Core Web Solutions Articles

Basic Website with minimal customization:  $1000 or less, up to $1800

A basic website site will start a client’s web presence. It can be used for simple marketing  like a three-fold brochure, showcasing products and services and also as a lead generating tool.  Unfortunately, the design of the website will usually be created from a template. This means that your site will be made from a “canned” design that other websites already use.  If not a template, than simple structure and color scheme will be the best one can expect. Usually, there is minimal graphic design and sites can often be quite boring.

Standard Website with Limited Customization:  $1800-$3500

The range in cost is a bit higher here due to the additional time it takes to perform the tasks required.  Although usually not from a template, templates may be used as a basis to save time in the conception phase. Also, higher-end templates that are not widely used may be used for a standard website to get higher quality graphics than the budget would normally allow.

This type of site will serve the same necessary purposes that a basic designed website will but will be far more visually pleasing and much of the design will be customized to the client’s wants.  Additional enhancements such as web forms, downloadable pages, additional pages and even a blog or photo gallery can usually be accomplished with a standard website budget.

The limitations are in the graphic design and in any customized programming or functionality. That sort of service is reserved for Premium Websites.

Custom eCommerce/ Content Management Website: $3500- $10,000 and up

There are eCommerce and/ or content management services where a person can buy a subscription and have use of a hosted solution. These services range from $39 – $500 per month, depending on what you are looking to do. However, this option is far from customized. You are typically locked-in to the host’s software and may even have to use their domain.

A Custom eCommerce or Content Management solution offers much more control over the website design and functionality. The price is driven by three factors: the cost of the eCommerce or Content management software used the level of graphic design detail and quality, and the amount of programming customization.

Custom Premium Website:  $5000 and up

This category is the high-end full service solution. Projects can be as much as $80,000 depending on the project requirements. This is a “the sky’s the limit” type of project, where every aspect of the website is of the highest quality and detail. Everything is customized, and made to order. Additionally, the best talent a company has to offer is assigned to such a project, and various aspects are delegated to specialist-experts such as graphic-designers, navigation experts, copy writers, photographers, programmers, lead designers, marketing experts, and project managers.

All the possibilities with web design costs are not limited to what I have written here; but this should offer some guidelines on what the real world costs are. For some, it’s all too pricey and they would be better off using a web-building service where they can point and click and make their own. But even the small start up would be better off putting aside some capital to invest in a solid, customized website that fits their image. For others, the sky is the limit and anything is possible.

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