Some of the more popu- quote you. They also have to factor design decisions, you should be pay-

lar DIY platforms are:

in that they are not the ﬁnal deci- ing less. If, on the other hand, the

sion-maker … you are, and they are developer is offering up suggestions

subject to being second-guessed and and making decisions based on cur-

having to alter their work multiple rent design and marketing standards,

times based on your feedback. That’s expect to pay more. If the developer

•

Squarespace;

Weebly;

Wix, and;

Godaddy.

In the hands of a professional, you normal, but has to be factored in.

can leverage the platform “themes” Project scope method. The most a little extra and let them do the think-

template designs) to get a reason- obvious way to price out a project is ing for you.

ably nice-looking website. However, the same method that professionals Familiarity with an industry, or

has a good track record of results, pay

(

because these are all part of a common in many other industries do. That is, type of industry. A designer may fac-

platform, they are not particularly ﬂexi- estimating the number of labor hours tor in their familiarity within a certain

ble, and typically don’t provide the type and multiplying it times a ﬁxed rate industry and be in a position to lever-

of server access needed to profession- base on total overhead. Thirty hours x age that expertise on your behalf. That

ally optimize them for search engines.

These DIY systems are reasonably

$100/hr. = $3,000. Duh.

Project packaging

familiarity may shorten their learn-

method. ing curve, and their quote. It may

priced, ranging from $4.50 – $49 per Another popular method is “pack- also result in a better ﬁnal product

month, depending on the particular aged pricing.” For example, $2,500 for because they made their mistakes on

platform and the bells and whistles you package “A” and $4,500 for package someone else’s dime.

choose. These can be a good option “B,” etc. This makes it easy on the

Original design versus a template.

if all you need is a place to post your developer or agency to offer their pric- Many platforms such as WordPress

basic information. Just don’t count on ing to you, but they still have to make have what they call “themes.” These

them being particularly effective if you a proﬁt, so the scope will have to be are essentially pre-designed tem-

are looking to do some serious market- very restrictive. Make sure you know

ing and lead generation.

what you need, and understand what

continued on page 12

Door & Window Market

www.dwmmag.com

W E B W O R K S

continued

plates. They can save you a few bucks, fessional service. However, there are

I can, however, tell you that we

but you are somewhat boxed into many things a knowledgeable devel- have created basic websites as low

the design. Although some of these oper can do to make your website SEO- as $2,000 and as high as $115,000.

themes can look pretty good, they friendly during the development stage. Huge spread? Yep, but it was the

have a tendency to dictate the con-

Outsourcing offshore. There are difference between ramen and

tent, instead of the message dictating competent coders and designers all broiled lobster.

the design. Spend the time—and yes, over the planet. Where they often fall

What I can suggest to you is to NOT

a few extra dollars—to design some- short is with critical business thinking base your decision solely on price.

thing speciﬁc for your needs.

andWestern design trends. They will be All websites are not created equal.

Professionalism of design. Website cheaper, but count on having to man- Neither are web developers or digital

design trends evolve just like fashion. age every little thing they do.

Current trends are focused on looking

marketing agencies.

Certainly you have to consider your

budget, but you also have to consider

your ROI. If you think working with a

good and functioning well on both So How Much Does a

mobile and desktop devices. Expect Website Really Cost?

to pay a little more for sophisticated

After some exhaustive research professional is expensive, try working

design. Is it worth it? I think so, but you (a little Googling over my morning with an amateur.

have to decide how important your coffee), I found that it’s pretty easy

website is to your company image.

Search engine friendliness.

to ﬁnd all sorts of “packages.” I also Chuck Bankoff is director of web services

determined there are no reliable, or for Kreative Webworks, a digital marketing

search engine optimization “program” even consistent, statistics to compare agency in Southern California specializing

is a separate, typically on-going pro- apples to apples.

in the glass industries.

Find out more at na.rehau.com/geneo

Yes, this is rocket science.

Door & Window Market

www.dwmmag.com