How Much Does A Website Cost? β Forbes Advisor Canada
There are a number of basic requirements that need to be met when setting up a website. These include registering a domain name, finding a website hosting company, locating a professional designer to build the website or doing it yourself with a website-building platform. You may also need to obtain an SSL certificate if itβs not included with one of these services, in addition to other add-ons you might require, such as an e-commerce portal.
Ultimately, you can get a website up and running for very little, but it may not have all the necessary components to make it a searchable website, one that people stay on or one that exudes security. You want your website to be a place where readers feel good about getting information and buying products or services.
Domain Name
The domain name is the starting point of your website. Securing the right domain name is vital, especially if youβre looking for a .com URL or a prized top-level domain (TLD). Top-level domains can be expensive because they represent a first stop after the root zone, meaning you have the desired domain name followed by .com.
Registering usually entails an annual subscription from a domain registrar, ranging from anywhere between $10 CAD to $50 CAD a year. Keep in mind that some premium domains may cost a lot more depending on how popular the keywords in the domain are. Some domains sell for thousands of dollars. Most business owners find something that works for under $50 CAD.
Best Domain Name Services
If youβre utilizing a website builder service, they sometimes include this as a free bonus for the first year. With services such as WordPress, itβs an extra fee.
Web Hosting
You canβt have a website simply with a domain. You must obtain hosting for the website so that visitors can see whatβs on the site. Hosting is a separate fee from the domain but may be included in some plans.
With drag-and-drop website building sites, this is usually included in their annual subscription fee. But if youβre building the pages yourself or using WordPress, you will be required to subscribe to a website hosting service provider.
Best Web Hosting Services
Once again, these subscription fees vary from around $158 CAD to $792 CAD per year. If you have a lot of web traffic to your website, itβs better to invest in a more robust web hosting plan to ensure that your site doesnβt crash. A high volume of traffic is considered to be more than 100,000 visitors a month. If your hosting plan doesnβt allow for a lot of traffic, you may run into problems as your visitor counts increase. Baseline plans are fine for when you start but be prepared to upgrade as your website gains more traction with visitors.
In fact, at a later stage, you could invest in your own servers and ensure that all the information is kept in-house. This is a high expense that can range from $7,915 CAD to $31,660 CAD per year. Generally, most smaller companies donβt need to go this route.
DIY Website Design
Weβve mentioned website builders and their inclusive packages. If you are on a tight budget, using these packages to design a site yourself can save you a wad of cash. They usually donβt require any technical skills and utilize drag-and-drop features for your convenience. It may be overwhelming at first, but with a few minutes in the do-it-yourself (DIY) program, most people are able to build their first website to their liking.
These programs may be free or inexpensive to use the basic features. But to access premium features such as unique themes, you will need to pay higher subscription fees. Costs vary depending on the platform you subscribe to and the plan you choose, and they can run anywhere between $158 CAD and $792 CAD a year, but most average around $317 CAD a year.
Best Website Builder Platforms
As a rule of thumb, customization for website builder sites is limited compared to WordPress or building your site from scratch. If you want to tap into that unique design aesthetic, you will need a graphic designer familiar with HTML coding. Most graphic designers will charge you a flat fee or an hourly rate. Expect to pay anywhere from $48 CAD to $158 CAD an hour to get someone who is also versed in the coding needed for your website.
Professional Website Designers
You might decide that building the website on your own just isnβt your cup of tea. Thatβs fine as long as you know that it will cost you more to have the site built. Hiring a professional website designer can take a huge burden off your shoulders and provide you with a unique and beautiful website.
Designers can charge per hour or a flat rate for the allotted project. But youβll want someone who has a strong portfolio, as there will be fewer design reverts, and youβre more likely to get what you envisioned for your website. When working with a designer, it helps to show them the types of websites that you like that would be similar to yours. This gives the designer a starting point. Also, go over colour schemes to make sure the site fits your brand and what you want to show your readers.
Costs can vary widely depending on experience and the needs of the project, but itβs not uncommon to get quotes between $48 CAD and $158-plus CAD an hour.
SSL
Many small businesses donβt realize how important it is to sign up for a secure sockets layer (SSL) service provider. An SSL certificate is a digital authentication of your websiteβs identity and enables an encrypted connection for security purposes. Itβs also required to accept online payments, so any online store will need an SSL.
SSL certification means that your visitors are protected from unwanted cyberattacks. Some browsers will divert users away from websites without SSL certification with the message, βThis site may not be secure.β For most visitors, this is enough to deter them from clicking through to the site. This certificate changes your site from an HTTP to an HTTPS prefix in the web domain, showing web browsers that you have invested in security for the website.
In many instances, you can get an SSL certificate for free through your web hosting provider. However, you can opt to purchase an SSL certificate from a third-party provider as well.
Best SSL Services
SSL also helps with search engine optimization (SEO) and the flow of data to and from the site. Fees for SSL vary from free to around $394 CAD a year. Some website builders include this certificate at no additional cost, so consider that a valuable perk if you see it offered. Either way, youβll want your website to have an SSL certificate to gain the confidence of readers from around the web.