In the digital era, the value of having a website cannot be emphasised. Websites make finding and learning about what you have to offer easier for customers. The more individuals you can reach over the internet, the greater chances you have of making a transaction.
However, many company owners wonder how much it costs for a website in Australia.
If you are only concerned with pricing, cheap website builders or freelancers may appear to be a suitable option for designing your website because they charge less. However, there are several disadvantages to inexpensive website designs. That’s why most business owners use a web design company to create their websites.
As you explore the option of creating a website for your business, it is also vital to understand what comes with the website and the variables to consider, so you know what you are, or are not paying for.
Step 1: Identifying the type of website you require
Simply put, below are four of the most common types of company websites:
(a) A simple brochure website for a small business:
If your business just provides a few services or products that you do not intend to sell online, a simple website will suffice. The site will serve as your online business card, with people coming to look at your offerings and learn more about your company. This sort of website is best suited for small local companies.
(b) Conversion-oriented business website:
If you intend to use the website to generate a continuous flow of new business, you will require a more polished website that is designed to convert visitors and appealingly shows your prior work. These websites are ideal for small enterprises that provide a service, and for businesses looking to harness online marketing as part of their wider marketing initiatives.
(c) An eCommerce website:
If you want to sell your items or services online and take payments through your website, you’ll need an eCommerce website. An eCommerce website has many characteristics that distinguish it from other types of websites.
A product database, shopping cart capability, a payment gateway, and the setting of a shipping matrix are just some examples.
(d) A custom website with a unique set of features and integrations:
If you own a larger company, you may wish to differentiate yourself from the competition by using a unique design and site-specific functionality. Depending on your industry, your website may require custom plugins or enterprise-level database integrations as well as other custom features to ensure operational software compatibility.
Step 2: Purchase a domain name
The first thing you’ll need for a website if you don’t already have one is a domain name. A domain name is your website’s internet address. You must also renew your domain subscription every year.
After purchasing your domain and when you’re ready to launch your website, you must instal an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate. SSL is required if your website is an eCommerce site or contains sensitive information such as credit card numbers, usernames, and passwords. Your website visitors will see the padlock and HTTPS protocol in addition to your domain and organisation SSL URL.
In addition, once your membership expires, you must renew the SSL certificate. If all of this seems difficult, you can always seek assistance from your web design company, which may also provide this service as part of a managed hosting service.
Step 3: Determine if you want to use a template or create a website from scratch
If you don’t have much experience with web design or development, you might look at hiring the services of a web design agency.
If heading along with the template option, a simple template-based website with a few pages will not be expensive. Many of the popular CMSs are free to instal, however, there is generally either a set-up fee or monthly fee associated once the site goes live.
The more customisation you want for your site, the more you’ll have to pay your designer, developer, or agency. The price can range from $500 for the template-driven platforms to closer to $10,000 or more for highly custom SEO best practice, lead converting websites. Interactive elements or sophisticated capabilities such as database integration will almost certainly necessitate a bigger budget.
It all boils down to your individual needs as to which is the best option. Any reputable web development company should offer you the guidance and option that meets both your needs and your budget.
Step 4: Selecting a Web Host
For basic websites, website hosting costs approximately $55 per month, and considerably more if you host large or complicated sites or web apps.
The best pricing and plan will be determined by the sort of site you want, the number of daily visitors you have, your storage needs, and a variety of other criteria. Security, performance, assistance (including phone help), and maintenance service are all important things to consider.
Typically, your design company will assist you in picking the best hosting service for your website.
Step 5: Provide copywriting and SEO services
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is no longer a choice; it is now required for any company website that wishes to remain competitive online. It is a service that helps you increase your search engine visibility so that you can reach your target consumers more efficiently.
Professional copywriters may be able to help you produce the initial page content, which should be in line with SEO best practices. The cost of copywriting is determined by a variety of factors. Because content is so crucial for Google rankings, discussing your website plans with an SEO agency first may help you decide on the best option for your site.
Having a strong internet presence will benefit your company regardless of its size or industry. As soon as your website is up and running, you should heavily consider SEO. SEO services are continuous and can range in price per month depending on the competitive nature of your industry.
Step 6: Ongoing maintenance
Even when your web design agency completes the design and development of your website and launches your site, the process is far from done. All websites require upkeep to remain relevant and technologically current.
Unless your site is incredibly simple, with no enquiry forms or integrations, or you have a high level of technical understanding, you may need to spend money on website maintenance regularly
Webappealingly shows your prior worksite maintenance costs may be bundled with website hosting fees to save money. Website maintenance fees include maintaining your website theme and plugins up to date to guarantee that your site is operating properly.
