How much does a website cost in 2024?

The cost of building a website can vary depending on several factors. Setting up a website includes registering a domain name, signing up with a hosting company, designing the website, obtaining an Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate and integrating any other services or features as plug-ins. Certain hosting sites offer free extensions, which can cut costs in other areas involved in creating a website.

In this article, we will cover the various costs associated with building a website in 2023 and the different routes or methods you can use to create a website.

Quick overview: Costs to build a website

Website building costs depend on whether you choose to outsource certain services to professionals, as well as the company you choose. You will have to pay for:

• A domain name.
• A web hosting service.
• The design of the website.
• The SSL certificate.
• Any extra extensions you might want.
• Ongoing yearly or monthly maintenance.

Domain name cost

A domain name is the address that is associated with a physical IP address on the internet. Domains are a necessity, but you have a choice over how personalized or customized they are.

Obtaining a domain is very important as that is the address that you will use to gain traffic to your site. The cost of a domain depends on what company you choose and the availability of your business name. Other factors that affect cost include: 

• The extension used (.com, .org, etc.).
• Whether or not a company is offering a sale.

Most domain names must be renewed annually. 

Premium domains are those that are already registered but up for sale. These can range in price from $100 to upward of $1 million. If your preferred domain name is taken, you can place a bid on the name and purchase it from who currently owns it. 

Certain website builders offer a free domain, but these names are usually very difficult to remember as they are a combination of very random letters and have the builder’s branding incorporated instead of your own.

Website builder cost

The cost of website builders depends on the plan or service that you ultimately choose to use. Typically, most website builders have a personal, business or e-commerce option, each varying in price.

Personal plans are optimal for those looking to use their website as a portfolio that showcases their work. E-commerce plans include:

• Advanced shipping features.
• Ability to sell subscriptions.
• Options to provide discounts, which is ideal for larger businesses.

Certain website builders come with essential services like domain names and SSL certificates so you don’t have to buy them separately. In that case, the monthly price for the service will reflect that cost. 

Website builders are convenient for those who are looking for a hassle-free website that is easy to maintain over time. There are fewer moving parts when using a website builder, unlike if the website is coded from scratch.

Web hosting cost

Web hosting services allow you to publish your website or web application on the Internet securely. All the content on your site — such as code, images, videos and text — gets stored through this service. 

Web hosting allows users to store content offsite and reduces local storage costs. Platforms like HostGator or InMotion allow you to rent space from their servers. Website builders like WordPress, Wix or Shopify have built-in hosting in their subscription plans, and the price of the service reflects this addition. 

The built-in option may be easier to maintain over time as it is fully managed by the website builder. 

SSL certificate cost

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates are digital certificates that authenticate a website’s identity and enable an encrypted connection. The price for SSL certificates depends on the number of domains it protects, the validation process, the warranty or the certificate authority. 

Types of SSL certificates include:

• Single-domain SSL certificates: Single-domain certificates are the most affordable option, and they protect a single domain. This type of certificate is useful for a small website with a simple contact page or blog. 
• Wildcard SSL certificates: A wildcard certificate protects one domain and all of its related subdomains. 
• Multi-domain SSL certificates: A multi-domain certificate secures multiple domains and allows you to add several websites or IP addresses to be covered by one certificate.

A website needs an SSL certificate to keep user data secure and verify ownership of the website to prevent hackers from creating a fake version of the site.

Web design services cost

Web design can be completely free if you design the website yourself. Many choose to get their website designed by a professional to ensure it is user-friendly and designed to attract more clients. These payments can be made in installments or all at once, depending on the designer’s policies. 

You can also design websites using AI-powered website builders for free. With these builders, you answer a few questions to indicate your style and the content you’d like to create. Once the prompt is entered, the builder generates a layout with basic content that you can then edit. 

Even with a free AI-powered website builder, the owner has to edit the content and layout according to preference. Once the website is created, you are required to add any relevant information. You will also have to pay for hosting and/or the domain, depending on the service you choose.

Site maintenance costs

Businesses should have a plan implemented for keeping their website updated and secure. Website maintenance costs largely depend on the functionalities of the site, as well as its size and target audience. 

This price is determined by whether you are simply making minor design changes or if you are changing whole layouts, copy or images. Larger businesses may invest up to $60,000 annually on website upkeep. 

Prices can change over time depending on how often you add content to your website as well as the scale of that content. It is important to maintain your website and keep everything up to date so that your clients are able to have a seamless experience when looking to buy or book through your site. 

Partnering with a web design agency or seasoned freelancer to build and manage the site can be an easy way to go about site maintenance. 

Additional costs to consider when building a website

Plugins

Plugins are extra software packages that allow you to add new website features without the hassle of writing complicated code and setting up a functional backend. Many website builders offer free plugins.

Some examples of plugins include:

• Contact forms.
• Testimonial sections.
• Ratings and feedback options. 
• Subscription forms.
• Payment platforms.

There are also plugins that allow you to analyze the traffic to your website so you can gain a better understanding of what actions to take to attract clients. 

Search engine optimization (SEO)

SEO makes your website more visible and increases the traffic to your website. SEO is important because it helps you attain visibility for search queries organically and builds long-term customers for your brand.

Increased traffic typically aligns with more opportunities and sales for your business. Small scale SEO packages range anywhere from $400 to $900 per month. Local SEO services can cost up to $4,000 per month. Most businesses set aside a budget of $500 to $10,000 per month for SEO services.

