Understanding how much it costs to build a website is essential for budgeting your project and maximizing the number of website visitors you get.

From basic web development costs to choosing a powerful web hosting service or setting up a custom e-commerce website, these costs can soon add up.

This essential guide breaks down all the costs to consider, as well as website builder prices and other hidden fees involved in building a website.

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How Much Does It Cost To Build A Website In 2024?

Whether you’re building a custom website from scratch or a simple website to promote your freelance business, you need to consider several core costs.

We’ve ensured this article covers everything from professional web design costs to prices for e-commerce functionality, regardless of your site’s size or purpose.

So, now you know our criteria, here’s how much it costs to build a website in 2024:

 

Essential Website Costs: At a Glance

Cost Category Main Features Price Range
Domain Name Registration Registration of a unique domain name $10 – $50 per year
Web Hosting Hosting server space and bandwidth $3 – $30+ per month
Website Builders Drag-and-drop interface, templates Free – $40+ per month
Website Templates Pre-designed website layouts Free – $200+ one-time cost
Website Security SSL certificates, malware protection $20 – $300+ per year
SSL Certificates Secure socket layer encryption $20 – $200+ per year
Extensions and Plugins Add-ons for functionality Free – $100+ per plugin
Website Design Custom design, graphics, branding $500 – $10,000+
Content Creation Text, images, videos, copywriting Varies (hourly or per item)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) On-page and off-page SEO $100 – $1,000+ per month
E-commerce Online store setup and features $29 – $299+ per month
Web Maintenance Updates, backups, tech support $50 – $300+ per month
Marketing PPC, social media, email marketing, etc. Varies widely

Before we dive into the various costs associated with building a website, here’s a summary of the typical expenses related to the process:

  • Domain name registration.
  • Web hosting.
  • Website builders.
  • Website templates.
  • Website security.
  • SSL Certificates.
  • Extensions and plugins.
  • Website design.
  • Content creation.
  • Search engine optimization.
  • E-commerce.
  • Web maintenance and tech support.
  • Marketing costs.

While the price for each of these elements can vary widely, many website builders offer clear pricing so you know what to expect when you sign up.

Now, let’s walk through each of these cost considerations step by step, exploring what they cover and the average price range each feature can cost.

Tip: Find out how to make a business website.

 

Domain Name Registration

Average price range: $0.99 to $60

The first step in setting up a website is to select the name and check its availability for domain name registration.

Whether you’re looking for great mom blog names for your own website or deciding what to call your small business website, domain name availability is essential.

As the starting point for visitors to your website, a domain name should accurately reflect the primary intention behind the site’s functionality.

If you’re simply setting up a personal blog or page to show off your freelancing skills, the domain name could be similar to your personal name.

On the other hand, a business website name works best when it reflects the products or services you have to offer and instantly appeals to potential customers.

While a dot com domain name is the most highly sought-after, it can be considerably more expensive to acquire than other naming conventions.

Alternatives worth considering are territory-based domain names such as .co.uk for businesses based in the United Kingdom or .org for charities and institutions.

While top-level domains can cost several thousands of dollars, most domain name registration is considerably cheaper, depending on the keywords used.

 

Factors To Consider When Choosing A Domain Name Registrar

Several prominent domain name registrars are available, each with its own selection of features and different pricing options.

These factors can impact your initial costs and future expenses and will affect your overall running costs in various ways.

Here are some key factors to consider when researching domain name providers:

  • Renewal prices: In addition to the initial domain name registration fee, some registrars charge increased prices for the renewal process, further increasing long-term costs.
  • Privacy features: Another factor you need to consider when looking for a registrar to register your domain name is privacy and what guarantees they offer to keep your data secure.
  • Email plans: If you need company email addresses linked to your website, some domain name providers include emails as part of their plans, which will use your site’s name as part of the address.
  • Extensions: Some domain name registrars offer additional extensions and plugins that can be used to track site performance and assess other important metrics, helping you improve the user experience.
  • Domain name generator: If you’re struggling to find the best name for your website and want to brainstorm ideas with viable costs, you can use a domain name generator to find available domain names that might be suitable.

