Website development is a thick and crisp subject that needs attention to even the tiniest of details. But to do so, you must have profound knowledge about the tools that can aid you in the web development process. Let us expand your knowledge about a few of them:
Web Hosting
A web host can be best described as your website’s home. It is where you can install website content and easily surf the internet. So when a searcher puts on your website address, also known as the domain name, they can access your website files stored on your host server. Web hosting comes with many options.
- VPS hosting
- WordPress hosting
- Blog hosting
- Dedicated hosting
- Shared hosting
For example, if you are in need of a WordPress site, then it is only logical for you to use a WordPress hosting service.
A domain name normally costs between $1.99 to $30 per month. Your developer might purchase one from:
- Bluehost
- SiteGround
- WPEngine
- HostGator
- Hostinger
Domain
Are you familiar with the concept of street address? It is considered to be one of the most convenient ways to reach out to your home.
The domain name serves the same purpose; for example, the Apple website’s domain name is apple.com. To make your domain identical to your company’s name or its services, you or your web developer can also purchase it.
A domain name normally costs between $0.95 to $12 per domain name.
Various companies are offering domain names such as
- GoDaddy
- HostGator
- Namecheap
- Dreamhost
- Google Domains
If the domain option you are looking for is not on sale, you can settle for an alternative option.
Other Key Factors that Affect the Cost of Building a Website
When considering the cost of hiring someone to build a website, you must look for the purpose of the website:
- Start a new blog or add a blog to an existing website
- Website for your e-commerce store
- A short-term event website
- Portfolio website
There are other factors you need to know about because they influence the entire cost of the project. These include:
- SSL Certificate
- E-commerce website functionality
- Size of the website: Cost for number of pages
- Website Maintenance - SEO & Marketing
- Additional Costs: Plug-ins, Analytics tools, other features such as membership portals, subscription services, etc.
Who Should You Hire to Build Your Website?
Now the million-dollar question here is whether you should pay someone to build a website or not. The answer to this can further be deduced from the given data and knowledge. Make sure to pay attention to these matters.
Deciding on Your Needs
There can be two scenarios.
One is that you need to build a website from scratch; the other is that you only need to perform some modifications to an already existing website. Therefore careful planning and meticulous thought process are of utmost importance for this feast.
Then you can ponder the question of who and how you will proceed with the task.
Web Designers Vs. Web Developers
Often newbies cannot distinguish between a designer and a developer and consider them to be the same part of the coin. But it is a mistake that you should avoid at all costs.
Given below are the main difference between them:
Website Designer
A designer is someone responsible for the customization of the appearance of the website. From design icons to buttons, images, and other elements, a designer is responsible for creating and customizing them. They often work in collaboration with graphic editors and design programs.
Website Developer
A developer, on the other hand, is a person who performs and deals with all the implementations of a website. They will write codes, ads scripts, edits site files, and work around other sorts of instruments that deal with web development.
With the recent evolution of web technologies, more and more designers are also inclined towards the implementation process. A web designer has mastered the art of combining the functions of a developer with that of a traditional designer featuring expertise in HTML, CSS, and other programming languages.
Freelancer, Full-Time Specialist, or Agencies to Build a Website: Choose Here
After careful planning what you need to work on so that you can accomplish a particular task, you have to hunt for a web developer for your site, your hunt for a web designer or developer should depend on the area whether you require an in-house person or a freelancer to aid you in the process. You can also bag the services of a full cycle development agency for the same purpose.
Whatever you choose to hire depends solely on the services and your needs for a website design.
A- Freelancers
Wondering about a flexible way to develop a business website? Freelancers are the go-to guys in this modern world if you are in need of just a slight modification to a website. And if you need a person for day-to-day modifications on an hourly basis, freelancers are a convenient option for that.
They will always provide the necessary addons and can help you build your own website. You have to figure out the right person for the job so that they can develop sites according to your requirements. Make sure to look out for the freelancers that are able to work on
- WordPress
- Wix
- Squarespace
- Shopify
- Woocommerce
The cost to hire a freelancer to build a website may vary from platform to platform. Freelancers range from people who you can hire on an hourly basis or with a flat fee.
