If you want to start your online business, you must have thought about creating a website. Surely you have also thought about how much a website costs. If you’re not careful, the cost of building a website can eventually turn out to be a huge hiccup. In this blog, we decode the true cost of developing a WordPress website:
Note that WordPress’ basic functionality and core software are free. The final cost of a WordPress website depends on various parameters. This includes your budget, project goals, specific requirements and so on. In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss in detail the cost of developing a WordPress website. Let’s get started.
Reading: How much to create a website with wordpress
What do you need to build a WordPress website from scratch?
Before we talk about how much it actually costs to develop a WordPress website, let’s look at how to build a WordPress website from scratch. Follow these useful steps:
Step 1: First, choose a name for your website.
Step 2: You’ll then need to buy a domain name and web hosting service, which you can do on sites like Bluehost or GoDaddy. Here’s a handy domain name generation tool that can simplify the process.
Step 3: Familiarize yourself with the WordPress user interface. These include:
- Make your site public
- Set a title and tagline for the site
- Allow or disable comments
Step 4: The next step is to choose a WordPress theme or design for your website. This step is essential to determine the cost of developing a WordPress website. Install it and customize it to your needs.
Step 5: Understand what kind of plugins you need for your website to improve its functionality. There are thousands of the best WordPress plugins for you to experiment with. Or enlist the help of a WordPress plugin developer for that.
Step 6: Create your basic pages like About, Contact Us, Privacy Policy ‘, ‘FAQs’, ‘Blog’, etc.
Step 7: Match your site navigation to match the design and content of the site.
Factors Influencing WordPress Website Development Cost
In this section, we will tackle the most important question that may be floating around in your head: “How much does a WordPress website cost?”
The building process A WordPress website is different for everyone. The cost of developing your WordPress website depends on these five key features. Additionally, when hiring a WordPress developer, it is important to consider the salary of the WordPress developer.
1. WordPress Plan: ($0–$1150)
When you are looking for the cost of a WordPress website, the first major expense is choosing a WordPress plan. You can choose from the following plan types:
Source: WordPress.com
There are mainly three WordPress website plans:-
- WordPress Free – $0
- WordPress Starter – $5 per month (billed annually)
- WordPress Pro – $15 per month (billed annually)
Pro Tip: A word of caution when analyzing the cost of developing a WordPress website – the “Free” plan is technically free, but it does require some work on the backend. For example, you need to buy a domain (more on that in the next section).
2. Domain name: $10-30/year)
In simple terms, your domain name is the home address of your website (think: [xyz].com or [abc].org). To buy a domain name, consider sites like GoDaddy and Bluehost. The average cost of a domain name can range from $0.95 to $12 per month. You have to pay for the domain name if you go for the free plan. With the WordPress Pro plan, the domain name is free for a year.
Reading bonus: Did you know that WordPress.com and .org are two different platforms? Read the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org here.
3. Hosting Provider: $35.99 to $599.99/year)
Think of hosting as the “place” where the website lives on the internet. Your hosting provider is essentially responsible for the overall health of your website – from speed to security, they take care of everything. Some of the best hosting providers to choose from are SiteGround and Bluehost. WordPress hosting is an important part of your overall WordPress website development cost.
Pro Tip: If you don’t see too much traffic on your website, go for a shared website hosting option. It’s a cheaper alternative and well within your budget. This is one of the methods to reduce the cost of a WordPress site.
4. Theme: (0 – $10,000)
Selecting the website theme or design is arguably the most fun part of setting up a WordPress website.You can choose from a diverse selection of free or paid WordPress themes depending on your vision.
Pro Tip: Remember that the cost of paid themes depends on the grade depend on the customization you want. Depending on your pricing model, you may need to spend between $50 and $200 up front or annually.
5. Plugins: (0 – 1000$ / one-time or ongoing depending on the plugin)
If you want to improve the functionality of your website, you need to download additional plugins – or apps – to your website. For example, if you want to target more users with tools like live chat, forms, etc., you can opt for the free HubSpot WordPress plugin.
There are more than 59,000 WordPress plugins available and three plans to choose from:
The Takeaway: When it comes to evaluating WordPress costs, each element contributes differently to the overall budget. It depends on the features and custom requirements.
How do I calculate the estimated cost for WordPress websites?
To help you calculate the cost To beat your WordPress website and budget needs, here’s a handy WordPress cost calculator from HubSpot:
Source: HupSpot.com
See also: How to Draft a Website Content Plan
In general, the cost of developing a WordPress website moves based on this Calculator above between:
Cost of WordPress Website Development for Small/Medium Business$3 to $5 per monthCost of WordPress Website Development for Ecommerce Business $800 to $1500 per month WordPress website development cost for business$3,000 per month (and up)
Consider the following important tips for the calculation of the costs associated with developing a WordPress website:
- Your costs really depend on your needs. Based on your needs, a WordPress website can cost you anywhere from $100 to $115,000 or more.
