The budget for making a website

Websites come in all budgets. Price for a website in the World Wide Web can range from a free listing to one that cost nearly a million dollars. The more complex a website is, the more expensive it costs. E-Commerce websites come in the high cost zone.

Website making costs are calculated on the basis of four parameters: the project price, cost per page, the hourly rate and package rates. Many website design firms will give you their rates per project basis. The client will be offered a set price that will remain more or less unchanged in the duration of the project. As a client, make sure that you have notified the designing firm clearly. The specifications and the features should be spelled out from the beginning. This should be done for each and every part. The business details should be documented to prevent confusions later on.

Some website design firms may quote the client on a per page basis. Pages in a website can be divided into two types: the compulsory web pages and the ones that may or may not be present. Compulsory pages are those that are standard- for example, pages like ‘about us’, ‘home’ and ‘contact us’ are part of the standard package. Pages, which vary, are usually the ones that elaborate on products and services. Since products change with time, and the number of products may increase or decrease, and since each product equals each page, the number of pages vary with the number of products or services. Besides these visible pages, there are also ‘hidden’ pages like control panel pages from where you can change the settings and style. A search page may also be present in the website structure. All of this adds to the cost of the website.

Some design firms charge their clients by the hour. The rate varies by a significant amount. The expense depends on the skills of the designer, the location and many other factors. Experienced designers charge more. As a client, it is up to you to decide whether to hire a person or not after seeing their portfolio. If possible, check the designer’s references with his or her past clients.

Almost all website design firms offer package rates to their clients. They are made in bulk and come with open-source platforms. These are cheaper than custom made website charges. Open-source platforms like Zen-cart and E-Commerce are free of cost. Inventory management software is also included as part of the package. Other E-Commerce applications like credit card processing and PayPal integration are included. The main disadvantage of a package rate is its rigidity. Customization of packages is possible by paying over and above the standard package rate.

Website development decisions should not be based on costs alone. Emphasis should be placed on the skill of the persons doing the work and the complexity of the website.