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How much does a custom WordPress website really cost?
Many would-be new clients ask this same question. I know I did! Here’s how much you can expect a custom WordPress website to cost:
(Prices vary depending on your specific situation).
- A custom designed WordPress website for a small business with a blog, about us page, and 3-4 pages total – $3,500 – $6,000.
- A custom designed WordPress website for a small business with a blog, a dozen or so pages, customizable home page slideshow – $7,000 – $12,500.
- A custom designed WordPress website for a medium size business with a blog, about us page, advanced customized Home Page Slideshow and up to 15 pages – $10,000 – $14,000+.
- A custom designed WordPress website for a medium/large business with an e-commerce store that needs to import inventory, is integrated with an email list provider like MailChimp and should have a custom built home page slideshow – $15,000+.
Basically, the price of a website will vary depending on your needs and there are many different factors that go into it, but the above estimates are generally what you can expect to pay.
This list above also includes the initial design fee, monthly hosting fees, cost of plugins that may be needed, and additional custom work that may be required.
Your price may end up being a little less or a lot more depending on the project.
The prices above are, again, only very rough estimates based on estimated website size, functions and hosting, but I hope they help give you an idea of what to expect.
Design Fees.
(Some designs can be done in a day or two, while others may take a few weeks depending on the scope of the project).
The design fee is what some charge to create a custom design alone, for your website.
If you’re paying someone else and they’re asking for this fee upfront, it means they’re doing you a service and taking a risk on your project.
They want to be sure that they’ll get paid eventually so if their initial designs don’t win over the company’s tastes, they can go elsewhere with their time.
They’re also trying to ensure that if their designs are tossed aside, you’ll pay them for the work they’ve done so far.
Monthly Hosting Fees.
A simple static website can usually be hosted free on Squarespace or Weebly.
A fully customized WordPress site will cost anywhere from $5-$100+/mo. to host depending on your needs, the amount of traffic, server space and resource usage, type of hosting plan, i.e. Shared, Managed WordPress, Cloud, VPS, Dedicated Server Hosting, etc.
Some plugins can be resource heavy and require more server space, which equals bigger monthly fees.
You may need an SSL certificate for accepting credit cards during checkout. This will cost around $90/yr (this cost will depend on the SSL certificate, insurance and guarantees provided, if any).
If you need things like a blog, e-commerce store, a membership site, advanced SEO capabilities, etc. you may be looking at a few hundred dollars a month in hosting costs.
Be aware of what your needs are before choosing hosting and how they will impact the price you’ll pay each year.
If a client is interested in creating an e-commerce store with Woocommerce , it could cost anywhere from 1-2% + $0.30 per transaction to process credit cards through your site.
This is one of the reasons why many small business owners may prefer using PayPal for ecommerce stores that don’t process a lot of transactions every month.
Plugin Costs.
Some plugins are free, while others have hefty price tags of $50-$100+/plugin.
How cost effective these are depends on how often you may use the plugin and what you will use it for.
For example, some think an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO is a must have if your site uses WordPress, but it’s also free.
Custom Work.
Many clients require more than just simple design work. They want a site that is fully customized and will give them exactly what they need. It’s sort of like getting a handmade product versus buying one in a store.
Re-Branding.
If your website needs rebranding to match your company’s new look or feel, this will be an additional cost.
Is it worth paying for a custom WordPress website?
The answer to this question depends on so many variables. You have to consider the company, your budget for website cost, what you are getting in return and whether or not custom WordPress design is really worth it.
We’ve compiled some more questions below that will help you get an idea if buying a custom WordPress site will be worth your cash or time!
What other WordPress site development costs must I consider?
There are a number of other costs to consider, most of which you will have to budget for in your WordPress site development budget.
These include:
Maintaining & updating the website.
If you work with a web developer or designer to develop and maintain your site, ask them how they handle updates.
Consider whether you will be able to handle updates yourself as your site’s needs evolve.
Security & backup.
- What security measures does the developer have in place to protect you against hackers?
- How often will backups of your data be made, and how can you access them?
- What will it cost if you want to transfer your basic website to another hosting company or domain name provider?
Resolving disputes.
- If you have a dispute with your host about the service you’re receiving, who would you go to, and what information needs to be provided?
- Is there a standard time for resolving disputes with the relevant authority or is it case by case?
- Who pays for resolutions if required?
Ongoing website support.
Most of the points mentioned above come into play when you work with a designer or development agency on your website.
There is an additional cost here as well, one that seems to cause the most confusion: the ongoing management and support of your websites.
In this case, you may want to work with a team that understands and is willing to commit in writing what they will do for you in the long run. You’ll also want to ask these questions:
- What kinds of updates and upgrades will be made?
- If there are changes or additions needed, when will they be addressed?
- How can you discuss potential problems with your website’s functionality, design or flow before it gets out of hand?
- Who will you turn to if these issues arise, and what assurances do you have that they can be addressed in a timely manner?
Custom WordPress site development costs, summary.
When it comes to building a website, you have many options. By now, you should have a pretty good idea of what it takes to build out a custom WordPress website, including some very rough estimates on cost.
The cost will vary depending on the size and complexity of your project, but at least you can be confident that there are many ways for you to save money in the process.
From starting with an existing theme instead of creating one yourself, to using free plugins available online, there are quite a few things to consider.
You’ll also want to ask about discounts when hiring a professional web developer if they offer them!
Whatever choice you make for how best to build your WordPress site today, at least you have a general idea of how it’s done!