- Other factors that affect WordPress costs are your design needs, development needs, ongoing maintenance and such next.
You may also want to hire a WordPress plugin developer to create a custom plugin exclusively for your needs.
Here is a WordPress cost cheat sheet that takes into account important parameters like domain name, web hosting, themes, plugins, website maintenance, website design and WordPress subscription:
Expense
Cost
Frequency
Domain name$0.95 – $12Per month or billed annuallyWeb hosting$24 – $10,000Billed Monthly or AnnuallyAdditional File Storage$0–$650One time or ongoing, depending on serviceWordPress Themes$0–$200One time, per themeWordPress plugins$0 – $1000One time or ongoing, depending on pluginOptional: Security$50 – $500One time or ongoing, depending on program Website maintenanceIn-house$0 – $25Per monthFreelancer$50 – $100 Per hourAgency$119-$449Per monthWordPress website designIn-house $0-$300 One-timeFreelancer$500-$5,000 One-timeAgency$3,000-$100,000 One-timeWordPress SubscriptionFree0N$ /APremium$8 per month billed annually Business$25 per month billed annually E-Commerce$45 per month billed annually Enterprise$1700 per Month billed annually
Here is another WordPress website development cost cheat sheet by business type:
Business type
Average Upfront Cost for WordPress
Average WordPress
running costs for small business website $75-2500 / one-time $300-700 / year. E-commerce site cost $5000-55,000 / one-time $1000 to $3000/year. $5000 / yr.Cost of Enterprise Level Website 10,000 – 115,000$ / one-time 5,000 – 15,000$ / year.
What is the cost of developing a WordPress website on a budget?
Would you believe us if we told you that the cost to develop a WordPress website could actually be under $100? Here’s a quick cost breakdown for reference:
Domain nameTypically costs around $14.99/yearHosting providerStarts at $2.75/monthThemeFree or paid – we recommend choosing from over 11,000 WordPress themesPluginDownload free plugins from over 59,000 plugins available
As you can see, you can build an amazingly inexpensive WordPress site on a tight budget (from $15 to $100).
Pro Tip: Make sure you use the following “free” plugins when building an effective WordPress website:
Features
Optimization
Security
Elementor – Build and customize your website without any coding knowledge in loading time and increase the performance of your website.Defender – Add a firewall with IP blocking enabled for free. Gravity Forms – Easily add advanced and custom forms Pages without codingWP-Optimize- Implement page caching, compress images and enable gzip compression. Wordfence Security – Checks core, plugin and theme files, posts and comments for suspicious code, incorrect URLs, spam and more.
If you keep the notices mentioned here, you must be responsible for Spend your total cost of developing a WordPress website between $46 and $100 per year.
What is the cost of developing a WordPress website? For a small business?
According to Statista, in 2020 there will be over 212.98 million SMBs worldwide. Imagine building an online business for presence without a rock solid website to do all the hard selling. Sounds impossible right? That’s why people with small businesses need an ROI-oriented website now more than ever. Here is the cost of developing a WordPress website for small business owners:
- First things first, it totally depends on your business needs as well as the tools you use to build the online presence of Ground up.
- If you just want to showcase your products/services, the Bluehost starter plan is a great place to start. Costs start at $2.75/month and include a free domain, free SSL certificate, 1-click WordPress installations, and 24×7 support. However, you must understand that a domain provided for free can have any extension. If you’re looking for a specific domain extension like .com or .org, you may need to purchase it separately.
The money you end up ‘saving’ can then be used to integrate Add more premium tools/features to your site.
- Alternatively, if you’re willing to spend a little more money, you can opt for SiteGround.
- Next, you’ll want to Choosing a WordPress theme to enhance the visual aesthetics of your site. You can choose from a list of free themes, or choose from a list of premium (paid) WordPress themes.
Pro Tip: Ideally, try yourself to opt for a premium theme so you get instant access to all kinds of support guides and updates. To create a custom theme, you may also want to hire a WordPress designer to create a theme that fits your business idea.
- Plugins: You must have a Integrate cocktail of custom made free and paid plugins to control overall website costs. Here is a handy table for your reference:
Features
Marketing
Security
Yoast SEO: Meet the highest technical SEO standards.OptinMonster – Convert website visitors into leads.UpdraftPlus – Backup, restore and clone your data in situations like hacking, server crashes, shady updates, etc.MonsterInsights : The best Google analytics plugin for WordPressJust Writing: Help marketers deliver quality content by providing features like spell and grammar checks.Security Ninja: Seamless vulnerability tests that are comprehensive and easy to useMemberPress: Create online Courses, Communities, and Membership Sites with WordPressSmush: Quickly compress and optimize images in bulk. Jetpack – Stay protected from spam and malware blocking, brute force login protection, website stats reports, etc. SeedProd Pro – Seamlessly create custom WordPress themes and page layouts with no coding skills. Hustle: A Marketing WordPress Plugin That F Features Popups, Slide-ins, Embeds & Social Share BarsAll In One WP Security & Firewall – Get Features Like Malware Scanning, Login Protection, Comment Spam Protection etc.
