This post will answer these questions: How much does it cost to make a website (including domain name registration, website hosting, design cost, SEO etc), and What are the steps to follow to get set up fast.
So let’s begin:
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How to make a website – Step-by-Step Instruction
The truth is that building a website – whether it’s to promote a product or service, a blog for business or pleasure, or even a simple online store – is neither difficult, nor expensive.
In fact, if you follow the steps outlined below, you can have a good looking website up and running within days for less than $200! (As I did with this website using a $35 WordPress theme and the service providers featured below.) And if you’re prepared to do a bit of the legwork yourself, it’ll cost you even less.
Of course, if you have specific needs for your site – e.g. complex shopping carts requiring multiple payment facilities or custom-built databases – your website cost can blow out, but if this doesn’t apply to you, I encourage you to keep reading…
Step 1 – Choosing and purchasing a domain (website) name:
Average cost for a .COM, .NET or .ORG domain name = $15
While the cost of domain names is quite insignificant, or non-existent in some cases, the importance of choosing a name that will serve your interests best cannot be understated (If you’d like to read a post about this very important subject, here’s a link: ‘How to choose a profitable domain name‘)
For now, please keep this in the back of your mind: unless you have a recognizable brand or the advertising budget of Nike, Coca Cola or Google, starting out you’re going to need a domain name that is somehow connected to your primary product or service – this is crucial. Because let’s face it, unless your potential customers are already familiar with your website or business name, their Google search is likely to be focused on a specific product or service. So by utilising relevant key words in your domain name you have a distinct advantage.
So, how do you find these commercially viable and search-engine-friendly keywords to incorporate into your domain name? Easy. You use any of the free or modestly priced tools available to you online. The one I’d recommend to you is Market Samurai – you can sign up here for a free trial of the software – the keyword tool you’ll require is free.
Enough said aboout the domain name process. What about the cost?
A .COM , .NET, or .ORG domain name should cost you less than $20 for a one year registration.
And if you extend the initial registration period beyond one year, discounts usually apply. Better yet, if you shop around you’ll find there are also domain name registrars who’ll waiver the price if you sign up at the same time for website hosting - so, your domain name is free!
Here are two hosting & domain name companies I use and recommend:
DOMAIN COST: $15 per year -.COM,.ORG,.NET HOSTING COST: $7.96 per month – Plan name: ‘Baby’Hosting features: Unlimited domains, sub-domains, email addresses and disc space. cPanel access (1-click WordPress install), FREE $100 Google AdWords Voucher (within the U.S). Further discounts applicable if you extend your hosting beyond 1 year. Domain: $15Hosting: $7.96 per month
DOMAIN COST: FREE for 1 year with hosting…HOSTING COST: $5.95 per month – Plan:’Professional’ Hosting features: Unlimited domains, sub-domains, email addresses and disc space. cPanel access (1-click WordPress install), FREE $75 Google AdWords Voucher. 99.9% up-time guarantee.Domain: FREEHosting: $5.95 per month
Step 2 – Choosing a website host and associated cost
Average cost for hosting = $5 – $12 per month
So, now that you’ve selected a winning domain name, it’s time to decide on a company to host your website. And as you’ve probably gathered from the table above, I recommend you carry out Step 1 in conjunction with Step 2. It’ll save you time and money and allow you to have your site up and running usually within 24 – 48 hours.
Another tip when shopping for a hosting company: keep a lookout for value-added incentives such as FREE Google AdWords vouchers (ranging from $75 to $100 in advertising credits). If you’re unacquainted with AdWords, it’s a fabulous way to give your site some early and much-needed search engine exposure while you’re waiting for your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) efforts to take effect.
Other recommendations:
- Look for packaged plans that will allow you to host additional websites and domains. You never know when you might need an additional website: your business interests may suddenly expand or an opportunity too good to pass up may present itself. It’s just nice to have options without incurring any additional expenses down the track (of course, you will still have to pay for any additional domain names).
- Make sure your hosting company provides access to a cPanel (Control Panel) which makes the installation of WordPress (explained below) and the setup of your email accounts a breeze. cPanels are pretty standard nowadays so you won’t have any problems finding a hosting company to accommodate this request. In fact, the companies I’ve listed in the table above both comply.
Step 3 – Website design costs and considerations
(Estimated design costs, if you use WordPress and enlist the services of a contractor, should be in the range $250 – $400 for an average website. Or, you can do it yourself quite easily and it’s FREE!)
