Marketing design
8
min read
Looking to create a new website for your business or giving your existing one a makeover?. Website design cost can be different, so to help you out, in this article, we'll break down the various pricing options and factors that impact the cost of designing a website. Hopefully, this will help you make an informed decision. Let’s begin, shall we?
So, how much does it cost to design a website? As you probably learned from the article’s title, the final cost can range from $3,000 to $40,000 and beyond. Now, onto the details.
If you're tight on budget or need a simple website, you can create one on your own without hiring a professional web designer and developers or investing huge sums of money.
Wix, Squarespace, Portfoliobox, or similar are user-friendly low-code/no-code platforms allowing individuals and businesses to create websites without specific knowledge and skills. These websites have extensive template libraries, allowing you to choose a design that aligns with your brand and vision. You can further customize these templates to make your website unique.
The platforms are known for their user-friendly drag-and-drop editors, making it relatively simple for beginners to create and manage their websites. You can add text, images, videos, and other elements to your site with ease.
Except for ease of use, another most attractive feature of website builders is obviously their cost.
For example, for personal use, web design pricing with Wix starts with as little as $4,5 per month. Business and eCommerce plans (the main distinction is even the cheapest one facilitates online payments) will cost you $17-35 per month.
Squarespace will cost you a bit more, ranging from $16 per month for personal use (no online payments) to the Advanced Commerce plan being up to $49/mo.
It's a bit more advanced but still a rather low-maintenance and cost-effective option. Webflow is a visual web design and development platform that allows you to create highly customized websites without any coding. However, working with Webflow may require some design expertise, especially if you want a highly tailored look and feel.
Webflow provides the option to add advanced features like animations, dynamic content, and e-commerce functionality. These additional features can increase the overall cost but also enhance the functionality and interactivity of your website.
Webflow even has a free plan – in this case, you won't have a custom domain. Pricing ranges from $14 to $39 for general use and $29 to $ 212 for e-commerce.
It all comes down to your business domain, but a more or less advanced website builder might be more than enough. And overall, a simple website design cost will amount to a couple of cups of coffee per month. However, if your needs are more advanced, you will need to work with a designer. And here, the costs start getting tricky.
So, what is an average cost for website design? It all boils down to the cooperation model you choose and how complex your website would be? While we don’t know much about the latter (feel free to contact us if you want to learn the details), we be glad to dwell on the former.
Hiring a freelancer can be a cost-effective option, with rates varying based on the candidate’s experience and location. A general tip is to multiply the estimated work hours by the designer's hourly rate.
There are many factors this hourly rate will depend upon. The designer's experience, portfolio, seniority level, and their location can influence the costs. A quick look at Upwork will show you a wide range of hourly rates from $10 to $120 and more.
However, as mentioned, the cost will also depend on the complexity of your project. Custom website design cost always goes higher. Average hourly rates for designing a one-page site with a basic layout and UI will range from $15-40+, while designing a full custom site will cost you, on average $45-75+ per hour. A small project might take about 10 hours, while a full-scale one – dozens of hours + time for feedback and revisions.
If your website will grow over time or if you expect regular redesigns, it might be worth considering hiring an in-house web designer.
In the US, the average cost of hiring a website designer will be $25,39 per hour, which respectively will amount to $50,5K a year. So, at first glance, the costs do not exceed that of hiring a freelancer. But you should take into account the variety of benefits: paid time off, maternity and sick leaves, and so on. So, hiring an in-house designer might be a good idea if you expect you will have many ongoing tasks for them. In other cases, in all fairness, it will increase the average price for web design quite much, and is not worth your time.
Sometimes, it's hard to reduce website design costs while still getting what you need. Collaboration with web design agencies is a top-tier option in these cases, which is probably the best way to get a complex website in a limited timeframe. Agencies normally charge by project and it's nearly impossible to know their rates without contacting them. But you can get an approximate estimate depending on your website. Let’s have a closer look at them.
Designs here are simplistic and tailored to encourage page viewers to contact the company for specific tasks. They are known for their clean, minimalist, and professional design. Corporate websites prioritize functionality, user experience, and a clear path to conversion rather than complex or elaborate aesthetics. The design is often aimed at presenting information and features in a straightforward and easy-to-navigate manner.
The site design cost for a corporate website ranges between $20,000 – $30,000.
Landing pages are simple, focused web pages designed with a single purpose: to convert visitors into leads or customers. They are often used in digital marketing campaigns, where a concise and persuasive message is essential.
Landing pages typically cost between $1,500 to $2,500. This cost covers the creation of a streamlined and persuasive layout, compelling content, and the integration of key elements like lead capture forms or call-to-action buttons. Landing pages are known for their minimalist design, aiming to eliminate distractions and guide visitors toward a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter, downloading an ebook, or making a purchase. Still, the cost varies based on factors like design complexity, the need for custom graphics, and the extent of functionality.
Software as a Service (SaaS) web applications are dynamic and intricate digital platforms. They provide users with interactive experiences, usually offering features like data processing, user accounts, and subscription management.
Designing and developing a SaaS web app is quite a complex task. This leads to costs that typically range from $25,000 to $45,000. SaaS web apps demand extensive planning, design, development, and testing, encompassing various elements such as user interfaces, database systems, secure user authentication, and scalable architecture.
The need for responsiveness and adaptability across multiple devices and platforms adds to the complexity and cost. Customization to meet unique business requirements, as well as potentially demanding security and regulatory standards, also contributes to the final price.
Except for the type of website and collaboration, there are other things to keep in mind when doing website design cost breakdown.
Obviously, if you're tight on budget and you need something quite simple, it might be a good idea to just go for a website constructor. However, if you require quite a complex website, you might end up needing to pay an agency to ensure the speed and quality of work are up to your expectations.
A cost effective option that will not compromise your quality is to cooperate with TodayMade. We offer all of the security of collaborating with a design agency, but without the associated bureaucracy: we can start working right away! Our subscription-based model, with pricing starting at $4,999 per month, ensures you pay no more than an in-house designer and get all the perks of one, including close communication, constant support, and help with maintenance without the time it takes to hire and onboard a designer and any extra costs.
Contact us today to start designing the website of your dreams!
