Creating a website for a business is a vital investment in today's digital world. However, there are various costs that need to be taken into consideration. This post answers the common question " How much does a website cost? "
Typically some of these are costs that "surprise" the company once the site has been launched, and it is therefore good to have a clear overview to avoid this face đđ»
So here are the five key costs you need to know when your business is building its own website:
Design and Development Costs: This includes website design , programming, database setup, and any specific features the business wants to include.
Hosting Costs: Hosting is the service that keeps your website available on the Internet. Costs can vary greatly depending on the type of hosting you choose (shared, dedicated, cloud).
Domain Costs: The domain is the web address of the site. Domain costs can vary depending on the extension (.com, .it, .org etc.) and the registrar chosen.
Maintenance Costs: A website needs regular updates to ensure its security and the addition of new content or features. This may require ongoing maintenance that incurs extra costs.
Marketing and SEO Costs: A website must be easily found on search engines like Google, but not only. Therefore, it is essential to invest in digital marketing strategies to attract visitors and potential customers.
Learn more here đđ»
How much does it cost to have a website made?
The first fundamental element to consider when creating a website is design and development.
This includes everything from UI and UX design to backend code. Costs can vary greatly depending on the type of website you want to build.
Landing page
For a landing page, the cost in the Italian market can vary between 500 and 2,000 Euros . This type of site is relatively simple, as it usually consists of a single page with the aim of converting visitors into customers or leads. The cost depends on the complexity of the design and the amount of customization required.
Showcase site
For a showcase site, the cost can vary between 1,500 and 5,000 Euros . This type of site can include several pages, such as the home page, an "about us" page, a services or products page, a contact page, etc.
The cost will depend on the need for custom functionality, the number of pages, and integration with other systems or platforms (e.g. most often CRM, although this process is made easier by the use of connectors like Zapier).
E-commerce
Finally, for an e-commerce site, the cost can vary from 3,000 euros up to 10,000 euros or more .
This type of site is the most complex and requires additional features such as a shopping cart , payment methods , inventory management , and additional security .
Additionally, the cost will also depend on the number of products you want to list and whether you need to integrate with other systems, such as shipping systems or CRM platforms.
Please note that these costs are only estimates and may vary depending on the specific needs of your project. It is always advisable to obtain quotes from multiple vendors to ensure you are getting the best value for your money.
Hosting
The second major cost in creating a website is hosting, which is the service of storing the site's data on a server , making it accessible to Internet users.
The average annual cost for hosting a website in the Italian market varies greatly depending on the specific needs of the site.
You can expect to pay between 30 and 200 Euros per year for basic shared hosting, up to 500 Euros or more for dedicated hosting or a virtual private server .
Essential services that should be included in your hosting fee include server availability (ideally 99.9%), sufficient bandwidth to handle your site traffic, disk space to store your site data, support for necessary technologies (such as PHP, MySQL, etc.), protection against DDoS attacks, and data backup.
Other important services may include technical support, FTP access, installation of CMS such as WordPress, and email accounts.
It is always advisable to compare the offers of different hosting providers, taking into account not only the price, but also the quality of the service and above all the support offered .
Domain Purchase
Buying a domain is a fundamental step in creating a website. The average annual cost for purchasing a domain in the Italian market varies based on the type of domain extension (.it, .com, .org, etc.) you choose.
In general, it can be said that the average cost of a .it or .com domain can vary from 10 to 30 Euros per year . There are also premium domains, such as .io or .ai, which can cost hundreds of Euros per year .
There are many types of domains that can be purchased and each extension has its own specific characteristics. For example, .it is the Italian national extension, .com is the most well-known extension internationally, and there are also specific extensions for particular sectors (.shop for e-commerce, .blog for blogs, etc.).
As for the renewal cost for subsequent years, it is usually similar to the cost of purchasing the domain. However, some hosting providers offer discounts for the first year, so the renewal cost may be higher . It is important to read the terms of service carefully before purchasing a domain to avoid surprises. Remember, choosing a domain is a crucial aspect of creating a website: a good domain is easy to remember, meaningful and relevant to your industry or topic .
