Typical Website Costs

Web sites are not free. While some services say they are, you're limited to one or two pages, have to allow them to place banner or pop up advertising in your site and end up with some long URL that nobody can remember. If you are serious about having a good web site that reflects your business in a positive manner you will have to pay some costs. 

There are many components that go into establishing a website. You must factor in website costs for domains, hosting and design. When building a website, there are three ways to go about it: a website builder, WordPress or hiring a designer. Let’s look at what a website costs so that you can be prepared for the whole endeavour.

There are a number of basic requirements that need to be met when setting up a website. These include registering a domain name, finding a website hosting company, locating a professional designer to build the website or doing it yourself with a website-building platform. You may also need to obtain an SSL certificate if it’s not included with one of these services, in addition to other add-ons you might require, such as an e-commerce portal.

Ultimately, you can get a website up and running for very little, but it may not have all the necessary components to make it a searchable website, one that people stay on or one that exudes security. You want your website to be a place where readers feel good about getting information and services.

The typical web site costs you can expect are:

Development & Maintenance

If you opt to have a web designer develop your site you will have to pay that designer. Even if you decide to try and design it yourself, you're going to have to purchase a good web design software program, which can run into thousands of rands. And you will have to learn how to use it, which is very time-consuming.

The normal costs for a web site from most web site developers can easily run into thousands of rands, mostly because they try to sell you things that you really don't need in your site like complicated content management systems. If the site is not designed for minimal maintenance ongoing fees can easily eat away at your budget.

Domain Name

This is the URL for your web site, or your web address (e.g. http://www.mywebsite.com). ​The domain name is the starting point of your website. Securing the right domain name is vital, especially if you’re looking for a .com or .co.za. 

Registering usually entails an annual subscription from a domain registrar (i.e. Afrihost).

If you purchase it, you will own that domain name. You can purchase a domain name through your local service provider or go directly to the company that operates the domain name registry.

Many hosting companies offer free or discounted domain names if you use their service but bear in mind that you won't own the domain name. You will just be renting it from that company. And, if you stop using that company's services you will lose that domain name.

SSL Certification

A SSL certificate is a digital authentication of your website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection for security purposes. It’s also required to accept online payments, so any online store will need a SSL. SSL certification means that your visitors are protected from unwanted cyberattacks. Some browsers will divert users away from websites without SSL certification with the message, “This site may not be secure.” For most visitors, this is enough to deter them from clicking through to the site. This certificate changes your site from an HTTP to an HTTPS prefix in the web domain, showing web browsers that you have invested in security for the website. In many instances, you can get an SSL certificate for free through your web hosting provider. SSL also helps with search engine optimization (SEO) and the flow of data to and from the site. 

Hosting

You can’t have a website simply with a domain. You must obtain hosting for the website so that visitors can see what’s on the site. Hosting is a separate fee from the domain but may be included in some plan/s. Internet service providers will charge you a monthly fee to host your site on their servers. There are many differences is hosting services. Some offer low cost hosting with limited services while others offer a variety of services. If you have a lot of web traffic to your website, it’s better to invest in a more robust web hosting plan to ensure that your site doesn’t crash. A high volume of traffic is considered to be more than 100,000 visitors a month. If your hosting plan doesn’t allow for a lot of traffic, you may run into problems as your visitor counts increase. Baseline plans are fine for when you start but be prepared to upgrade as your website gains more traction with visitors.

You might decide that building the website on your own just isn’t your cup of tea. That’s fine as long as you know that it will cost you more to have the site built. Hiring a professional website designer can take a huge burden off your shoulders and provide you with a unique and beautiful website.

Designers can charge per hour or a flat rate for the allotted project. But you’ll want someone who has a strong portfolio, as there will be fewer design reverts, and you’re more likely to get what you envisioned for your website. When working with a designer, it helps to show them the types of websites that you like that would be similar to yours. This gives the designer a starting point. Also, go over colour schemes to make sure the site fits your brand and what you want to show your readers.

Unless you already have a registered domain and hosting for your new website, we can assist in arranging and registering all of the above requirements. These services are included in all the options listed below. 

Our pricing structure for web design and related services is divided into 2 sections.

1. Web Design

2. Site Maintenance

A standard site contains approximately 5-10 pages.

Kindly note that there are additional costs with regard to travelling and the taking of digital photos, video footage etc. These can be discussed once a design package option has been decided upon.