The one thing almost every client, or potential client, wants to know is “How much will it cost to get a website up and running?“
It’s a reasonable question. Of course the answer most people get is that “well it depends”. What else can you say, but naturally a general rule of thumb would be useful.
One thing you can be sure of – the bigger, the more complex and the more effective you want your website to be, the more it is going to cost you. The old adage “you get what you pay for” really is true.
If you search for website design online you’ll find a wide array of free website building tools out there so it can be tempting to have a go at building your own DIY website. What’s wrong with a bit of good old fashioned DIY, right?

So what’s wrong with DIY websites? Well for a start you’ll get nothing except the tools to build it yourself and you will have to learn how to use those tools. You will be able to produce a website but it may not be as good as you would have liked and in a way it isn’t really free – unless you think of your own time as having no value.
What you really need to remember about free website builders is that they won’t explain or cover search engine optimisation which means you won’t get on the front page of Google and the chances are your website won’t generate leads either.
I suggest you consider a budget – what can you really afford versus what you’d like to pay? Then get quotes, at least three different ones and ask for the details so you know that you’re comparing apples with apples.
Also when speaking to companies be careful of a few things. For example promises to:
- Get you on the front page of Google
- To create a sales powerhouse
- Included setup of Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and Google + pages – this will not automatically make you social.
- To provide special reporting – you should never pay extra for reporting. Google Analytics only takes a little bit of time to be set up and is a free service.
Many of our clients have been surprised by how little they’ve needed to spend to get the website they wanted (without any of the pitfalls of DIY websites). Remember never to worry about asking how much something is going to cost and discussing what you’ll be getting for your money.
If you would like to know more about this subject or any of the other topics discussed on our website please drop us a line here.