With these considerations to bear in mind before choosing your domain name registrar, it’s important to know what you’re hoping to achieve over the long term.

By having a clear game plan, you can invest in the most appropriate services for your requirements and avoid additional costs.

Read more: Launch your business with this small business startup checklist.

 

Web Hosting

Average price range: $1.99 to $200 per month

Once you’ve chosen your website’s name and registered it with a provider, the next step in the process of building a website is choosing a web hosting provider.

Web hosting providers provide site owners with the necessary storage space on servers where all the site’s data and files are located.

This storage includes all the code for your website’s functionality, as well as images, videos, and other media assets.

If you’re blogging as a side hustle, you can get away with a more limited amount of space, whereas a large website for a corporation will be more demanding.

Web hosting companies also guarantee a level of stability for your website, ensuring your pages load in a timely manner and the overall user experience is smooth.

Let’s explore some of the main types of web hosting providers there are, so you can choose the one that is best suited to your website’s requirements:

  • Dedicated Hosting: Using a dedicated server allows hosts to cut the risk of security and performance problems while also offering increased functionality. A more expensive option, it also requires frequent maintenance and management that smaller sites won’t need.
  • Shared Hosting: One of the most popular options is shared hosting, with multiple clients managed from the same server system, thus reducing the costs for each website. It’s a great option for creating a website on a budget, with shared hosting providers among the most common.
  • Managed Hosting: As with dedicated hosting, a managed hosting provider provides a dedicated server while also handling the security and maintenance responsibilities. As such, the client is able to manage their site’s assets through a File Transfer Protocol but has restricted access to administrative features.
  • Cloud Hosting: A more recent addition to the range of web hosting solutions is cloud hosting, which scales down overall costs and reduces the chances of disruptions due to server issues. It’s a style of web hosting that has been rising in popularity in recent years.
  • Virtual Private Servers: Using a virtual private server (VPS) has some similarities to shared hosting, except your files are stored in a dedicated space and with a reduced risk from sharing hardware. As such, its costs are typically higher than with basic shared hosting services.

While it is possible to set up a dedicated server hosting platform in your home or business, the potential complications make this a limited option for most websites.

In most cases, shared hosting will be sufficient for the requirements of a general website, offering plenty of server space for future expansion.

Explore Friday’s pricing.

 

Website Builder

Average price range: Free to $50 per month

Most web hosting providers will include a comprehensive website builder in their overall package to help them arrange their pages and content.

One of the major advantages of website builders is that they eliminate the need to hire a professional web developer to build a website.

Instead, these builders offer a range of easy-to-use tools to populate your website with the core pages and view how it will look in real-time.

This means you don’t need to learn HTML, CSS, or other website coding languages and can avoid hiring a web designer.

In short, a great website builder offers invaluable assistance when creating a site that can be used by casual bloggers and small business owners alike.

 

Important Website Builder Features

While different website builders offer various tools and features to help you build your site, there are some key features you should look out for when choosing which to use.

Here are some things you should consider when researching website builders to use:

  • Easy-to-use drag-and-drop functionality:. The best website builders offer an intuitive user interface to help users add and organize their page’s assets. The most popular interface is a drag-and-drop one, which can be used to quickly edit layouts and introduce new media to a page.
  • Ready-made core web pages: Most websites feature a set of core pages to help visitors navigate the various content on offer. In addition to a home page, a contact page, an about page, and a page for listing products or services are some of the core web pages to look for in a builder.
  • Cross-device functionality: The rise in smartphone use to access websites has greatly impacted interface design and how they appear across multiple devices. A good website builder automatically modifies your content to ensure it appears correctly, whatever your visitor’s choice of device.
  • Social media integration: Social media is a crucial aspect of website promotion and engagement, so choosing a website builder with built-in social media integration is essential. This feature will help you share your content on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other major social media channels.
  • AI Assistant. With artificial intelligence impacting all aspects of business, it can be a powerful tool to help with building a website that uses fully optimized content and search engine-friendly keywords. Look for a website builder that uses an AI Assistant tool to help streamline optimization and content creation.
  • Customizable lead capture forms: If you’re setting up a small business website, you’ll need the relevant lead capture forms to channel your audience through your sales funnel. These customizable forms can be used for product launches, new promotions, contact forms, and capturing customer data through subscriptions.

