How much does a website design cost?

Making your mark online is a necessity nowadays. Social media has been the proof in the pudding that we can undoubtedly thrive in such a space, but there is also another way to make yourself known to the world. How do you do that? Why, through a website, of course. 

If you are one of many professionals or individuals who have bought a .com domain, that is just the first step. Eye-catching visuals and a relatively easy user experience are the known keys to finding success through your website. If you need more assistance in that area, hiring a web designer can be your best bet. 

But before you begin calculating the costs of this venture, the average cost of website design ranges from $5,000 to $10,000. However, depending on the complexity of the design you want, a starting price of $20,000 is also possible.

Before you whip out that cost calculator you found on the web, we at Airtasker have put together this easy-to-refer price guide for your convenience.

What factors affect website design costs?

Before we dive deep into what website design is best for you, let us look at the factors that make up the average cost of website design for small businesses. The primary cost you incur is the web domain, which pertains to your internet presence. It is the sole indicator for people to locate you in the easiest way possible. But aside from the domain name, what other costs should you keep in mind? We share five. 

Hosting

Before anything else, a website must be planted on solid ground. In digital terms, this is what you call hosting. It is also defined as the price you pay to exist on the internet. Whether it is amortised monthly or annually is up to the hosting server you connect to. 

Hosting sites can go as low as $3 per month but can also go as high as $19 per month, depending on if you opt for shared or dedicated hosting. Shared hosting refers to one server hosting a series of different websites, while dedicated hosting is a server that is reserved just for your use. The former is usually the more cost-friendly option as the fee is spread out amongst the shared hosts.

Design

We are referring not just to the aesthetic and physical design of the website but how easy it is to use. This is called UX, short for user experience, or how the user interacts with their website. Successful websites get their clicks from having a responsive design. 

What does that mean? Responsive design refers to the way the website adjusts to both desktop and mobile. Nowadays, users utilise their mobile phones more than their laptops, especially when on the go, so mobile-friendly designs are a priority for most website owners. 

However, desktop and mobile version adjustments have their own set of costs to bear and must be considered. 

Content management system (CMS)

A website must have content, after all, right? But purchasing a domain will not guarantee you a page to build upon, much less to design and create. What you need is a sound content management system (CMS). This refers to the software you use to create your web content. Most software includes authoring your posts and other tools for beginner website owners to produce sans encountering technicalities. 

A basic CMS pack is usually priced at $5,000 depending on the complexities entailed.

Search engine optimisation (SEO)

Congratulations! You have a website underway. But having your website on the internet does not mean that you will get your presence overnight. You must also invest in good search engine optimisation (SEO), a marketing service that boosts your website’s presence through commonly used search keywords. 

Website design must also take into consideration the copywriting aspect and SEO copywriting is just one of the things that fall under that category. While there is no need to invest in an agency, the average cost for a budget SEO spend is from $125 to $250 per hour. The service includes a consultant who will assist you with the right keywords to boost your presence.

Add-ons

While this could be reserved for another time after the launch of your website, most professionals or individuals prefer to have everything at the ready. Add-ons are “nice-to-have” features, like content writing and an email newsletter subscription service, to name a few.  

Costs for these may vary but content writing services average at $125 to $250 per hour, while email subscription services range from free to $30, but could go as high as $90 depending on how expansive the database is. Some CMS programs also offer email subscriptions as free plug-ins, so it is best to check with the program you have.

Different types of websites and their design costs

Website design also depends on the need or priority you have. Whether maintaining an eCommerce website or an online blog or portfolio, average website design costs still vary and may only be final after some factors are taken into account. But here is an average web design price list you can refer to:

What are the benefits of hiring a web designer instead of using a website builder?

With the shift to digital, tools have been surfacing to make such a move easier. This is especially true for rookie website owners who are not well-versed in HTML or CSS. Companies have responded to such a need through a website builder, an online program that allows you to build websites through pre-existing templates. 

Now that you know how much a web design costs and the convenience of a website builder, why do we still emphasise the need for a website designer? We give you three reasons:

Attention to detail

The one advantage website builders have is the ability to provide their customers with convenience. But convenience does not necessarily result in easy customisation, which will allow you to push the concept of your website further.

With a designer on board, their expertise can bring and launch your dream design to the tee, right down to the font and copy. 

Saves you time

While a website designer requires a (sometimes) hefty investment, it is tempting to turn to a website builder to cut that budget in half. But in the long run, maintaining a website you run by yourself and trying to change things out can eat up your time, especially if you want to execute the vision you have in your head.

Having a website designer with you can release you from further time consumption. Here, you can just delegate and relay to the designer what you want your website to look like, and they will take it from there.

Opportunity to collaborate

Need a last-minute edit? If your designer is on retainer, you can ask them for maintenance in a snap. Having a designer versus depending on a website builder to help you out will unlock several possibilities and assistance you can only dream of. 

This is very true for designers you have already worked with, who know what you have in mind and are ready to execute. A website builder may have convenience and cost efficiency, but human talent trumps that any day. 

Additional web design costs to consider

While we have opened the topic of add-on website design costs earlier, we would like to dive deeper into the other expenses that you could incur along the way. While these are more “nice-to-have” than a necessity, you can note this down should you need to:

Product photography

Face it, we live in a visual society. Gone are the days of long-form. Snackable content is the “in” thing right now. How do you stand out in an aesthetically conscious world? Have an eye-catching design, and that includes beautifully staged photos. Depending on how you want your photos to be laid out, you have to have high-quality, sharp, and well-lit pictures to accompany your website. 

This can also include nicely done videography as well if you would like to entice your website visitors further. While costs for photography could vary based on expertise and the number of layouts, the average cost to hire product photographers range from $80 to $100 per hour. But costs could also go as high as $150 per hour.

Content writing

While we have shared the cost of content writing earlier, there must be a reason why it is priced the way it is. Content writing is critical to your SEO score, and producing niche-related content on your website could boost your rankings. 

Content writing covers various responsibilities, from writing long-form blog posts to building the website’s copy. 

Website analytics

While this applies more to business than personal use, this could also be helpful to website owners who are bloggers or influencers. Investing in a website analytics app could boost your rankings and help you analyse the traffic coming into your site. 

Such programs vary in terms of cost, but the average cost of a website analytics program could start at $15,000 at the lowest tier.