If you run a small business, there are probably a million items on your to-do list. But is building and maintaining a company website part of it? If not, you are not alone.
Building a website is an investment of time and money. You can expect to spend $500 to $5,000 to build a website depending on how much outside help you enlist. Many small business owners are therefore asking themselves: Is it worth it?
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In an increasingly digital world, an online presence is no longer optional – it is critical to the continued success of your business. A recent study by Deloitte found that digitally connected small businesses are generating four times the revenue growth year-on-year. The term “digitally connected” refers not only to the use of technology in the day-to-day operations of your business, but also to the use of digital communications such as websites, social media and email marketing to reach your target audience.
So let’s dive deeper into why you need a website in the first place, and then we’ll dive into all the costs involved in building a website.
Why your small business needs a website
Not convinced yet? We’re here to show you how a small business website has the potential to grow your business and open up a world of opportunity for both your existing and new customers.
1. You can make sales in any situation
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Local businesses around the world have struggled to stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the environment for in-person selling has changed dramatically as a result.
Small business owners, who have weathered the storm best, have turned to online channels to increase their profits and expand their audience beyond their city by capitalizing on the endless opportunities their own site offers. In a world where customers are reluctant to venture beyond their homes, e-commerce has boomed.
In the US alone, online shopping grew more than 44% in 2020, triple the industry’s growth in 2018 and 2019. While the pandemic is likely at the root of this monumental year-over-year acceleration is Increases in online spending by customers cannot be ignored. When e-commerce sales are now over $850 billion a year, what’s stopping you from joining the hundreds of thousands of businesses that are thriving online?
2. You have space to showcase your products and services
Global pandemics aside, a business website is a great place to showcase any of your product or service offerings in a manner like a physical store would maybe doesn’t allow for. After all, there are only so many properties to work with in the offline world. That’s simply not the case when you use a custom website.
A website also gives you the opportunity to meet potential customers at any point in their sales journey. When they’re not quite ready to make a purchasing decision, your informative website content gives them the opportunity to look around as if they were walking around your store. You can find all the details they are looking for and read any related posts that might draw their attention to other products or services.
Rather than hoping that these customers will come back one day, there are many online -Marketing strategies you can use to remind them of your business and encourage them to buy. For example, you could offer a discount to customers who give you their email address and then contact them via email (which you can automate with a marketing or CRM software solution, by the way). Your website landing page can be one of the most effective marketing tools you have in this new digital age, so use it wherever you can.
3. You get the opportunity to be found by new customers
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Most of the time, customers know what they want to buy, but chances are they’ve never heard of your business before do not know to search by name. This is where a digital marketing tactic known as search engine optimization or SEO can stand you in good stead.
SEO is all about having an optimized website so search engines understand exactly what your business is about and present your website to web users who are specifically looking for what you offer. For example, if you run a candle business, a potential customer might do a Google search for “homemade soy candles.” If you’ve been actively working on your SEO and you have a good website (with a prominent contact form or phone number), chances are that Google will redirect that user to your business website if it matches what they’re looking for.
SEO can seem overwhelming if you don’t consider yourself tech savvy, and it’s a longer term strategy compared to running digital ads or posting on social media.But it can certainly be worth the time and money to invest in freelancers or digital marketing consultants to help get you started.
You can start your search by asking your network , whether they know reliable SEO freelancers or consultants, or by using LinkedIn’s search function to find people with that keyword. How much one of these professionals will charge will vary, but expect to charge anywhere from $50 to $100 an hour.
4. You have a home for your best testimonials and reviews
Word of mouth is still one of the biggest drivers of new business, no matter what industry you are in. That’s why having online reviews and testimonials from past and current customers is so important – you can let them do the selling for you.
There are numerous review sites like Yelp and Facebook Pages, but there’s nothing stopping you from putting some of them on your own site as well. Curate the best reviews your customers have left for you and create a highlight reel across your different website pages. You’re the social proof telling potential customers that you’re the best company for what they’re looking for.
Save time and money that can be reinvested in marketing your business by using Use Hourly. Hourly syncs your payslip directly to employee compensation. That means you can say goodbye to educated guesswork because rewards are based on actual wages. You’ll avoid overpaying and being surprised by an ugly bill when exam time comes. Hey, that’s more money to invest in a brand new website.
