In today’s digital age, having a website is essential for any business, large or small. Whether you own a small-scale salon around the block or a large restaurant chain throughout the country, a website will give your brand a digital identity.
You’ll be able to reach a wider audience and gain a competitive advantage in the market. With a website, you can also generate quality leads and leave the conventional brick-and-mortar business model behind. In short, a website is necessary for any brand’s success in 2023.
But, any business owners planning to launch a website this year would want to know the underlying development cost. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to evaluating the development cost of a website, you can consider different factors to come up with an estimated cost.
The cost of building a website can vary greatly depending on a number of factors, including the size and complexity of the website, the features you want, and the level of expertise you need.
So, to make your job easier, we have compiled a comprehensive guide on how to evaluate the overall development cost of a website. Read this guide and you’ll be able to come up with an estimated development cost of your website.
A Quick Breakdown of the Average Development Cost of a Website in 2023
If you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick cost estimation of any website, depending on their size and complexity.
- Basic website: A basic website with a few pages and basic features can cost anywhere from £100 to £500.
- Medium-sized website: A medium-sized website with more pages and features can cost anywhere from £500 to £2,000.
- Large website: A large website with a complex design and many features can cost anywhere from £2,000 to £10,000 or more.
If you’re on a tight budget, you can save money by building your own website using a website builder. Website builders are user-friendly tools that allow you to create a website without any coding knowledge. However, be aware that website builders can be limited in terms of features and functionality.
If you need a more professional website with custom features, you’ll need to hire a web developer. Web developers can charge anywhere from £50 to £100 per hour, so the total cost of your website will depend on how many hours of development work are required.
This is where things can get a bit tricky. The hourly development rates of developers vary and usually depend on their expertise, overall industry experience, and their location. For instance, native development teams working in the UK are likely to charge £200-400 per hour. But, thanks to the economical differences, you can avail the same website development services for £50-£100 per hour. That’s why it’s always advised to outsource website development to third-party developers in offshore locations such as India.
Choosing the Right Website Hosting Platform
Along with the web development cost, it’s also necessary to consider other miscellaneous charges when you’re trying to evaluate the development cost of your website. For instance, you’ll also need to factor in the cost of hosting and domain name registration.
If you haven’t purchased a domain name already, you can choose from one of the doman name service providers. Keep in mind that the domain name of a website largely depends on the popularity of the name you’re trying to buy.
Similarly, you’ll also have to consider hosting fees while evaluating the development cost of your website. Hosting is the service that stores your website files on a server so that they can be accessed by visitors. Domain names are the addresses that people type into their browsers to access your website.
The cost of hosting and domain name registration varies depending on the provider you choose. However, you can expect to pay around £5 per month for hosting and £10 per year for a domain name.
Overall, the cost of building a website in the UK can range from a few hundred pounds to several thousand pounds. The best way to get an accurate estimate is to get quotes from several different web developers or website builders.
Tips to Save Extra Bucks on Website Development in the UK
Now that you’re familiar with different factors affecting the development cost of a website, let’s talk about a few additional tips that’ll help you reduce the development cost and make it slightly more affordable. Based on your individual business requirements, you can choose the most suitable tactics to save extra money on your web development endeavors.
Here are a few effective tips to save money on website development in the UK.
- Use a Website Builder
Even though using a website builder may restrict you from integrating advanced functionalities into your website, it’s still a cost-effective option for businesses with limited budgets. Moreover, if you are only planning to launch a single-page website, a ready-to-use website builder will do the job easily.
- Get quotes from Multiple Developers
If you’re planning to hire a professional web development team, we recommend consulting multiple firms before making your decision. Get quotes from at least 4-5 different developers and go with the one that caters to your budget and website requirements. This will help you ensure that you’re getting the best possible price.
- Do Your Research
Before you finalize a development team, make sure to do your due diligence by conducting comprehensive research. One of the easiest ways to do this is to go through the company’s portfolio and read client testimonials. This will give you an insight into their expertise and whether the developers will be able to meet your business objectives or not.
- Define Your Requirements Clearly
Once you have hired a development team, it’ll be necessary to clearly define your project requirements so that the developers know what you’re looking for. This will help you avoid unexpected roadblocks during the development cycle and stay away from unnecessary expenses due to product delays.
Conclusion
Running an offline business in this digital era can restrict your business growth and make it challenging to survive the competition. But, going out and building a website without a fully laid-out plan is most likely to wreak havoc and result in unwanted expenses. If you want to avoid these scenarios, we recommend hiring a dedicated development firm. This way you’ll only have to pay based on the hourly development rates and successfully launch your website without burning a hole in your wallet.
