Original Article by DesignRush

Last Updated: November 25, 2022

Breakdown of Website Development Costs

Generally, web development costs around $12,000 to $150,000 depending on the intricacies of the product.

Here is an overview of the factors impacting the total cost of web development:

Domain Name

The domain name is the site’s name appearing in the URL when consumers visit your pages. It is a vital branding piece for your website as it bears your brand name, telling prospective clients who you are.

The cost of your domain name will vary based on where you purchase it. Its price influences the overall cost of web development.

These are the leading domain name registrars most popular among profitable enterprises:

• Hostinger – starts at $1.99 per month

• DreamHost – starts at $2.59 per month

• Bluehost – starts at $8.99 per month

• HostGator – starts at $2.64 per month

• GreenGeeks – starts at $2.95 per month

• SiteGround – starts at $3.49 per month

• A2 Hosting – starts at $2.99 per month

• InMotion – starts at $17.99 per month

• WP Engine – starts at $23 per month

• Nexcess – starts at $34.30 per month

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate

An SSL certificate is essential for data protection, especially if you are running an eCommerce website.

SSL certificates encrypt user data to prevent malicious intrusions. You will risk user information if you do not have an SSL certificate. Its price will depend on the level of protection you need and where you buy it.

Average Cost: $0 to $1,500 per year

Website Hosting

Your web hosting is your site’s home, and it is a critical expenditure. Website hosting enables your web pages to appear on the internet. The price will differ according to your choice of host and where you get it.

You have these four main options for web hosting:

• Website builders

• Shared hosting

• Virtual private server

• Dedicated server

Average Cost: $24 to $10,000 per year

UI/UX Design

Website design is another significant contributor to the cost of web development. If you operate a startup or a small business, you may want to go for a simple, minimalistic design. It is a common low-cost option.

For a larger enterprise with higher budget allocation, a more intricate and elaborate design can be achieved at a higher price.

Average One-Time Cost: $2,000 to $15,000

Responsive Design

Survey says that non-responsive website design across multiple devices is a major concern for 73.1% of users.

Your web pages should load and appear as they should. The website has to be desktop and mobile-friendly.

It keeps potential customers engaged with your website and encourages them to revisit, and expectantly, make a purchase.

In addition, responsiveness is crucial to search engine rankings.

These are the factors that will affect the cost of building a responsive site:

• Your business type

• The number of web pages

• The number of product pages

Average Cost: $3,000 to $25,000, one-time payment plus maintenance

Interactive Multimedia

Dazzle website visitors with interactive elements on your pages. These components are an appealing addition to your site. But they come at an extra cost.

If the interactive visuals you envision for your business page are challenging to create and require more time, you should be prepared to shell out more.

Average Cost: $250 to $10,000, one-time payment and maintenance

Content Management System (CMS) Integration

Incorporating custom features like a content management system or an administrator panel allows you to manage and publish valuable blog articles, FAQ pages, and video tutorials on your website.

Average Cost: $2,000 to $25,000 per year

eCommerce Functionality

Website development costs more for eCommerce enterprises. Integrating an eCommerce feature into your site is a necessary investment when you are selling products or services online. Its costs will depend on the functionalities that will keep your site working.

You have to allot a budget for third-party services required for your eCommerce pages to function. These include:

• Checkout processing

• Payment gateways for fast online purchases

• Fees and commissions

• Product and service catalog creation

Average Cost: $2,000 to $25,000 per month

Database Integration

You need to factor database integration into the web development costs if you want to gather audience data. It is key to helping you obtain and maintain relevant information about consumers interested in transacting with your business.

This price of this feature will depend on the database size and the amount of data you intend to collect and maintain.

Average Cost: $2,000 to $25,000, one-time payment

Themes

You can hire a web developer or utilize a website builder that does not require coding. However, the latter can be time-consuming and may not work as you envision it if you are not adept at the task. In turn, it will prove to be more expensive, doubling your expenses. A professional developer can customize a theme for you.

Modifications to off-the-shelf themes and the entire customization are the major considerations that will influence the cost of web development.

Average Cost: $25 to $250, single payment

Business Analysis

Business analysis is most fitting for larger web products. But you still need a plan to include it even if you are developing a relatively smaller website.

This is the preparatory stage helping you and your developers set goals to define the site features. It also covers market research enabling you to understand your competitors’ advantages and strengths. Business analysis is also important in figuring out industry standards.

It involves wireframes presenting the transitions across different pages and screens. Your business analyst will perform an evaluation and produce the technical specifications, enumerating all tools necessary for site-building. They will provide a step-by-step development process and illustrate the wireframe with each site element in place.

Average Hourly Cost: $35 to $44

Frontend Development

The frontend is the product users interact with. It includes page loaders, content, and buttons.

These are the common technologies web development specialists use to create the frontend of your website:

• HTML

• CSS

• JavaScript

• TypeScript

• Angular

• React

• Bootstrap

• SASS

• LESS

These are the three key factors impacting the cost of frontend development:

1. Website size

2. Complexity

3. Developer’s salary or hourly rate based on location and skill level

It is good practice to execute quality assurance (QA) and control alongside frontend development. A QA specialist will watch out for bugs and problems that your developer may miss.

Average Cost: $3,000 to $10,000 with QA, based on the number of pages and complexity

Backend Development

The backend side of your site is responsible for its proper functioning. You manage, transfer, and store information—from user logins and passcode to web page content and articles—on the backend.

It powers the features needed for loading, payments, and other user interactions.

Database-driven web development should have the following adequately set up:

• Business logic

• Backend architecture

• Caching

• APIs

• Storage

• Data processing logic

• Metadata

Average Cost: $3,000 to $14,000, single payment

Marketing (SEO, SMM, PPC, and Content)

A business website needs engaging and appealing content and robust credibility. Ample search engine optimization (SEO) helps a website appear on the first page of search engines and get as much traffic as possible. You should strive for online discoverability and visibility.

You can boost your web marketing further via pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. There are PPC firms that offer payment schemes on a flat rate or commission basis. PPC can be a very flexible marketing campaign as you can also only be charged when people click on your advertisements. And it brings exceptional results.

Social media is another channel to promote your website. Study the differences among Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get the most out of how they work.

Average Cost of SEO: $300 to $1,600 per month

Average Rate for Content Creation: $5 to $100 per hour

Key Takeaways on the Cost of Web Development

You can build a simple business site or a single landing page from scratch on your own with pre-made templates and user interface elements.

The DIY web development costs can be relatively lower than when you employ an expert development team’s services. But if you want to focus on the more demanding areas of your business requiring your full attention, you should opt for the latter. It will be worthwhile with more impressive results.