Images or video assets

Images or video assets are an important part of a website as they attract the attention of the client and get your ideas across quickly. They keep your client engaged and more interested in what you have to offer. 

Businesses can use royalty-free images that are available on sites like Pexels or Pixabay for their websites. If you want personalized or specific pictures, then you will have to pay for those assets. 

If you are selling products and would like to showcase those images, you can expect to pay around $25 to $90 per image for a product photoshoot. This cost can vary widely, especially if it involves hiring a photographer who may charge for travel and photo editing services.

Build your site with a top website builder

If you want to build your website with a website builder, it is best to research the top providers. Each company has different pricing and features and may offer additional domain and website hosting services. Some top providers include Strikingly, WordPress.com and ClickFunnels.

Strikingly

Strikingly is a no-code site builder that offers domain services and other features like:

• An online store.
• Blog.
• Analytics.
• Contact forms.
• Social feed.
• Built-in SEO and security.

The pricing plan ranges from $0 per month to $59 per month with options to pay every year to every five years. It also offers 24/7 customer support and free templates that are a great place to start for a basic, hassle-free website development experience. 

WordPress.com

WordPress is a website builder that bundles hosting, domains, privacy and security. They also provide options to pay annually. WordPress started out as a simple blogging tool and eventually evolved into a content management system. 

WordPress offers plans ranging from $0 per month to $70 per month. The free plan offers free themes, pre-installed SSL and 1 GB of storage space. This plan is best for a simple website. 

The commerce plan includes a free domain for a year, along with:

• Unlimited products. 
• Product add-ons.
• Loyalty programs.
• Dynamic product upsells.
• The ability to offer discounts.
• The ability to sell in over 60 countries.
• Inventory management. 
• Marketing automation. 
• A streamlined checkout.
• Integrations with shipping carriers.
• A 0% commission fee.

“I often recommend WordPress for those who require a bit more flexibility… This flexibility makes WordPress a good choice for many of my clients in the restaurant industry, where more functionality is often needed,” said Jeremy Hood, founder of Restaurant Results Partners.

ClickFunnels

ClickFunnels is known for its sales funnel, which helps to convert online visitors into paying customers. Its plans start at $147 per month and go up to $497 per month. The basic plan includes: 

• A website and domain.
• Twenty funnels.
• One website.
• One domain.
• 10,000 contacts.
• Unlimited pages.

The Funnel Hacker plan includes:

• Three websites. 
• Unlimited funnels. 
• Nine domains. 
• Unlimited pages and products. 
• Analytics. 
• Unlimited courses. 
• 200,000 contacts.

It offers a 14-day free trial, which you can cancel at any time. ClickFunnels is ideal for entrepreneurs who are looking to get traffic to their site so they can sell a product.

Bottom line

The cost of building a website can vary. If you favor the do-it-yourself route, then there are a lot more cost-friendly options. However, in exchange for the money you save, you spend time and energy to create and maintain the website. A possible workflow for this scenario would be to buy a subscription from a website builder, like Wix or Squarespace, both of which offer packages with a no-code drag-and-drop website builder, website templates, a pre-chosen domain, web hosting and SSL security.

If you prefer to hire a professional, some may prefer to use website builders, while others may opt for a hand-coded website with cheaper options for a personal domain and web hosting. Each route carries a vastly different price range, with hand-coded websites being thousands of dollars. 

With this option, you will be paying for a professionally designed website as well as periodic maintenance. There will be less on your plate in terms of worrying about the usability and up-to-dateness of the site. Coded websites give you more power over the content and design of your site as opposed to web builders. With a hand-built website, your options are limitless as it gives you more power over the features you can add to your site. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How much does it cost to build a website?

The cost of building a website can vary depending on how much of the work is outsourced and the choice of platforms and services used. The cost of a website is determined by factors like:

• Obtaining a domain name.
• Obtaining a web hosting service.
• Designing the website. 
• Purchasing an SSL certificate. 
• Any extra extensions you might need.
• The maintenance fee.

However, website hosting costs between $3 and $30 per month on average while building a website can cost between $0 and $5,000. Purchasing a domain can cost between $10 and $30 per month and obtaining an SSL certificate costs between $10 and $90 per year. 

How much does it cost to run a website?

Recurring costs associated with websites include domain charges, maintenance costs and SSL certificate costs, which can all add up to around $10 to $200 per month on average. However, these costs are highly dependent on the services you choose for your website.

How much does it cost to redesign a website?

Building or redesigning a website yourself would be the cheapest option. Otherwise, it can cost up to or over $3,000. Another option is to include a redesign option in the retainer you have with your original website designer. You can request an agreement to pay for a redesign or update every year. 

What is the cheapest way to create a website?

The cheapest way to create a website is to code the website yourself while using a cheap service that provides a domain, hosting and an SSL certificate. You can also design a website using a website builder that grants a free trial or grace period with a free domain, SSL certificate and add-ons. 

With time, you may end up paying for the domain and/or other services offered by the service’s initial free offer. A third-party website builder still requires design experience but much less technical know-how than coding a website from scratch.

Can I make a website for free?

Yes, you can make a website for free with some limitations pertaining to:

• Having a personalized domain name.
• Removing unrelated advertisements on your website.
• Bandwidth.
• Storage.
• Customization options.

Some website builders offer a free trial for a month or even a free tier for their services. The amount that you pay ultimately depends on what features are a priority to you and your business.