While you can mix and match some features, ideally, you’ll want to work with a website builder that incorporates everything you’ll need over time.

Some of the best services available include a range of specific tools and features to help with your site, such as a dedicated blog website builder, in their pricing.

Create a stunning site with Friday’s website builder.

 

Website Templates

Average price range: Free to $360

While a great website builder can help speed up the process of creating a website with intuitive user mechanisms, it can still be time-consuming to build one from scratch.

You can access a range of website templates to get the ball rolling quickly, further increasing productivity and creating a smooth workflow.

Some web hosting and building platforms charge additional fees for a template depending on the core features and other aspects, such as the design elements used.

On the other hand, you can opt for a website builder that includes its full suite of website templates in the subscription price to keep your overall costs down.

These templates will also help outline your website theme and overall aesthetics, from the style of fonts used across text to the layout of pages and menus.

Once you’re clear on the overall function and purpose of your website, consider the following factors when deciding which template to use:

  • Header layout: The first thing visitors see when loading your website is that the header can feature your company logo or other media, such as videos or image slideshows. As such, the style of header you choose will depend on the website’s overall goals.
  • Content width design: Most websites function as either full-width or boxed-width formats, with the former typically used for more visually creative websites. Full-width layouts are also more responsive on mobile devices.
  • Logo and branding placement: Positioning your logo and other visual branding assets can make a big difference between poor and healthy visitor retention. This means choosing a template that places these assets in the most eye-catching locations.
  • Navigation bar design: A navigation bar features links to all your website’s core pages, with a horizontal top menu associated with classic web designs. Vertical navigation bars can work well with graphic-heavy sites or ones with long titles in the options.

If you want to hire a professional to help with fleshing out your website template, there are plenty of designers looking to make money on Upwork using their skills.

You can review their portfolios, find designers best suited to your website’s core themes, and work with them to create a distinct look.

Discover Friday’s professional website templates.

 

E-Commerce Functionality

Average price range: $5 to $50 per month

If you plan to sell products or services to customers, you’ll most likely be focused on setting up a custom e-commerce website to drive sales.

While some website builders charge additional expenses for this, others offer an e-commerce website builder as part of their basic package.

This delivers an easy-to-use platform for easily adding an online store to your existing site or a new website to manage and sell your products.

Depending on your website builder, you’ll have access to a selection of e-commerce functionality features to help with your sales.

Here are a few of the must-have features you should look out for when setting up an e-commerce website for your business:

  • User-friendly interface: If customers cannot find the products they’re looking for, they’ll quickly log off your site and look elsewhere. A user-friendly navigation process search features and categories can speed up their shopping experience and retain their loyalty.
  • Product reviews: Most people who make purchases online rely on product reviews from other customers to help them decide whether or not the product is right for them. A good e-commerce platform incorporates product reviews into its core architecture.
  • Order tracking: After placing an order, the customer’s next consideration is when they can expect the product to ship and arrive. As such, you should use an e-commerce builder that allows customers to check their order status on your website.
  • Multiple payment processing options: A good e-commerce experience requires selecting the most popular payment processing options with an intuitive checkout process. You don’t need to include all payment processors, but allowing for bank transfers and PayPal payments is a must.
  • Coupon codes: Promotions and other limited offers are a great way to attract new customers and highlight the latest product releases. This means using a website builder’s e-commerce tools to create coupon codes as and when required.

E-commerce functionality is crucial for anyone looking to generate income, from the best home-based business ideas for moms to local small businesses.

By choosing a website builder with a comprehensive selection of e-commerce tools, there’s no limit on how much inventory you can add and the level of processed sales.

