How much should a website cost?

You have decided: yes! You need a website. But there is that tricky question of “how much will it cost?”

Often, when we quote a price, we hear, “But we want a simple website…just three pages. Can’t you give me a better deal please?”

But it's much more complex than just the number of pages. We must also look at:

• How will you manage the content? How will you add information?
• How will your clients navigate your web site?
• Will your visitors communicate with you through your website?

Answering these questions requires consultation, research and a competitive analysis, to start. And this must be done whether you have 3 pages or 300. Therefore we must charge a minimum fee regardless of the number of pages.

Another element that affects the price is the type of website and what you want to do with your website? There are 3 main types of websites.

1. Static Websites: If all you want is to maintain a simple online presence, then static sites are good for you. These websites are made up of html pages linked together and can range from 5 to 20 pages. The fee can range between AED 3000 to AED 15000. (The exact amount depends on project specifications.) You can check out www.silverairuae.com – one of the many static websites we’ve designed. Need more examples? Visit our website or our facebook page here.

2. Dynamic websites: For more than 20 pages, a dynamic website is best. Two things you will get with dynamic websites that you can’t get with static ones:

• Visitor interactivity - Your visitors can make inquiries or buy stuff, and
• Easier site administration - you can manage content without touching the structure of the site or without coding knowledge.

A good example of a dynamic website is one we did for Arabian Jerusalem , a construction equipment trading company. They wanted a website that would allow visitors to make enquiries and the ability to manage the website content. They also wanted the sales staff to be able to generate online quotations using the same database to quickly convert leads into sales. So we designed a quotation system with the ability to modify product fields and generate instant quotes which can be printed or emailed from any location. With front end user interactivity and backend management features.

Dynamic sites start at AED 15,000. To lower the price, you must limit the dynamic features to few pages/sections. Again “dynamic” is a broad term as blogs, social networking sites, news sites etc are also part of the Dynamic community.

3. Flash websites: If you are looking for something that will evoke emotion and excitement; something that will give your users a great experience rather than just basic information, go with a flash website. You will have an audio and video friendly website with animation effects. Your site will stand out and will be an exciting place to be. Unfortunately you’ll have to forego search engine friendliness since search engines find them difficult to crawl.

A good example of a flash is Land's End website of Packland a fantasy backpack creator they created to increase engagement with their audience. Its interactive wonderland gives kids an adventuresome way to design the ultimate backpack, appealing to their sense of imagination. At Packland, kids choose from various themes and colors as they build their customized backpacks within worlds of adventure, adding on all sorts of “pack art”—everything from rocket boosters and pirate hooks to tiger tails and butterfly wings.

You want one? Be ready to pay at least AED 20,000.

So what do you think? Which is best for you? If you are still not sure, reply to this message to arrange a free consultation and let us guide you.

Also if you are planning to send an email campaign or a newsletter like this, we can help you here too!

If you have any questions at all, talk to us on +971-50-5388406 and we will answer them.

In our next issue, we will address the next logical question, "How long does a website take to make?" which is also the second most common question asked to web developers.

Until next time,