If you opt for a flat fee schedule, you should talk with them beforehand about the functionalities, plugins, customizations, and other key features.
Another method is to go for an hourly pricing plan. In this, a developer charges on an hourly basis. The price may fluctuate between $10 and 90$.
Hiring a freelance to build a medium-sized website might cost you around $2500 for a single site.
In the case of a professional portfolio and a simple online store, you might have to commit to a price range of $1000 to $3000. This also caters to the components and associated features of the site.
B- Full-time Specialists
If you are building a website for your business or brand from scratch, you might need full-time specialists dedicated to the said cause. They are available and are wholeheartedly dedicated to your website and its design and development.
C- Full Cycle Agencies
Some agencies can actually help you in these matters with their A to Z approach. Agencies such as SiteBuilders dot pro provides a list of experts and specialists that are a master of their craft.
They also have coders, designers, copywriters, promoters, and social media managers. In addition to all this, they also provide key migration services to and from website builders and CMS.
Full cycle Agencies might cost you a whopping amount of $50,000 to build a website. But they are worth every penny. They will charge you a minimum of $10,000; if you request additional services such as SEO, maintenance and support, and tracking, they can charge you around $50k.
Agencies are considered to be one of the most practical solutions to your website building queries. And even if they are costly, the services they offer justify all such costs.
If you are looking for full cycle services such as design, development, SEO-friendly content, site promotion, and other marketing strategies, Legiit marketplace has got you covered.
According to a rough estimate:
Blog Cost: The costs of blogs may range from $220 to $16,000. So this makes the average cost around $3000.
Website Development: The cost of website development may lie between $220 to $55,000. This leads to an average cost of $3700.
Online / E-commerce Store: The cost of online/ e-commerce store lies between $400 to $1,50,000. This leads to an average cost of $13,700.
So, the cost, whether per hour or full time, highly depends on the choice you are opting for in this manner. The biggest con of full-time developers and full-cycle agencies is that they charge a bit more than freelancers. Therefore you need to have an in-depth analysis of the whole situation to draft your budget according to your website needs and plans.
How to Find for Hire a Trusted Web Developer to Build a Website?
The next thing that you need is a trusted web developer for the design and other requirements. Now all such things are just a click away with the help of leading freelance networks such as UpWork, Fiverr, and Legiit. They will link you with the best web developers around the globe from a list of local companies and agencies.
There is just one skill that you need to ace here, and it is your ability to differentiate between experienced developers and amateurs.
Let us have a look at the keen differences between an experienced developer and an amateur.
Amateurs Vs. Experienced Developers
They offer low prices and are often more eager to learn new avenues for the experience. But amateurs, on the other hand, tend to spend more time fixing bugs; therefore, you might be witnessing a huge number of drafts up for revision.
An experienced developer is someone who can work at a fast pace with minimum possible mistakes. This assures that you do not have to revisit the content. Thus you can save yourself some revision costs as well. But they charge huge rates for their services as they are highly experienced.
Experience Level or Services
It can be quite a daunting task for people to find a proven professional for their website design. Thus, here is a list of queries that you should be asking when you are on a quest of how to choose an experienced web developer for your site:
1- What is inclusive of the project?
This question is extremely important as you need to learn about the collaboration conditions such as hidden fees. It is highly important for you to learn about the things that you are getting for your money’s worth and subsequent efforts.
2- What is the duration of the project?
An experienced developer will curate the perfect time and plan in which they are going to develop a site. They will also predict unpredictable occasions that might delay the whole process. Hence, it is important for you to check out the whole duration of the project.
3- What does the price include?
Another important question you need to ask is the overall price process of the whole scenario. You need to ask the developer if the price package involves the design and development or not. Or do you need more people on this job or not, in case you are looking for things that cater to SEO and overall maintenance? These are some questions that are meant to be answered for this.
4- Do Ask Questions About Portfolio
You need to ask questions about their portfolio, whether they are freelancers or company-associated agents. Make sure always to ask them questions. Then you can pitch your needs to them so they can curate a program for it accordingly.
5- Ask about the CMS?