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Website Security

Average price range: $200 to $4,500 per month

With the rise in cybersecurity breaches in recent years, website security has become increasingly important for protecting the data of site visitors.

This means securing your website is more important than ever before, whether you’re running a small business website or a large site with thousands of daily visitors.

There are several ways you can bring peace of mind to the security of your content and resources that vary considerably in their prices.

One simple way to do this is to ensure all of your software and plugins remain up to date, reducing the opportunities for bots and hackers to attack.

Encrypting your login pages and backing up your data on a regular basis are other good practices for enhancing the overall security of your website.

You can also regularly scan your site for vulnerabilities and limit user permissions to limit the potential for security breaches on your website.

While it’s possible to hire a security expert to perform these tasks for you, the cost can be exceptionally high, particularly for complex, high-traffic sites.

That’s why it’s recommended that you choose a web hosting provider that offers full security in its subscription package, including a full SSL Certificate.

Create an all-in-one e-commerce website.

 

SSL Certificate

Average price range: Free to $1000 per year

By far, the most common method for ensuring a website’s security is as thorough as possible is to get an SSL Certificate, which stands for Secure Sockets Layer.

Acquiring an SSL Certificate has many benefits, from helping users establish a secure connection to protecting the visitor’s personal information.

An SSL Certificate also reduces the risk of phishing, improves overall trust with your audience, and can help your website rank in search engines.

It can also help you to satisfy your obligations and requirements for payment processing, such as being PCI compliant with the card payment industry.

While some domain name providers offer SSL Certificates, the price for this can be high, with some single domain SSL Certificate providers charging up to $1000 annually.

Fortunately, some website hosting platforms offer a free SSL Certificate with their subscriptions, which can lower your website development costs.

Read more: Check out the best startup website designs.

 

Extensions & Plugins

Average price range: Free to $249 per year

Another factor to consider when assessing your web hosting costs is what additional fees you need to pay to access certain extensions and plugins to run your site.

While a basic WordPress website can be set up for free, the cost of plugins and other tools necessary for functionality and performance can quickly accumulate.

There are plenty of free plugins available, but some premium plugins require annual subscriptions ranging from $10 to over $200.

Additionally, excessive use of plugins can slow the site’s speed down as it struggles to load more information, becoming detrimental to SEO and the user experience.

They also require regular updates, which can significantly affect your overall workflow and scheduling when multiple plugins are in use.

Fortunately, some website builders include their full range of tools in a single pricing package, streamlining the overall user experience.

By choosing a web hosting platform with everything rolled into a single subscription, you can save valuable time and access all the features you need from day one.

 

Additional Costs To Consider

We’ve broken down the essential website costs you can expect to pay when setting up a website from the ground up and choosing one of the best website builders.

Now, let’s examine some of the additional factors to consider when setting up a website and how you can save money on these processes.

Whether you’re setting up a blog around a busy stay-at-home mom schedule or building a website for your business, these ongoing website costs should be considered.

 

Website Design

Average price range: $200 to $50,000

Perhaps the most common additional website cost to consider when developing your own site is whether or not you need to hire a web designer.

While you might know how to design a logo, using a professional website designer will help ensure your content is presented in a truly eye-catching manner.

In addition to designing your blog or company logo, a website designer can help improve your background images and other visual assets.

You don’t have to break the bank with your website design costs, and there are plenty of web designers becoming a freelancer and looking for new clients.

Platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork list freelance web designers who can meet all requirements, from setting up a small business website to a personal blog.

Conversely, hiring a professional web design agency to create a comprehensive corporate website with many elements can cost thousands of dollars.

With such variability in web designer costs, it can be hard to know where to begin, so take the time to research precisely what you need to do.

If you’re using great templates and a strong website builder, you may be able to save money by only hiring a web designer for essential page elements.

Read more: Find out how to make a website in 10 steps.

 

Content Creation

Average price range: $5 to $250 per article

Another core website cost to consider when you begin to build a website is focused on content creation, such as blogs, articles, and other resources.

While a casual blogger is happy to create all of this content on their own, a professional website needs lots of optimized content to generate traffic.