Pro Tip : Before purchasing a premium plugin, we recommend a free trial to see if the plugin works for your website or not . As always, you can hire a WordPress plugin developer to create a plugin for you that is only compatible with your website.
By following these pointers, small businesses can build a website They end up costing you between $300 and $1000 a year. The total cost of developing a WordPress website depends on the premium functionalities and features you select.
What is the cost of developing a WordPress website for ecommerce ?
According to research, WordPress powers 14.7% of the top 100 websites in the world, including many e-commerce sites.
While many ecommerce entrepreneurs are skeptical about the sky-high cost of building a full fledged ecommerce platform , you can build a smart ecommerce WordPress website without spending too much money or suffering big losses.Here are a few handy tips to remember:
- SSL Certificate: In addition to hosting and domain, you also need to purchase a SSL certificate, which can cost around $8/year Basically, an SSL allows you to protect your customers’ sensitive data such as payment information, username, password etc.
- eCommerce Plugins: Once you’ve set up the domain, hosting, and SSL, you need to figure out what kind of eCommerce plugins you’re going to use for want to use your website. If you are looking for a one stop shop solution, we recommend WooCommerce, with which you can easily build, promote and start selling a secure online store.
Pro Tip: Although WooCommerce is a free plugin, you need to You pay extra if you want to use additional features.
- WooCommerce Theme: The next step in this process is to choose a WooCommerce theme that goes with your WordPress website fits. Here, too, there are several themes to choose from – be it free or paid. However, if you opt for the paid version, you get access to additional features and support.
Next, let’s look at some of the must-have features for your ecommerce site:
Functions
Marketing
Security
BigCommerce: Manage Every area of your WordPress website and offload server resources from things like catalog management, payment processing, and more.ShopWP: Sell Shopify products on WordPress.Google Authenticator: Leverage two-factor authentication with the Google Authenticator app for Android /iPhone/BlackberryEasy Digital Downloads: Sell digital products like e-books, audiobooks and other PDF filesEcwid e-commerce shopping cart: Sell easily on Facebook and InstagramMalCare: Stay fully protected with features like automatic malware scan and malware One-click removal to access a real-time fir ewall : The best all-in-one WordPress shopping cart plugin
SendPulse Web Push: Retarget customers with push notification ationsBulletProof Security: Automatically fix 100+ common issues with other plugins.
Pro Tip: As mentioned, the trick is to start small and experiment with the free versions of plugins to see what works (and what not). This is one of the most effective ways to save money when developing an ecommerce website.
See also: How to Add Ads to Your Website
By keeping these pointers in mind, ecommerce businesses can create a website that they end up with will cost between $1,000 and $3,000 (and up). The total cost of developing a WordPress website depends on the premium functionality and features you choose.
What is the cost of developing a WordPress website with advanced features?
If you are 100% sure that you need advanced features for your WordPress website, remember that the cost of developing a WordPress website is going to skyrocket. In such a scenario, keep the following cost-cutting tips and strategies in mind:
- You can proceed Use Bluehost to keep costs down and get access to a free domain. Otherwise, if your budget allows, opt for SiteGround’s GoGeek plan, which offers premium benefits like faster performance, the ability to handle a large number of visitors per month (over 100,000), etc.
- You can use a premium WordPress template to get access to additional features and 24/7 support.
- For plug-ins, use a mix of free and paid plug-ins. This can help you manage your website development costs while staying within your budget.
Note that the total cost of developing a WordPress website with premium approach is between 500 and 1000 US dollars per year (or more).
What is the cost of developing a custom WordPress website?
The website design cost of a bespoke website primarily depends on your design and functional requirements. Because the site is customized to your needs, the cost of a custom WordPress site is higher.
Typically, larger companies adopt this approach as they want to stand out from the sea of uniformity. Here are a few handy tricks to keep in mind when determining the cost of developing a WordPress website customized to your unique needs:
- Choose managed WordPress hosting -Providers like SiteGround, WP Engine, Liquid Web, etc.
- Make sure web developer fees are included in your WordPress costs.Also, make sure to get multiple quotes from a variety of experienced web designers and WordPress experts.
- Remember that costs will vary based on your budget, changing needs, and the rate of the web designer you hire /the agency can change dynamically.
- Experiment as you are no longer limited to the limitations of a predefined free template. You can customize the website to your liking and give it your own unique flavor.
