Is the cost of a new website weighing on your mind? You’re not alone. There are a long list of businesses who are concerned about the cost of a new website, not least because they have no idea where to start.
In truth, the price you can expect to pay depends on several different factors. If you’re after a small five-page website, it will obviously cost less than an ecommerce website with thousands of products on offer. But there’s more to the cost than size alone. The platform you choose, specialist features required, and whether or not you want a bespoke build will all affect the final price. Not to mention whether you go with a professional web design company.
However, that all needs to be balanced with quality. If you pay pennies, you’ll get a poor-quality website. This will undoubtedly impact your brand and the experience you provide your visitors with. You need a professional website that is fast, secure, mobile friendly and provides good UX (user experience) at the very minimum – otherwise you’re just hurting your business and brand.
To clear things up, we’ll discuss five key points to help you make the best decisions when you’re thinking about what a website costs and how it should perform.
1. Safety first
Although your website may function without added security, not investing in security will put your site at greater risk of a data breach. This means that personal information could end up in the hands of hackers. It’s crucial to ensure that you have all the correct security measures, like an SSL certificate. Many hosting providers include these for low prices and it’s worth prioritising safety.
Are your visitors feeling confident?
Browsers display a “not secure” warning when users enter a website that does not have SSL security. Put your visitors’ minds at rest by simply ensuring that your new website reassures them their data is secure.
2. Choosing a platform
The platform you choose will underpin your whole website, so it’s crucial to consider which type suits both your business and your budget best.
What does your company need?
Different platforms offer different functions. If you need to easily edit and update your website, you need a platform that allows you to do this quickly. Some platforms have in-built analytics summaries, which can help you to understand your visitors better.
Are you building an e-commerce website?
Larger websites with many product listings will of course cost more than websites with less content. Whilst building on WordPress might be cheaper than using a platform like Shopify, it’s also very important to think about how time-consuming this might be, not only in the setup stage, but also when it comes to being able to make fast changes. Some platforms may require coding skills to edit your website, meaning you may need to hire technical support later on, incurring extra costs.
3. Would a bespoke build be better?
Whilst it can be tempting to jump straight into starting your new website using a low-cost template. Take time to think about the benefits of a bespoke build. It’s helpful if your website can connect to and communicate with other platforms – like your accounting system or inventory level tracker.
Have you considered the long-term benefits?
Whilst the initial cost of getting an expert development team to set up more complicated features is higher, the increase in your website’s functionality will result in the long-term benefits of having a seamless system in place between your website and the other platforms your company relies upon.
4. Make it mobile friendly
With 59% of surveyed shoppers saying that being able to shop on mobile is important when deciding which brand or retailer to buy from, investing in a responsive, mobile-friendly website is a no-brainer. An easy-to-use mobile version of your site will encourage your visitors to make purchases.
How can you make your website easy to search for?
It’s impossible to reap the benefits of your professional branding, excellent products and outstanding content if your website is not optimised for viewing on mobile devices. Since 2020, Google primarily judges websites by their mobile version – if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, your search engine ranking will suffer too.
5. Selecting a design
There are many free and low-cost designs available that can get your new website looking smart in no time. However, note that budgeting for a specialised design could be advantageous. You need to make sure that the design you pick makes sense for the content you are sharing.
If you are running an ecommerce business, you need a design that makes product categories easy to navigate. Likewise, if you are creating a blog, you’ll want your posts to flow to make them as readable as possible. Moreover, your new website’s design needs to reflect the branding of your company. Ideally your website’s design should match the theme of any existing branding, so your visitors recognise the business they know and love.
Is it worth it?
As Jaguar Land Rover CEO Dr Ralf Speth said, “If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.” Poorly designed websites can be really damaging to your business – they make you seem incompetent, deterring would-be customers. Investing in an expert design not only makes your website more user-friendly, it also showcases your professionalism.
Does your accountancy firm need a new website?
Asking “how much does a new website cost” is a bit like asking “how long is a piece of string”. However, at Rapport Digital, we’re committed to providing clear, no-obligation quotes based on your specific requirements.
Having worked with accountants and accounting firms across the UK, our team of web design experts understand that your site is the epicentre of everything you do. It’s also a cornerstone of our holistic approach to digital marketing, which is reflected in the services we offer – from social media and email marketing to SEO, PPC and web design.
To find out more, discuss your new website with a member of our team today!