One of the most common questions we get asked is “How much does a website cost?” Unfortunately there is no simple answer to that question. That’s like asking a realtor “How much does a house cost?”. There are so many factors that affect the price of a website that it’s impossible to give a one-size-fits-all answer.
Price can vary depending on many factors, including the complexity of the design, the number of pages, ecommerce and other advanced functionality and integrations with other business software and services. Even things like the consultation and approval process can affect the final price of a website.
So what should you expect to pay for a website in Calgary in 2024?
From start to finish, a website can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on your needs and who you hire to fulfill them.
If you’re on a tight budget you can use a DIY website builder, such as Wix or Squarespace, and build your own website starting at under $30 per month. But keep in mind that you get what you pay for. These platforms are built for beginners and have limited customization options, usually leaving you with a generic-looking website. Plus, if you don’t have an eye for design or an understanding of basic SEO techniques, your website will probably not give you the business results you’re hoping for.
If you want a slightly more custom website you can hire a freelancer off of websites such as Fiver or Upwork for a few hundred dollars. But again, you get what you pay for. As anyone who has worked with a freelancer in the past can attest to, some of these people are incredibly talented and hard-working. And some, to put it kindly, are not. And you don’t truly know what you’re going to get until you hire someone.
The best way to ensure you end up with a website that looks great, meets all of your business requirements and is properly SEO optimized is to hire a Calgary web designer or digital marketing agency. These agencies can charge radically different prices for the same set of deliverables so you’ll need to do some research.
The following things affect what the final cost of a website will be:
- Length of consultation process
- Complexity of design
- Number of pages
- Amount of content
- Copywriting services
- Photography
- Integration with other services or software
- Mobile optimization
- Advanced features (like ecommerce)
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Size of your organization (1-person approval process, or approval by committee)
How much is a website worth to YOUR business?
We think a better question to ask is “What is a good website worth to my business?” And equally important is “What will a bad website cost my business?” We consider a new website an investment, not an expense. And with any investment it’s important to look at your return on investment (ROI) before making any decisions.
Example 1: A Bargain Website
You find someone to build you a website for $500. Congratulations, that’s a great deal! Unfortunately you get what you pay for and that new website brings in exactly $0 in new revenue – leaving you with an absolutely terrible ROI of 0%. And this ignores any business you may have lost because your new website is marginal at best.
$0 ÷ $500 = 0% ROI
Example 2: A Properly Designed & Optimized Website
You hire an experienced web design agency to build you a website for $5,000.That seems like a lot of money up-front, but if that new website brings you $25,000 in new business over a year, that works out to a 500% ROI.
$25,000 ÷ $5,000 = 500% ROI
But what is the REAL cost?
In Calgary you can expect to invest between $5,000 and $20,000 for a well-built, fully optimized and future-proof business website.
It’s absolutely possible to get a website for less, but as stated previously, you get what you pay for. If someone is willing to work for highly discounted rates it’s usually due to a lack of experience. And if you want to build your own website, be prepared for 25 to 50 hours of frustrating and tedious work – time that would have been better spent running your business.
And don’t forget about all of the new AI services that promise to build you a website in a matter of minutes. Again, you get what you pay for.
What about the future?
A website is never truly done (learn why here) and at some point you are going to need updates made. This task is dead easy if you have a relationship with the agency that built your website – just send them an email and ask for the changes.
If you hired someone off of Fiver, you’re going to need to go through the process of hiring them again, or hiring someone totally new.
When Local Propeller builds a website we always consider the future. We ensure that adding new pages, features and content is easy. That way you’re not forced to build a whole new website just to make a few updates that were never considered when your site was first built.
What does this mean for Calgary businesses?
Is your website delivering a steady stream of leads and presenting your business in a positive light to potential customers? If not, it’s probably time for a brand new website. Reach out to us and we’ll give you our honest feedback and expert analysis on what we think you should do next.
And if your website is already working relatively well but could use some tweaking to make the most of your marketing dollars, we would still love to chat with you.
