Building a self-hosted website or running a blog both cost money, so it’s important to factor in the cost investment. Prices will vary considerably, but you’re typically looking at anywhere from £70 to over £10,000. Here’s a look at the cost breakdown.
Domain, Hosting and Content
There are three key things you’ll need for your website. The first is crucial to your company’s identity: the domain name. This is basically the URL or website address. Depending on the extension chosen, such as .co.uk or .net, you could be looking at around £15 per year.
Next up is web hosting, where a host provider will store all of the files that make up your website on their server. Packages vary considerably in terms of what’s offered, such as back-ups, dedicated servers, and customer support.
Some web hosting providers, such as names.co.uk web hosting, offer both domain name purchasing and hosting services, which is very convenient.
Content is the third element to consider if you don’t intend to produce all of it yourself. Factor in additional costs if you need to employ freelance writers to produce content for different pages or blog posts.
Types Of Websites
The type of website you go for will depend on the type of business and what you’re hoping to achieve with the content. For example, a brochure-style website keeps things simple and with fewer pages. Then there are larger e-commerce and bespoke websites with regular fresh content and numerous pages that will require more power and more storage from your host provider. If you feel you can design a website yourself, such as with an online website builder, you’ll likely save some money. Otherwise, you may need a web designer to help you craft the look and functionality that you’re after.
Website Pricing Examples
Generally speaking, a small-scale website using a website builder might cost as little as £70 to 75. A hospitality website could be around the £1,000 mark if you use a web designer. Meanwhile, small to medium e-commerce websites could start at £130 with a website builder or exceed £4,000 with a web designer. For larger e-commerce and bespoke sites, prices are typically upwards of £8,000, with annually recurring costs of £650 to over £1,000. It’s worth keeping in mind that many domain and host providers have special offers that you could enjoy.