How much does a website cost?

The easiest way to answer this question is to put it into a context. How much does a house cost?

If you only need four walls, a door, a window and a roof, and you're planning to purchase and assemble the materials yourself, you can do it on the cheap. If you're not handy with the tools used, it still won't cost much in labor even if you have a professional build your small house for you.

What if you require a little larger structure? How many rooms do you need? Do you want to use a ready-made plan, or a custom design? Do you want your guests to have full access to all of your house, or do you want to separate public and private areas? As the project becomes more complex, there is more to consider, more to build and more things that need to function together.

What if the house is not for personal use, but is a business structure? Then you have another set of challenges. What if you have a business that exists in several locations? And/or you need employees to access and control various parts of the structure?

In this website analogy, the basic four walls and roof is like an online brochure. It is the simplest of websites with some information about your product or service and a way for people to contact you by way of some combination of address, phone and email.

The next level of website has more information and some interactive elements that enhance the user experience. It performs some function beyond merely conveying information.

The third represents a larger, perhaps enterprise level website, where information changes and updates often. It is likely database driven (could be e-commerce, product pricing sheets, community elements, a blog, etc), and the content itself may be accessible by different levels of website editors, as well as varying customer level access.

One advantage that websites have over houses is that it's pretty easy to add onto the structure while maintaining the original appearance. Websites can expand over time easier than houses (keeping in mind that poor planning can be detrimental to a project in any industry), and thus be cost-effective by assembling only the parts needed at this point in time. "Build-as-you-go" is an effective web development strategy as long as there is a clear goal and plan for growth.

How much should I budget?

How much you have to spend will determine the growth rate of your website. While a database driven e-commerce website can easily set you back 8-10 grand, for a small or start-up business, depending on your product, it may not be necessary to outlay that kind of cash at the inception. You can get started with a deposit of just a few hundred dollars to begin work, a simple template with a few pages and a growth plan. As you work with your web developer over the span of a few months, your website can start bringing in customers — thus, income — to help fund future growth.

This is the kind of website growth plan that I frequently recommend to small businesses.
1. Go live as soon as you can with what your budget will allow.
2. Get your product or service information out there with a way for new customers to contact you.
3. Follow your growth plan to develop your website from there.

Websites cost varying amounts depending on functionality. Your budget will determine the growth rate. Your website plan will keep you on track as you work toward your goals. By just doing one manageable thing at a time, you'd be surprised at how quickly and affordably you can develop a strong presence on the web.

5 steps to get your own website

In today's market, most small businesses know they need a website. They WANT to get online, but don't have a clear idea of what's involved. There is so much information about it on the Internet that it's hard to get down to the nuts and bolts. What do you really need to get online?

This overview lists the basics for the non-technically inclined. Yes, you. Say it loud: "I'M A NEWBIE AND PROUD!" Each part will require some research to choose the specs and price to suit your needs, but just take it one step at a time.

1. You need a computer that is capable of connecting to the Internet
If you want to read some simple blogs and send and receive text-only email, then a computer with a 56k modem will get you where you're going - eventually. It might be fun for about 15 minutes. Your first visit to YouTube will be a stark disappointment. If you want to take advantage of all that the Internet has to offer, get a computer with an ethernet card/port so that you can hook up to broadband (DSL or cable) Internet access. And no, not just to watch funny videos or listen to music. It's not much fun to publish a full website over a slow 56k dial-up connection, or email large attachments that take all night to send. Your computer also needs to have software to access the Internet (a browser), which usually comes pre-installed. The latest versions of popular browsers are available for download online.

2. You need to access the Internet through an Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Now that you have your own computer where you can build a website and access the Internet, there's certainly no need to spend your time surfing at the local public library, computer lab or Internet cafe. And what are you going to do in the wee after-hours when you finish your website changes or have a sudden urge to check your email? You need to get Internet access at home or at your office. The ISP simply provides access to the Internet. You need this if you're going to build and maintain a website, send and receive email and surf.

3. You need to register a Domain Name (DNS: Domain Name System)
The website you're about to create needs an address on the Internet. Your very own dot com. The address is called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Your URL can be any name that isn't already taken. Check through a domain search service to find out if your favorite name is available.

4. You need to post your website via a web host
A web host provides space on their server for you to make your website available on the Internet. This is where your actual website files are stored. (Of course, you have another full version on your hard drive, a back-up of that on an external drive and an archived version on CD - you can never be too safe). Web hosting services range from offering space and email addresses, to full eCommerce packages.

5. You need to design a website
No small matter here. You can hire someone to build a site for you, or try your hand with a web design package that contains step-by-step instructions for everything from creating content to uploading your first website to your web host.

Is that it? Well, it's the 10,000ft view. Hopefully it brings enough clarity to make a confusing process a little easier to follow.

If you're "new" and this article helped you, I invite you to click the link below to post a comment. This is my first blog, so I don't mind if it's your first blog comment. We can all learn something new today.