How much does a website cost?

That is the single most common question we are asked at our booth when we’re at conferences. How much does it cost? It seems like such a simple question and people usually want a quick concise answer. The trouble is, it isn’t a simple question.  One of the best analogies is to look at what it costs to build a church building. If you go to a builder and ask what it will cost for them to build you a building you expect a range and understand that the cost will be determined by many factors such as square footage, room configuration, will there be a gym, auditorium or multi-purpose room and more.  So too with a website there is a number of factors that impact the total cost.

Now or later

Often times the cost of a website, like a building, involves upfront and on-going costs and there are factors that effect both. For example, you may opt for a less costly website but may pay more in on-going hosting fees or support. One of the most frustrating on-going costs however is harder to quantify upfront and that is the time, and often frustration, of maintaining the site. Countless times we’ve heard the tale of churches or camps that opted save money upfront or had a site built by a volunteer only to find they were reliant on the site designer to make updates or the skills necessary to make updates were far beyond that of the person tasked with updates. Often times the monthly cost may be low but there will be a “per incident” support or update cost. This usually results in a website that dies a slow death because the cost of maintenance is too high. A system that is easy to use and includes the upfront training and on-going support may drive the initial cost up but result in much less frustration, and perhaps even cost, in the long run.

Custom or template

One of the biggest differences in price ranges is between custom and template sites.  Template sites are generally much less costly than a custom designed site. Template based site can therefore be a very cost effective option but you must know what you are sacrificing for cost. Generally template sites have very few options for changing the core design features of the site. You may be required to pick from a very limited pallet of colours and layouts and may not find something that really fits what you are looking for. A custom site design on the other hand, though more costly will involve going through a design process with a designer to ensure the layout and colour scheme are what you are looking for. Sometimes there’s a middle ground, a template with customization options at an additional cost. The trouble is those additional costs can quickly add up and drive the cost far above the initial sticker price.

Expertise in the right areas

The level of experience of whomever you work with will also impact the cost. There are many good options out there when it comes to website design but working with someone who has experience working with churches goes a long way to ensuring you get what you really need. Experience with churches helps the designer streamline the process and ask the right questions, often questions you wouldn’t have thought of on your own or until the website was delivered missing important components.