How much does it cost to build a website
So you’ve decided that a custom website is what you need to grow your business grow, but how much will it all cost? Well, that depends on the type of website your business needs.
If you’re a service-oriented business, a basic website is typically around five to eight pages in total. Depending on whether you want to build it yourself or hire outside help, you’ll likely expect to pay anywhere from $500 to $5,000. For an ecommerce website, the average cost can range from $2,000 to $100,000 to $150,000. Yes, that’s a wide range to play with, but it all depends on how much support you need to get your website up and running, along with the features your business needs to stay online.
Before you begin, take some time to review possible areas where you could save money on a DIY website or by using an in-house team. However, before you jump down the DIY route right away, consider the impact this could have on your business.
Website development, especially for new websites, can be an incredibly time-consuming process and is often best left to the professionals when you want a quality user experience that accurately reflects your business. You or your team also have other responsibilities to focus on, so getting a do-it-yourself website up and running will likely take longer than handing it over to an agency or web developer, focused solely on your project.
To better understand your budget and expected costs, let’s break down some of the most common expenses associated with launching a small business website.
Domains and Web Hosting
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The first item on your website list should be buying a domain name. Your domain name is the website address that users need to find your online store or website. Domain names are fairly cheap, around $5 to $15, but they need to be renewed annually. Do some research before making a final decision as many offer new customer discounts which will lower your upfront costs.
When it comes to website hosting, it can be included in the overall cost of the website if you Use a content management system like Squarespace or Wix. However, if you decide to use a self-hosted WordPress website, you will have to choose from web hosting companies like Hostgator, GoDaddy, WP Engine or Bluehost. Hosting costs vary by web host, but you can expect to spend around $20-$30 per month on your hosting plan.
Most hosting providers now include an SSL certificate or a free one Include SSL in their hosting service prices. If not, make sure you include this upgrade. An SSL certificate protects your website and also lets search engines know that your website is safe for users. This affects your SEO (safe websites are prioritized in search results), so don’t skip this.
Content Management Systems (CMS)
Otherwise known as a website builder, a CMS is the platform that acts as the architectural framework of your website. While HTML allows you to create a website from scratch, a website builder will greatly reduce the time it takes you to launch and maintain the website.
The backend is mostly already built (although you’ll need a little more hands-on work for a WordPress site) and updates are much easier to make in the long run. You and your team don’t need to know HTML, which can be helpful when you’re looking to save on maintenance costs, and most come with detailed step-by-step tutorials to make them easier to use.
Most CMS platforms like Squarepace, Wix, and Shopify cost around $15-$20 per month if their website hosting is included, even if you use it as an ecommerce site. WordPress is free to use upfront, but you pay for your hosting and any WordPress plugins you want to add.
Many website builders also have free themes, templates, and add-ons such as WordPress Premium plugins available for customization and help make your website unique. These can increase your CMS costs, so take this into account when budgeting.
Website design and web development costs
Most of your website costs probably come up in web development and creating a custom theme for your website. Even if you have some web design experience or are using a theme that comes with your CMS, you should hire a website designer to ensure that all of your online and offline branding matches are always a good use of your marketing budget. Most small businesses spend between $1,000 and $10,000 on outsourced website design.
If you choose to work with a web designer, you will likely need web development assistance as well. This is especially important if you are using WordPress themes (either a free or premium theme) or plugins as these sometimes require custom coding or technical intervention to ensure everything runs smoothly. In particular, if you have an e-commerce site and need to accept credit cards, you’ll likely need help integrating with WordPress to ensure this works properly and complies with local and national card processing laws. Budget between $4,000 and $10,000 to work with an experienced web developer.
Be sure to ask your developer if there are any ongoing maintenance costs that you need to factor in with this type of work or if you only need their services during setup.
Small business websites are a must
In today’s online world, a digital presence is an essential part of running a successful business. Building a great website so your customers can quickly and easily work with you is one of the most important ways to stay relevant and stay ahead of your competition.
Whether you want a website with all the bells and whistles or stick with something more minimalist and manageable is entirely up to you. But if there’s one thing you should take away from this post, it’s this: the beginning is often the hardest part, but it’s always worth it in the end.
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