WordPress Web Hosting, Design and Development Price Guide

In a world where almost everyone is on their phone, building a strong online presence is the way to go. People depend on the internet to look for information for all sorts of things, including the products and services that they are interested in. But, how much should your website cost, including your WordPress web hosting, design and development cost?

How Much Should You Spend on WordPress Web Hosting, Design and Development?

"How much does it cost?" is the most common question asked by entrepreneurs and startup businesses that are realising that they need a website created to gain attention from their target market. Despite being the most frequently asked questions, there is no one way to answer it. It simply isn't that simple.

This question is difficult to answer straightforwardly because of these two reasons:

1. There are different kinds of websites, and they all have different purposes. These purposes require different functionalities and features. Needless to say, these features play a part in determining how much a website will cost.
2. Different agencies offer different rates. An Australian web design agency will charge you differently than an agency from overseas. But even if you just search for prices locally, you would find that pricing varies from one service provider to another.

The first thing you should do is to determine what kind of website you need and what you are expecting it to do. Knowing this detail can save you a lot of time when looking for the right web hosting company and website design and development agencies. The purpose and goals of your website can help determine what kind of web hosting you should get, and what skills your designers and developers should have.

For example, if you just need a website for a hobby that you don't really want to monetise, then you'll do okay with just a free WordPress web hosting or a shared web hosting service. However, if you need a business website that can handle a considerable amount of traffic, then there are many reasons why you should avoid shared hosting services.

The same principle applies to your website builder. Many talented freelance designers can handle small website projects like a single landing page or organising your blogs, but you will need a whole team for a full website with multiple pages and unique features. On top of that, some design agencies specialise on certain kinds of sites. For example, one agency can be well-known for its e-commerce sites, while another web design agency has excellent reviews for its informational websites. You should know when or why you should get expert web designers and developers.

Things to Consider When Getting an Estimate Cost for Your Website

It is always a good idea to do your research before you go out there and deal with different agencies for price comparisons. Having an idea of how much each service should cost gives you an upper hand in the sense that you will not give in to offers that won't give you your money's worth.

Here are some things that you need to consider to get a ballpark figure of how much you should spend on your WordPress web hosting, design and development:

1. Type of Website You Need

As mentioned above, the purpose of your website plays a very important role in determining how much it would cost to have it made. There are four types of common business website that you can choose from:

• Simple business website - This kind of website serves as an online business card, it is more like an informational page rather than a store. This website is not for selling products. It is for your visitors to learn more about our services. If you do not have a lot of media included in the design, then you also do not need too much server space. But of course, consider growth and think about where you want your business to go, make space for possible expansions and improvements.

• Conversion-focused website - This kind of website is used for attracting a steady flow of clients. A conversion-focused website needs to be engaging, and they are great for service-focused businesses. This kind of website will have more features than a simple business website, and it will need more space. You will need to choose a suitable web hosting plan to ensure that every aspect of the website runs smoothly as it should.

• E-commerce site - As the name suggests, this kind of website is for selling products and services online. Your visitors can place an order and make a payment with just the click of their mouse. Obviously, this website has a lot of features that the first two types do not have. An e-commerce site needs a product database, shopping cart functionality, payment gateway and configuration of a shipping matrix. This kind of site tends to be quite heavy, so your web hosting definitely needs to be able to handle the weight.

• Custom feature-rich website - This kind of website is best for large businesses that want to stand out from their competition. Custom feature-rich websites are integrated with custom designs and special features that are exclusively found on their page. By special features, this can mean specially-made plugins, enterprise-level database integration or a web app.

A simple website is the cheapest among the four types of website while e-commerce and the custom feature-rich websites are more on the pricier side of things. Think about what your business really needs and base your research and ballpark figure there.

2. Domain Name Registration

You need to register your domain name for your website. The domain name is the address of your website on the World Wide Web. You can register your domain name with your WordPress web host provider, but keep in mind that you are not required to get both your hosting and domain name from the same place. Although, you have to admit that getting them from the same company sounds like a more convenient scenario. The price of a domain varies a lot, and it depends on which provider you get them from. Keep in mind that you also have to renew your domain subscription every year.

Some web hosting companies offer an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate with their packages and some charge it separately. An SSL certificate is especially important if you need an e-commerce site or if your website will be dealing with sensitive information like credit card information, usernames, and passwords.

There are three different types of SSL which are Domain SSL (fast issuance), Organisational SSL (for businesses) and Extended SSL.

Users will be seeing a padlock and https protocol beside your URL if you proceed with a domain or organisational SSL, while you will have a green address bar with your company name when you get the extended validation SSL. Much like your domain name, you also have to renew your SSL certificate after your subscription expires.

3. Web Hosting

Like most products and services, the price of your WordPress web hosting depends on the company that you decide to work with. Keep in mind that cheaper does not always mean good. For example, shared hosting companies can offer their services for very low prices, but keep in mind that their plans are cheap for several reasons which might negatively impact your website performance. The larger or more complex your website is, the more you have to pay. Some companies do offer high-quality services at reasonable prices, you just need to know where to look. (wink wink)

The ideal web hosting plan will depend on point number one: the type of website you need. You also need to consider how many daily visitors you are expecting, your storage requirements, etc.

4. Template or Custom Development

If you have a background in web development and you think that your website is not really complex, then you can work on this part for free. But if you don't have much experience in websites in general, then you will want to leave this to an expert web development agency.

If you want to develop your website based off a template, then it will not cost you much. If you opt for a customised site, then expect that your web dev agency will charge you more, especially if you want an interactive web app or advanced features like database integration.

5. Content and SEO

Search Engine Optimisation is now a requirement if you want to survive the competition. SEO is a service that helps improve your online presence on the internet. SEO can help you reach your target customers more efficiently. When you make an estimate for an SEO service, keep in mind that it is an ongoing process. It is not a one-time investment.

6. Design and Multimedia Integrations

A beautiful, professional design makes a website look reliable. However, there are two aspects of design that you should look out for, one is the visuals, and the second is its usability. There are many ways to present your business through your website, it can be through static images, video or interactive elements. The harder or more complex your requirements are, the more it will cost.

7. Maintenance

Your responsibility does not end when the website is built, both your page and your web hosting require maintenance to keep it relevant and up to date. If your website is simple and you have some experience handling websites-- then you can do this on your own, if not then it is best to work with professionals.

For your WordPress web hosting, different types of hosting plans have different inclusions, both shared and managed hosting are maintained by the hosting company while the dedicated web hosting option requires you or your IT team to maintain it yourselves. If you don't have an IT team or any experience with working with servers, then it is best if you choose a hosting plan that comes with maintenance services.

Final Thoughts

Since different companies offer different rates and pricing, and different businesses have requirements unique to their needs, it is difficult to give a straightforward answer as to how much a website should be. Hopelly, this article will help you understand the things you do need to consider when figuring out an estimate for your dream website.