How much does it cost to build a website?

December 04, 2023

How much does it cost and when will my website be ready? These are the 2 most common questions when starting a conversation with prospective customers. Really, is there a default value per website type? If I have found, what are the consequences? Are there any offers in web design - development services? This article was created to provide comprehensive answers in this regard, with reference to a 17-year career in the Internet world. My name is Stratakis Stavros and I am the founder and main developer of webgift dev! Cost of creating a website The answer to the question lies in the combina...

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How much does it cost and when will my website be ready? These are the 2 most common questions when starting a conversation with prospective customers. Really, is there a default value per website type? If I have found, what are the consequences? Are there any offers in web design - development services?

This article was created to provide comprehensive answers in this regard, with reference to a 17-year career in the Internet world. My name is Stratakis Stavros and I am the founder and main developer of webgift dev!

Cost of creating a website

The answer to the question lies in the combination of the 2 decisions below:

Client - what do i want to create;
Company - what am i able to create? Are there appropriate knowledge and skills for post-construction support?

Although the answer to the customer's question is not always clear, the company for their part must be aware of the consequences of the choices they follow. It is important that in addition to the skills that they have developed and are able to apply, they are able to meet future needs that arise.

The options for building a website are presented in detail below.

How much does it cost to build a website?

Website design-development options

Ready-made websites

It is the option where, for example, by searching for relevant YouTube videos, we are shown how to build a website ourselves. The option where companies give predetermined costs and can make offers!

It is actually a CMS like Wordpress today, Joomla in the past where with the help of a installed template, the content configured and... we have a website! "Perfect" one might say, but is it?

Advantages of ready-made websites

Quite low or specific costs.
Offers could be applied.
Minimum delivery times.

Disadvantages of ready-made websites

Security issues with the risk of losing even a minimal investment in time and money.
Low ranking in the organic SEO results of search engines like Google.
High cost to improve organic SEO results.
Slow loading speed. Large databases such as in the case of Wordpress where the average disk space per installation is estimated at 600 MB!
Need for frequent upgrades of the installation and extensions (plugins) to correct vulnerabilities in fear of losing what was created (template upgrade case).
May need to purchase extensions at a monthly or annually fee.
The website will look like others on the web.

Custom websites

It is the option where either the CMS or the template is adapted to the client's needs. The color combination of the template is selected and some demos are presented in HTML/CSS/JS so that we can distinguish the desired content layout. The CMS we are going to use is subject to certain adjustments to accommodate the requirements that exist. This option is the most common one.

Advantages of custom websites

High loading speeds due to the corresponding tasks in the development phase.
High level of website security due to immediate updates on the vulnerability.
Customizable results in organic SEO ranking.
Minimal and substantial upgrades without the fear of losing what was created or being stuck with an outdated version.
A project tailored to needs, not a compromise.

Disadvantages of custom websites

Increased costs.
The demo used may be similar to other projects on the internet.

Fully customized websites

It is the option where the CMS and the template are perfectly tailored to the needs of the project. The designers prepare the colour scheme and layout of the content, sending owners a range of options. Upon completion of the work, the mock-ups are shared with the developers to develop in turn.. the website!

Advantages of fully customized websites

Uniqueness in the #user interface and ...
... all the advantages mentioned in the custom websites (see above).

Disadvantages of fully customized websites

Quite increased cost compared to the 2 previous options since it requires the presence of web designers and developers.

Did you know that visually all 3 of the above options have exactly the same results?

So in answer to the question, there could be predetermined costs and quotes for building a ready-made website but not in the case of custom projects.

FAQs - Tips

What options does your office follow?

The customized options. I believe in the uniqueness of projects as much as possible so quotes are issued on a needs basis following a specific methodology.

What are your tips for building a website?

It is better to keep your investment in time and money than to spend the available resources on a project with an expiry date. Web technologies are constantly evolving and the need for custom projects are becoming more and more necessary.