- Consider the following elements when budgeting for a custom WordPress website theme:
– Will you be hiring an individual freelancer or an agency?
– What kind of experience and expertise do they have?
– What kind of features and functionality do you want? And what are your end expectations?
– How many changes or revisions are allowed in WordPress website design?
– What kind of additional costs do you have for hosting, maintenance and support, since this is not included in the web design process?
Pro Tip: Note that a custom default WordPress theme can cost up to $5000. The more custom features you add, the higher the website development costs – up to $15,000 or more.
What is the all-inclusive WordPress website design cost?
We’ve already answered the key question: how much does it cost to build a website? Next, let’s look at the type of costs companies have to incur for the design costs of a WordPress website. For your convenience, here’s a quick breakdown:
- Free Themes and Themes: As mentioned earlier, you can always take advantage of the free WordPress themes available. To find the right theme, filter your search results by layout, features, and theme/theme that fits your vision.
- Paid Templates: You can also sign up for a paid template from sites other than WordPress.
- Custom Website Design by a Web Developer: The best option of all is this third option. If you are not satisfied with the free and paid themes available to you, you can find and hire a WordPress website designer and developer. It can cost anywhere from $700 to $10,000 (or more) depending on the expertise, skills, and experience they bring.
Pro Tip: When choosing a WordPress theme, make sure you choose one that is mobile friendly. You don’t want to lose almost half of the world’s population that is now mobile.
What is the all-inclusive cost of developing and maintaining a WordPress website?
In this section we will decode the question: “How much does WordPress cost?”
An integral part of WordPress pricing is analyzing the type of maintenance costs that You cause must arise. Each WordPress maintenance services agency has its own fee structure and contracting process. Here’s a useful breakdown for reference:
Website TypeMonthly Website Maintenance CostPersonal Website Cost$25/month Professional Blog CostUp to $75/monthCost From SMB WebsiteUp to $100/month SME Website CostUp to $500/month Business Website CostUp to $3500/month Web Application CostUp to $2500/month Custom Business Website CostUp to $4500/month E-Commerce Website CostUp to $2500/ MonthCost of a customized e-commerce website$2000-$5000/month
Apart from that, the following additional maintenance costs may apply:
Website maintenance serviceMonthly Website maintenance pricesDomain name costUp to $1SSL certificate costUp to $125 Cost of website hostingUp to $835 Cost of website maintenanceUp to $105 Cost of CMSUp to $3,500 Cost of technical supportUp to $3000 cost of website analysis reportsUp to 1 $5 Cost of eCommerce System MaintenanceUp to $25
Pro Tip: Remember that y Our website maintenance costs should be based on the time it takes for the performing the maintenance tasks is required. So, depending on your needs, you can get web maintenance service on a monthly, regular or yearly basis.
This small but significant strategy will help you contain the cost of developing a WordPress website and ensure that they fit well with you budget. Note that you can also hire an agency on an hourly basis.
How to manage the costs of a WordPress site?
In this section, we will talk about how to set the price of building a WordPress website. There are four important tips worth remembering when it comes to understanding the cost of a WordPress website:
- Start small: The first basic rule to managing the cost of developing a WordPress website is to use a limited set of features and see if they work for your site or not.You can always scale your website as it grows and gains momentum.
- Take advantage of free features and tools: There are numerous free apps, tools, plugins and themes available. Make sure you browse them and do your homework before spending any money on the paid ones. Start with the free templates, then add paid features like email marketing, live chat, website firewall, etc. as needed.
- Take your time : Because there are several moving parts involved in setting up a WordPress website, understanding WordPress website costs and budgeting will still be a work in progress. There is no one-size-fits-all approach you can take; you do you.
- Keep an eye out for offers: Many WordPress websites dealing with plugins, templates, etc. always offer users tempting incentives again. To optimize the cost of developing a WordPress website, it makes sense to be on the lookout for any offers or promotions that could work in your favor.
The Takeaway: How much does it cost to develop a WordPress website?
Building a WordPress website can be a rewarding and satisfying experience , but only if the cost of developing a WordPress website doesn’t weigh heavily on your project and business goals. This is why it is important to hire an experienced WordPress developer. It can fundamentally transform your website:
Firstly, it can transform your website into an engaging platform for your offering.
Secondly, it can help keep your website up and running .
Third, it can help keep costs down without sacrificing site quality.
If you’re not sure where to start, consider Uplers ‘ Talent Solutions (UTS) under consideration. Program. UTS helps bridge the gap between Indian tech talent and global remote opportunities. At UTS, you get access to a skilled talent pool of WordPress developers. They go through a thorough and individual review process. This includes technical, functional and communication rounds.
Get in touch with us and give your WordPress website a digital creative boost that will stand out from all the rest.
See also: How to Easily Create a Custom WordPress Theme (Without Any Code)
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