There are a number of basic requirements that must be met when setting up a website. These include registering a domain name, finding a website hosting company, finding a professional designer to build the website, or doing it yourself with a website building platform. You may need to install in addition to other add-ons you may need such as an e-commerce portal, you can also purchase an SSL certificate if it is not included with one of these services.
Ultimately, you can get a website up and running for very little money, but may not have all the necessary components to make it a searchable site that people stay on or that exudes security. You want your website to be a place where readers feel comfortable getting information and purchasing products or services.
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Domain name
The domain name is the starting point of your website . Securing the right domain name is crucial, especially if you’re looking for a .com URL or a valuable top-level domain (TLD). Top-level domains can be expensive as they represent a first stop after the root zone, meaning you have the domain name you want followed by .com.
Registration usually includes an annual subscription to a Domain registrar that ranges from anywhere between $12 to $60 per year. Note that some premium domains can cost a lot more depending on how popular the keywords are on the domain. Some domains sell for thousands of dollars. Most business owners can find something that works for less than $60.
Best Domain Name Services
If you use a website building service, include it sometimes as a free bonus for the first year. Services like WordPress incur additional fees.
Web Hosting
You can’t just have a website with a domain. You need to purchase hosting for the website so that visitors can see what’s on the website. Hosting is a separate fee from the domain, but may be included in some plans.
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For drag-and-drop website builders, this is usually included in the annual subscription fee. However, if you create the pages yourself or use WordPress, you will need to sign up with a website hosting service provider.
Best Web Hosting Services
Again these subscription fees vary from about $100 to $500 per year. If you have a lot of web traffic on your website, it is better to invest in a more robust web hosting plan to ensure your website doesn’t crash. More than 100,000 visitors per month are considered high traffic. If your hosting plan does not allow a lot of traffic, you may face problems as the number of visitors increases. Baseline plans are fine to start with, but prepare to upgrade as your site resonates more with visitors.
In fact, you could invest in your own servers at a later date and make sure that all information is kept in-house. This is a hefty expense that can range from $5,000 to $20,000 per year. In general, most small businesses don’t need to go this route.
DIY Website Design
We’ve mentioned website builders and their bundles. If you’re on a tight budget, these do-it-yourself website design packages can save you tons of money. They usually don’t 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 program, most people can create their first website the way they want.
These programs can be free or inexpensive to get the basic functionality to use. However, to access premium features like unique themes, you have to pay higher subscription fees. Costs vary depending on the platform you subscribe to and the plan you choose, and they can range anywhere from $100 to $500 per year, but most average around $200 per year /p>
Best Website Builder Platforms
As a rule of thumb, customizing for website builder websites compares to WordPress or building your website from scratch is restricted to. If you want to take advantage of this unique design aesthetic, you need a graphic designer who is familiar with HTML coding. Most graphic designers will charge you a flat fee or an hourly rate. Expect to pay anywhere from $30 to $100 an hour to find someone who also knows the coding required for your website.
Professional Website Designers
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You decide building the website on your own just isn’t your thing. That’s fine as long as you know 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 by the hour or as a flat rate for the project assigned. But you will need someone who has a strong portfolio as there will be fewer design reverts and you will be more likely to get what you envisioned for your site.When working with a designer, it helps to show them the types of sites you like and resemble. This gives the designer a starting point. Also go through the color schemes to make sure the site fits your brand and what you want to show your readers.
The cost can vary widely depending on experience and the needs of the project, but is not uncommon Prices range from $30 to $100 plus an hour.
SSL
Many small businesses don’t realize the importance of signing up with a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) service provider . An SSL certificate is a digital authentication of your website’s identity and allows for an encrypted connection for security. It’s also required to accept online payments, so every online store needs an SSL.
SSL certification means your visitors are protected from unwanted cyber attacks. Some browsers redirect users of websites without SSL certification with the message “This website may not be secure”. For most visitors, this is enough to keep them from clicking through the site. This certificate changes your website from an HTTP prefix to an HTTPS prefix in the web domain and shows web browsers that you have invested in website security.
In many cases you can get an SSL certificate for free Your web hosting provider. However, you can also choose to purchase an SSL certificate from a third party.
Best SSL Services
SSL also helps with Search Engine Optimization ( SEO) and the flow of data to and from the website. Fees for SSL vary from free to around $249 per year. Some website builders offer this certificate at no additional cost, so consider it a valuable benefit if you see it offered. Either way, your website should have an SSL certificate to gain the trust of readers from across the web.
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