Historically, this is the step where combined website costs tended to blow out. But not any more!
Designing a website – the expensive, but now redundant way:
It used to be common practice to engage the services of a local designer, who, at significant cost to you – typically $750 – $3000 – would design you a great looking website, which although it might have looked fantastic, usually underperformed in these important areas: 1/ SEO – these sites, due to their heavy reliance on images and Flash technology were inherently bad for search engine indexing – so your website, as pretty as it was, would rarely be found by your customers; and 2/ Typically no Content Management Systems (CMS) were built into the design which meant any updates to your site post-launch, irrespective of how insignificant they might have been, would have to be handled by the designer and not you – incurring additional cost.
Thankfully, you can now breathe easy. Those days are (almost) gone. Introducing WordPress…
Designing a website – the modern, cost-effective alternative:
WordPress is the platform of choice for start-up businesses, new web sites and blogs. And it’s FREE! At the click of a button, you can install WordPress using your cPanel (referred to above) and instantly you have a feature-rich, fully functioning website with built-in and intuitive Content Management System which can be updated effortlessly!
Furthermore, your website will be search-engine-friendly and you’ll have access to thousands of free custom built plug-ins to extend your site’s functionality (e.g. you can integrate with social media, add a shopping cart, calendar, forum etc…).
Plus, your design choices are endless! There are literally hundreds-of-thousands of free WordPress themes online you can activate within 5 minutes to change your site’s look and feel. Or, for around $50 or less, you can upgrade to a Premium theme (available online from hundreds of websites) and really make your site sing. For example, this site was purchased from ThemeForest for a measly $35 US. All I needed to do was drop in a logo and hey presto, I was away! (Visit ThemeForest to browse an impressive range of premium themes and designs starting at only $5. I highly recommend them.)
Anyway, to get WordPress working for you, first take care of Steps 1 & 2 (domain name and hosting purchase), then go to your cPanel and switch it on (refer to the simple instructions provided on your hosting company’s site). It should take you a few minutes.
Of course, you’ll probably then need to spend a few hours familiarizing yourself with the WordPress system, but in my opinion this is a small price to pay for a truly impeccable – and FREE! – product. What’s more, you’ll find heaps of info, tutorials and instructional videos on the Web, to help you out along the way. More about WordPress here
Should you do everything yourself, or outsource? Again, what is the cost?
Of course, you’re not obliged to do everything on your own. And although the steps I’ve outlined above are reasonably simple, there’s still a fairly significant learning cure ahead. So you might prefer to hand off the task of setting up your website to somebody else. And this can be a perfectly sensible option. To engage an IT professional/designer to take care of all the steps I’ve described above, should cost you somewhere between $250 and $450 (that’s in addition to the price for your domain name and hosting). If you’re quoted any more than $450, I’d recommend you take your business elsewhere.
Website Cost – the final word:
Summing up, the cost of setting up your website (including domain name purchase – approximately $15 per year -website hosting – approximately $7 per month – and design – using WordPress – FREE if you DIY or $250 to $450 if you pay a professional) is, quite reasonable and certainly within most budgets.
The only other expense you’ll need to consider post-launch, and probably the most crucial one if you want your site to be found online, is Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
You have a couple of options: you can do it yourself using one of the user-friendly SEO tools available online (again, here’s the one I use and recommend if you’re starting out: Market Samurai – Sign up for a free fully functioning trial by clicking here).
The other option is to pay an SEO consultant or company to handle ther SEO for you. This can be a costly exercise. If you need some advice about which way to proceed, please get in touch with me here.
I hope this post has provided some assistance and even some reassurance that the cost of building a website is truly not that frightening. And now that you know how to make a website, I encourage you to take that next step and become king of your own domain – name! Good luck. 
Steve
Searchfindseo.com
Central Coast SEO Consultant
Recommended reading: “SEO Rank Software – How to reach top place in Google”
“SEO Placement – Accept nothing less than Google page 1″
*Please note: if you use either of the links provided above for hosting, I’ll get a commission on the sale. But you won’t pay any more than you need to. I thought it was fair to let you know. Bye for now, Steve.
JUL
About the Author
Steve Wilkinson is an online editor for a magazine publisher on the NSW Central Coast. He is well-versed in SEO strategy with over ten years experience. Outside work he moonlights as a feature writer and has a growing list of published credits. Preview his writing here: stevebeingsteve.com