Additionally, there is content based around monetization strategies, whether this is working with the best affiliate programs for mom bloggers or hosting sponsored posts.

As well as blog posts and articles, other popular types of content used to drive traffic and increase engagement include:

  • Surveys
  • Quizzes
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Case studies
  • interviews
  • FAQs
  • e-books
  • Infographics
  • Tutorials and courses

You can find many freelancers on platforms such as Fiverr, Upwork, and other digital job boards to help you fill out your site with these types of content.

While some freelancers are happy to work for small fees, it’s worth paying extra for more experienced content creators with a proven track record.

Create a blog with Friday.

 

Search Engine Optimization

Average price range: $500 to $5,000 per month

Search engine optimization (SEO) is fundamental for driving as much traffic as possible to your website by ranking in the top results of search engines.

Whether you’re using the benefits of SEO for your small business website or trying to increase your band’s following, SEO is crucial for getting the best results.

Getting great rankings on Google and other search engines requires a lot of time and effort, with hundreds of thousands of sites competing for the top spot.

To do this, you’ll need to optimize the keywords used in your content, choosing the individual words and phrases that best reflect your intended audience’s behavior.

You can use many online tools, such as Google Analytics, to check keywords and see how well they are likely to perform when used correctly.

You can also use services such as Surfer when writing content, which will add a list of terms to use along with the frequency and order of priority.

For larger enterprises with extensive content marketing strategies, an SEO specialist may be necessary to handle the workload.

Depending on the workload, this can significantly increase your website cost, ranging from $500 per month to several thousands of dollars.

While this cost may seem high, for larger corporations, it’s a necessary expense that can make the difference between profitability and failure.

Tip: Discover how to monetize a blog.

 

Website Maintenance & Tech Support

Average price range: $50 to $5,000 per month

Just as website security is fundamental to a website’s smooth operation, website maintenance, and tech support are necessary features.

While website maintenance costs vary, it’s necessary to ensure your visitors can find what they need when they need it and don’t encounter dead pages.

It can also help keep your content management system running correctly and resolve any issues flagged in customer support tickets.

Your website maintenance cost should include:

  • Backup and disaster recovery.
  • Security scanning.
  • Accessibility testing.
  • User management.
  • Performance monitoring and optimization.

While there are independent services, you can pay for that cover website maintenance and tech support, a great website builder will include this in their price.

 

Marketing Costs

Average price range: $500 to $15,000 per month

Marketing is another website cost that can fluctuate wildly depending on the nature of your website and the scale of your marketing campaigns.

A small—to medium-sized business can spend anywhere from $500 to $15,000 each month on marketing, so it pays to know what costs to expect.

Some website owners use digital marketing services to handle all their processes, covering everything from content creation to regular SEO updates.

These costs can also include running ad campaigns on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as using Google AdSense.

The price for such campaigns is flexible and typically can be established on a pay-per-click basis, so you can track how well ads are performing.

Digital marketing services are among the best freelance jobs for beginners, so you can save money by hiring someone on an ad hoc basis to help with campaigns.

Other types of marketing initiatives businesses use to promote their products and services or build an online following include:

  • Email marketing: Websites that offer the choice to subscribe to an email list can use this information to send content directly to their readers’ mailboxes, which is great for promotions and new product releases.
  • Affiliate marketing: Reaching out to social media influencers is another great way to generate interest, whether you’re working on monetizing your blog or launching a new service, with your affiliate partners taking a commission.
  • Guest blogging: With guest blogging, website owners will write articles about their products and services, which are then hosted on another site with a link to drive traffic to the site.

Learn more: Find out what Friday can do for your business.

 

Summary

So, that’s a wrap on this complete guide breaking down all the costs of building a website, from choosing a web server to setting up an online store.

While these costs don’t have to be astronomical, over time, they can quickly accumulate and cost your organization thousands of dollars each year.

By choosing a website builder that covers everything in a single subscription, you can reduce your website cost and free up money to create high-value resources.

Build your website faster with AI. Simple!

  • Build faster with AI assisted tools
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