How much will a new business website cost? It is a question that has no black and white answer. There are many factors that go into the price of a new site. Putting an exact price on it is almost impossible since it will vary so much from one site to another.

Every company has unique needs when it comes to what is on the business site. Some businesses can go simple, which keeps costs down. Other companies need a robust, detailed design that requires more time and resources to plan, design, and create. Some need an e-commerce feature while others do not. All websites have ongoing maintenance costs that must be factored into the costs.

A Service, not a Product

There is one misconception that contributes to pricing confusion. Website design and development is a service, not a product. While the service does produce a product, in the end, the service comes in the planning, design, and development of it.

• Planning new business websites is more complex than it looks on the surface. A web designer needs to speak with the client and figure out their goals with the site. Planning includes identifying the target audience, the purpose of the site, and the functionality needed. It also includes setting up benchmarks to measure the success of the project.
• Design begins with finding a direction. This involves looking at what appeals to the target audience on the websites of competitors and those in related industries. It includes looking at themes, color schemes, and navigation options. The designer comes up with sample pages to demonstrate the look and feel for the client.
• Once the design is finalized, the actual development begins. This includes creating all the coding, content, and graphics necessary for the design. It involves building the infrastructure on which the design will work. Once the development is complete, testing ensures it works and looks properly. Once everything is ready, the site goes live.

Pricing Happens in More than One Way

Another problem is the fact that web design companies use a myriad of pricing models. These different models make it difficult to compare the price of one company to another:

• Some companies will offer clients a flat rate. The flat rate will cover a website of a certain size and with certain limitations. Going beyond those parameters will increase the cost significantly.
• Other designers will offer a basic website with negotiated extras. That means that every feature you want to be added to the website will cost extra.
• A completely custom design is often done on an hourly basis. The more complex the design, the higher the costs will be.
• Some companies offer agreements so that, instead of paying all the costs up front, you agree to pay a set amount each month for a given contract period (usually two or three years).

These are just a few of the factors that make coming up with a definite price so difficult. The best option is to speak with a web design company like 2WebDesign.