A website is an important piece of your marketing mix, and is a necessary and worthwhile investment. While we all know we need a website, proposals and fees can be daunting due to a lack of knowledge on what the charges may entail. Here are some of the major costs associated with a website:
- Domain name – This is the address for your website. In the case of Chad Allan, it is www.chadallan.com. This can be renewed yearly, or purchased for multiple years.
- Hosting – every website needs a place for the code to reside, or a hosting server. Typical hosting costs can range from $10 - $100 per month dependent on the storage space and technical requirements needed for your website.
- Design & Layout – The graphics or user interface that a user sees when they come to your site is the design and layout. As your design elements become more sophisticated – greater interactivity and movement and animation cost more.
- Content Management System (CMS) – A content management system will permit you to self-manage your website giving you flexibility to make changes as desired. A content management system may be a one-time payment or may be billed monthly or annually. Each system is unique in its costs.
- Maintenance – Sites may require maintenance for a variety of reasons. Sites without content management systems require someone with knowledge of code to make changes; marketing companies may maintain a client’s site content; or a content management system may require changes.
- SSL Certificate – A site that accepts sensitive information - credit card information, social security numbers - for any reason requires a security certificate, or an SSL certificate. These are often purchased on an annual basis.
Some tips:
- Read any and every proposal thoroughly.
- Ask questions
- Own everything – source code for your website, graphics and your domain name are the three most important