Another key thing that you need to ask them is what types of CMS they use. You also need to have first-hand knowledge about the systems and their workings. This will help you pitch your ideas in a better light to them so they can understand. You can also get help from agencies offering special training courses and CMS guides.
Also, make sure to spend two to three minutes reading web testimonials and reviews that previous customers add.
How Much Does Building a Website Cost on an Hourly or Fixed Manner?
Now we have to discuss the number game as well. The first and most important thing you need to figure out is whether you will pay a fixed or hourly fee. Both the payment methods come with their own pros and cons.
We do have a solution for this problem of that as well:
A- Hourly rate
This approach is best for small projects that do not take more than a week. You will mostly find freelancers under this category.
B- Fixed Price
This one is better for developing the whole website, and the time frame bracket can extend to a week. Then you should hire an agency after a thoughtful process of providing them details about your website and bargaining the right set of prices as well.
One thing you need to remember for such scenarios is that the website building costs are individual. They solely depend on various factors such as the
- Complexity
- Web building technologies
- Timeframes, etc.
That is why it is pertinent to focus on the whole blueprint of the project so that you have a proper estimate of the average price just to be on the safe side.
Now taking into consideration these factors, one can think that website development on its own is a cost-effective method. Still, if you cannot compromise on the overall design and stuff, then you should weigh in the proper budget for this stuff.
Estimate the Website Cost for Hiring Someone to Build a Website Based on:
1- Your Goals
This section is divided into three sectors so that you can better understand how these things work.
- Budget
- Need for a custom-built website
- Prominent features that You might need
At this point, you have a rudimentary understanding of how these things work around a budget. Make sure you have the following questions answered before diving deep into these matters:
2- Your Budget
You need to have a proper budget for website development. You need to have a profound understanding of the premium plugins and the themes because stuff like this is supposed to come with hidden charges. Therefore keeping the cost of such matters low at the start of your business is a better idea. And you can always add such premium things to your website later.
3- Need for a Custom Built Website
Now the thing that you need to understand here is that when you have pre-built word press themes, there is no need for you to hire a word press developer. Those pre-made templates will save you a lot of time and money. Additionally, a WordPress theme is considered one of the easiest ways to start and develop a website.
On the other hand, if you are looking for quality and unique visuals, you should opt out of a custom WordPress theme. The common charges for WordPress web developers might range from $20 to $100 for the customization.
4- Features that You Need
When you are about to start your journey of website development, you do not need sparkly features to be there that you are witnessing on other sites. Therefore, one of the best practices is looking out for those features that are actually going to add worth to your website.
This way, you can prioritize the important features that will add to the value of the development process.
Some other questions that you also need to take care of are
- What is the design that you want for your website?
- Whether you want a website for a portfolio or for a blog?
- Are you creating a website for a small enterprise or a large business?
It is highly important for you to answer these questions because you will have a roadmap about the things you want and the features you do not want to spend your money on.
And after a careful session of these thought-provoking ideas, you can put your ideas to rest on the web development method you can rely on.
5- Website Structure that you need
A website builder is the best choice if you want to build a small website. If you are looking for a blog post with a rather simple design, then you should rely on the services of WordPress.
But if you do need a flashy website design with all the right features, such as add-ons, plugins, and stuff like that, then the answer lies in the hands of a freelancer.
If the answer to your website development scenario lies in a simple website, then you should settle for a website builder or WordPress because a custom build will cost you a lot of bucks and is not a good thing from a financial point of view.
If you are going to do all the work on your own, then WordPress can give you a tough time. WP Website demands a lot of attention and effort both in terms of development and maintenance.
On the other hand, a website builder is a safe option from a skill set point of view. Therefore you should opt for customization and stuff only when you are ready to explore new avenues. That is when you need to hire a website developer.
They are quite familiar with the process and offer great insights into it. But you do not have to worry about such matters when working with a website builder as it is quite easy and simple to manage.
A Word of Advice
No matter how good at DIY website development you are, there are some things that one should always leave to the experts because they are experts for some reason. It is not about being biased; it is just about being practical.
People are often ignorant of how much effort developers put into creating a thing from scratch. If you work with a constricted budget, you can always hire a freelancer. But if you can afford it, then web developers are your safe bet.
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