Management and maintenance of a website
The management and maintenance of a website, for example one created with the WordPress CMS, involves a series of specific activities, ranging from simply updating the CMS version to managing and updating the various installed plugins , up to the implementation of new features or SEO optimization .
â ïžKeep in mind that implementing new pages or sections is the order of the day within a web marketing strategyâ ïž
Updating your WordPress version is a fundamental operation to ensure the security of your site and its correct functioning . This operation, which must be performed regularly, involves checking the compatibility of the plugins installed with the new version and, in case of problems, updating or replacing them.
Plugins, in fact, play a central role in managing a WordPress site: they allow you to add new features to the site, improve its performance or optimize SEO.
However, it is necessary to keep them updated to avoid security issues and ensure their proper functioning.
Other typical WordPress site maintenance tasks include creating periodic backups , optimizing the database, managing comments and moderating spam , analyzing access statistics, and implementing any changes to the site's design or structure.
In terms of costs, maintaining a WordPress site can vary greatly depending on the specific needs of the site and the level of expertise of the user. On average, however, you can estimate an annual maintenance cost ranging from 200 to 2,000 Euros per year , to which you must add the costs for hosting and the domain.
On the other hand, using a no-code CMS like Wix can lead to a significant reduction in maintenance costs. With Wix, in fact, all site maintenance activities are managed directly by the platform and are included in the cost of the subscription which is a few Euros per month.
Marketing
In the Italian market, the main marketing activities to advertise a website can vary greatly in terms of costs. Here is a list of the 5 main marketing activities, from the most expensive to the least expensive:
TV advertising (yes, it is also done for websites đ€): This marketing channel is usually the most expensive. According to Rai PubblicitĂ data, the cost of a TV spot can vary from 5,000 to 30,000 Euros per spot, depending on the channel and the time of broadcast (source: Rai PubblicitĂ ).
Google Ads Advertising : The cost of a Google Ads campaign can vary greatly depending on the industry, target keywords and budget. However, on average, companies spend between 9,000 and 10,000 Euros per year (source: Statista).
Social Media Advertising : Again, costs can vary greatly. However, on average, a social media advertising campaign can cost anywhere from 1,000 to 7,000 Euros per year (source: Influencer Marketing Hub).
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) : The costs of a professional SEO service in Italy can vary from 500 to 5,000 Euros per year, depending on the complexity of the website and the market sector (source: Search Engine Journal).
Email Marketing : This is often the cheapest digital marketing activity. Costs can range from 10 to 100 Euros per month, depending on the email marketing service chosen and the number of emails sent per month (source: PCMag).
Link building : The cost of a link building service can vary from 1,000 to 3,000 Euros per year
Hiring a Marketing Agency
The costs of a web marketing agency in Italy can vary greatly, from 12,000 to 24,000 euros per year, as reported by Digital360.
However, hiring an agency can be a strategic investment for your business. Benefits include access to specialized expertise , the ability to save time and internal resources , and the ability to achieve faster, more measurable results thanks to the agency's experience.
The agency can also offer a holistic approach to marketing strategy ( such as the Connection FunnelÂź ), considering all aspects of the marketing mix and how they interact with each other. Additionally, it can offer the opportunity to experiment with new strategies and tactics , keeping the company abreast of industry trends .
On the other hand, costs can be a barrier, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. Also, choosing the right agency can take time and research.
Finally, it is important to ensure that the agency fully understands your business goals and can tailor the marketing strategy accordingly.
Types of engagement
As for the methods of engagement, there are several options. The fee is a fixed monthly or annual fee that covers a set of services. This offers predictability of costs and can be suitable for companies that want ongoing marketing support, but it has the disadvantage of providing little transparency into what the agency actually "does".
Hourly payment means that the agency charges an hourly rate for its work. This approach (which is part of one of our founding elements ) guarantees greater control over spending, having vision of the activities carried out. It is also advantageous because the agency's cost is reduced during periods of inactivity of the company (holidays, seasonal closures, etc.)
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Finally, percentage pay means that the agency receives a percentage of the revenue or profit generated by the marketing campaign. This can be an incentive for the agency to achieve results, but it can also lead to higher costs if the campaign is particularly successful.
Conclusion
And you? Would you add any costs not mentioned in this article? Have you ever had any surprises? Write it in the comments âŹïž
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