Theme and Plugin updates
You’ll need to add or update various plugins if you wish to improve specific aspects of your website. While there are dozens of free WordPress plugins accessible, you may wish to invest a few dollars in premium plugins to optimise their benefits.
If not updated regularly though, when a theme or plugin update to your website causes it to crash unexpectedly, you may not know what to do to restore it. Part of ongoing website maintenance by your agency provider ensures there is a backup mechanism that allows for retrieval of any data if your website breaks.
Security Updates
To discourage harmful hacking attempts, each website must have security upgrades. An SSL certificate may be added by your website developer to safeguard your site
Step 7: Design and multimedia integration
The development of appealing aesthetics and a pleasant user experience is a critical component of the project. As a result, there are two elements to the design. One is the site’s visual language. Another aspect is its usefulness and accessibility.
There are various ways to produce visual content and convey information on your website, just as there are in the construction process, whether static photos, video or interactive components.
The price is entirely depending on how you want your site to appear. Here, your agency will assist you in developing successful concepts that match your business objectives and provide a custom quote for your consideration.
Building Design
Despite the availability of web design templates, the design building process still accounts for a significant amount of your website’s cost. The agency you choose will most likely include the following in the final website design cost:
Website themes
While some website themes are free, if you’re after a custom looking, responsive website, you should not compromise on this aspect.
How do you want the website to function? Not every website is designed to have five pages. Depending on the goals and nature of your business, your website will have a variety of features such as contact forms, secure transaction pages, discount portals, and pricing tables.
Although some website themes have such functionality, if you want more customisation choices, you may need to discuss your requirements with a reputable web agency.
Graphic Design and Content Creation
The quality of a website’s aesthetics and content also influences its cost. Some digital marketing firms provide high-quality content writing and visual design as part of their site design and development packages, but you may want to pay more money for both.
Create content
Do you intend to launch a brand new website? Or are you wanting to just upgrade your current site? The cost may be determined by the amount of custom copywriting required to populate the website. Your agency will calculate the required copywriting requirements and provide a quote for the services.
Images and design graphics
Some web designers may utilise stock photographs, stock videos and graphic elements to make your website look more appealing. This is usually included in the overall web design cost. If you require custom imagery, icon design or corporate video unique to your business, a separate quote will need to be provided.
What Is the Cost of a Website in Australia?
Every organisation has unique demands and objectives, which necessitates the creation of a website that is specifically and custom-designed to reach online marketing and business objectives. Some organisations may desire leads, whilst others may require customers to make a purchase online. Below is a guide for web design costs:
A custom WordPress website design costs between $5,500 and $10,000+
It is one of the world’s most popular website design platforms. The average WordPress website design cost in Australia ranges from $5,500 to $10K+, depending on the requirements.
A basic brochure site with minimal functionality and requirements will sit on the lower side of the pricing range, whereas websites requiring more advanced design and development requirements, with numerous design pages and content will command a higher price point. This includes creating pages from the ground up with enhanced branding, design elements, call to action considerations, and mobile UX.
Keep in mind, further custom design and CMS integration will influence the overall cost.
A custom WooCommerce website costs $8,500 to $25,000+
The average cost of an eCommerce website in Australia can range from a starting point of $8,500 to $25K+, depending on the requirements and integrations.
The cost of developing an online store is influenced by factors such as the number of items, the quality of the design, the platform used, SEO considerations, and more.
Because an eCommerce site has several components such as a homepage, category pages, cart, checkout, back-end, discount codes, and so on, the cost of developing an eCommerce site is typically more than that of a regular brochure website.
Why a Low-Cost Website Design May Not Be Worth It
You’ve seen how much work goes into developing a high-quality website that positions your company’s brand as a market leader, attracts your target audience, and converts them into paying customers. A high-quality website is an investment in a sales asset that will generate income for you through various online and offline marketing initiatives.
Cheap websites costing closer to between $500 – $2000 are not optimised for SEO to attract visitors and they lack the professional content and design and conversion elements that persuade your target customer to enquire with or buy from you.
Furthermore, a low-cost website may necessitate further effort in the future to clean up the code, fix functionality issues, and provide design enhancements to attract customers through the door.
Summary
Businesses that invest in their online presence stand to gain significant success from their website. A website for your business should be viewed as an investment, not simply just as a ‘cost’. And, as is the case with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Sure, you can obtain a website very cheaply if you outsource overseas, or sign up to a free web builder, but anticipate poor communication, zero-project management, and overall sub-par project quality.
By engaging a high-quality website design by a respected, professional web design company, your business will flourish online in ways you never anticipated.
When you’re convinced to make the jump from a brick-and-mortar setup to a digital one, engaging the services of an established web design agency like Digital Rescue would be a wise move. Our industry experts and vast experience in building websites will surely come in handy as you navigate through the web development process.
