It’s the question that generates the most organic search traffic to this site.
“How much does an effective small business website cost?”
Here’s the thing though…this is almost an impossible question to answer quickly and it is almost always the wrong question to ask first if you’re just setting out to establish your business online.
So before I give you my two cents on cost, here are some questions you should ask first as you plan your website development efforts…
- What is the next strategic online step my business needs to take? What will grow my business the most over time?
- What is the primary goal with my website? (phone calls, sell products, etc.)
- Can I be confident this site will put me in the best position to generate leads?
- Is my business value proposition clear? Is my messaging clear?
- Do I want to be my own tech support or delegate to a trusted resource?
- Is this a set it and forget thing or do I have plans to grow and evolve my online presence?
- What functionality do I need? (Email opt-ins, e-commerce, image galleries, etc.)
Asking those questions first will narrow down your options. If you decide DIY is the right fit for you then great, but start with those questions first and then consider the budget that works for you.
Ok, but you want real numbers right? That’s why you’re visiting this blog post.
If you were to DIY a comparable setup to what we provide our clients in our Grow Package (which includes unlimited support requests) this is what you could expect to pay.
Keep in mind that most of our clients are small shops (less than 20 employee) who are looking for simple, lead generating solutions for their online presence. They’re also looking to have the peace-of-mind support looking out for them.
Premium Wordpress Theme – $50-$150 one time or annual.
Custom Domain Name – $15-$25 annually
Design/Setup/Customization – $1000-$5000 (typically $50-$300 hour for 10-20 hours)
Fully Managed Private Server – $15-$40 per month
Tech Support – $79.99 a month for 3 support requests (*Godaddy Service)
Business Marketing Consult – $80 per hour
Digital Strategy Consult – $50-$120 hour
You could certainly spend more and it’s not uncommon for professionally developed sites to be in the 10’s of thousand of dollars, but those website are typically beyond the needs of a local small businesses.
So before you just jump into a web service, think critically and holistically about what the right next step is for you and how much you’d like to invest over the coming years.
Our mission at Center Street is to help small business owners live out their vision of growing a business and we think a website and digital marketing that doesn’t cost an arm and leg is a big part of that.