How Much Does a Website Cost?
Building a website can be costly and time-consuming. The cost of a site depends on the following:
Website Design: Website design is what will give your site its look and feel. There are many different types to choose from when designing a site.
Website Development: This step will determine how easy it will be for visitors to navigate through your pages. It may also include tools to help you update or add new content in the future.
Content Management System (CMS): CMS software allows you to upload content without having to know how to code HTML or other
The cost of a website depends on the size and complexity of the project. Small websites that are relatively simple to create can cost as little as $1,000. Larger projects, like those with e-commerce, video, or animation elements will be more expensive.
A website’s cost can also depend on how it’s built. For instance, websites made using WordPress are typically cheaper than those made using custom code (i.e., hand-built).
Website Cost in New Zealand
Right, let’s get straight to the point here: website design costs in New Zealand can vary considerably. This is why it can be difficult to answer the question: how much does a website cost?
We’re not going to dodge the question, though – you’ll find real figures in this blog that will give you a much better understanding of the costs involved.
First, though, a bit of context.
Compare how much a website costs to a question about how much a watch costs in New Zealand.
After all, how do you compare a Casio digital watch that costs less than $20 with a Breitling watch that costs thousands? Of course, they’re both witches, but they’re far from the same thing.
The same applies to websites.
So Many Options! But Only One Real Choice
When it comes to website design in Auckland, you have loads of options to choose from:
- You can use a free website builder if you’re happy with ultra-basic designs and features, plus ads on your website design that has nothing to do with your business. Oh, and you’ll have to spend hours, days, weeks setting it up.
- You could pay a bit more for a premium website builder, but you’ll still have to do all the work yourself. Do you really have time?
- You could ask your partner’s cousin’s daughter’s mate as they know how to use WordPress. You won’t have to do the work, which is a massive plus, although it will cost you a bit more. Then it will cost you a lot more when things start to go wrong (and things will go wrong).
- One-person operation website designers are common in New Zealand too. They’ll charge a fee that approaches a more realistic price for a professional service, but they will have limited resources, experience, and expertise. When the headaches start (and they will), they won’t stop.
- Then there is the option of a professional web design company, like the Web Digital with website designers who have experience working with a range of companies across NZ.
If you’re serious about getting a professional website that delivers results for your business, there really is only one option – getting your website designed by a professional website design company in New Zealand.
Visit and try Web Digital as an example.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website for a Small Business?
Before we start talking numbers, it’s important to point out that the original question might not even be the right question.
After all, why are you viewing website design packages at a cost?
Your website should deliver results for your business. This means sales, inquiries, leads, visits to your physical location, phone calls, etc.
When you look at your website from this perspective, it becomes an investment rather than a cost.
The key, therefore, is to make the right investment decision.
What will that investment be? New website design for a small business will cost around $2900+GST upward, depending on the size of the website and the features you want.
The Right Choice for Your Business
A professional website designer will have a team of people who have experience in website design, graphic design, website development, digital marketing, and more. These are all crucial skills required to build a website that works for your business.
Things you should expect as standard for the ballpark figure mentioned above include:
- Bespoke design for your website (rather than a template)
- Content Management System (ideally WordPress)
- Features like an inquiry form, slideshow, and social media links
- Responsive web design to ensure the site works on mobile
- Fully optimized code to ensure the website runs fast
Things That Can Increase the Cost of Your Website
There are additional things that you may need that will increase the cost of your website. Here are some examples:
- Additional pages
- Content writing
- Photo galleries
- Blog setup
- Newsletter integration
You will be looking at $4500+GST plus for a website with the above features.
How Much Does an eCommerce Website Cost?
What about an eCommerce website?
eCommerce websites are very different from standard websites because they need several additional features, including product listing capabilities, a shopping cart, integration with a payment gateway, and, potentially, integration with your backend stock control or sales systems.
It’s not surprising, therefore, that eCommerce websites cost more than standard business websites.
The starting price is typically in the region of $4,000.
How Much Does a Website Cost Per Month?
So far, we have been talking about the cost of website design, i.e., getting a new website developed and launched live on the internet.
Are there any ongoing costs you need to be aware of?
For most websites the answer to this is generally no. At Web Digital Auckland, for example, we don’t charge any extra monthly fees as standard.
There are two costs you can’t avoid, however:
- Domain name renewal
- Hosting
There is more information below on both of these costs. There is also information on other potential ongoing costs you may incur, but domain name renewal and hosting are the only essential costs.
Paying for Your Website
Website design companies typically charge for your website in three installments:
- Initial fee before work begins – somewhere in the region of 50 percent of the overall cost.
- Halfway through the development work – usually 25 percent
- On completion – the final 25 percent of the cost
What Are the Main Ongoing Costs You Should Be Aware Of?
- Hosting
All websites need hosting. You typically pay monthly or annually, and you should expect costs to be in the region of $40 per month.
- Domain name renewal
Domain names usually need to be renewed once a year, although you may be able to set a longer renewal period, so you don’t have to do it as often. Domain name renewal is an ongoing cost, however.
- Updates
The content management system and plugins used to build your website are not static pieces of code. Instead, they are constantly updated both for functionality and security reasons. There may also be elements of your website hosting package that need periodic upgrades. Although your website design company could also offer you an ongoing maintenance service for an additional monthly fee, you can do this yourself.
- Premium Plugin/Theme Renewals
If your website designer uses premium plugins or themes when building your website, you may incur annual fees to renew the subscriptions. Whether this applies depends on your website design company, so you should ask about it upfront.
- SSL Certificate
An SSL certificate is a security feature that encrypts information as it is transmitted from your visitors’ browsers to your website’s server.SSL certificates are essential if you have an eCommerce website, so it will be an ongoing cost you will have to factor into your calculations.SSL certificates are not just for eCommerce websites, however. They are increasingly expected by internet users too, and Google loves them. So, most SEO experts recommend having one.Therefore, even if you don’t have an eCommerce website, getting an SSL certificate is probably a good idea.
- Backups
Nothing is guaranteed on the internet, and that includes the safety of your website on your hosting provider’s server. To protect you from loss of data, you should backup your website. This will be another ongoing cost.
- Marketing
It’s also important to remember that getting a new website is a step on your digital marketing journey, i.e., and it’s not the endpoint. Once your new website is launched, you need to promote it to generate traffic from your target market.
- Design Changes
Having a content management system means you can add, change, and remove content from your website whenever you want. Web Design or feature changes, however, are different.
Therefore, you may also incur additional costs if you want to make friendly web design or functionality changes to your website in the months and years after it is launched.
Website Design in Auckland that Delivers Results for Your Business
Having a website is now essential for businesses in all industries. However, you need to make sure yours look professional, properly represents your company’s brand, and delivers tangible results for your business. So if you look for a web design company in Auckland, Web Digital is surely one of your best choices.
The costs highlighted above will give you an idea of the investment you should be making in your new website.
To get more information about digital services in NZ and website design services in Auckland, contact Web Digital!
