You know that someday your business will need a web site, so why not today? You may be afraid of the cost. You have heard of people who have built web sites themselves and others who have spent tens of thousands of dollars. Some business owners are very pleased with their site, but we all know of others that think it has been a waste of time and money. What are the facts ?
While no two web sites will cost the same, here are some parameters to help you.
To have a successful web site you will need:
- One or more domain names
- Server space to hold the site
- Content
- Web Site Design
- Professional placement and search engine marketing
- Website Maintenance
Let's look at each element:
Domain Names
Your domain name is how people will look for you on the web. You can register a unique domain name for abour $70 for two years. (There are some registrants that charge somewhat less). Domain names you might recognize are amazon.com, ibm.com, and webconsuls.com. A professional web developer can show you how to select and register your name. Every day hundreds of domain names are registered, so the sooner you start the better the chances that the name you want will be available.
You may want to purchase more than one domain name. For example you might want to buy a name that sounds just like yours but is spelled differently, or you might want more names for Content Pages to your site. However, for now, figure on spending $70 for two years.
Server Space
You will want your site hosted with a commercial hosting company. For a small business site figure on $20- $30 per month. If you want to use E-Commerce and take credit cards then $50/month is a good estimate.
Keyword Rich Content
You may already have catalogues and brochures that can serve as the basis for your site. If not then you will need to develop the content. You may need photographs or special art work. Obviously the costs here will vary widely, so we can not give an estimate. If you have the text, photographs, and art work available then the cost should be minimal.
Web Site Design
A professional web site designer will save you hours of valuable time and produce an original and attractive site. The designer should work with you to capture your vision for the look and feel of the site. Since this is the representation of your company, potentially to millions of people, you should have the site professionally designed. Figure on $250-$500 per page for a basic page, more for an E-commerce page. A top designer will probably not start a project for less than $1000.00.
Professional Placement and Search Engine Marketing
A well chosen domain name and a great looking web site are not enough. Your web site needs to be properly marketed so that potential customers find your site.
One goal of the marketing process is to achieve a high ranking with the major search engines. A professional web site marketing firm may make changes, often invisible, to your site in order to achieve a high ranking. The firm should register your site with various search engines and directories. They may recommend special pages called Content Pages for your site. You should get a full report on their activities and your search engine placement. You should figure on several hundred dollars for a small site that does not require additional pages.
Web Site Maintenance
A web site needs to be maintained, both in content and in positioning.
As your business changes, you should be updating your site, just as you would update your advertising brochures.
Search engine positioning is a dynamic process. Your site may need to be modified to reflect the latest changes in search engine criteria. You will want reports reflecting your latest search engine ranking. Periodically most of your site will need to be reregistered.
You should budget at least $100-$200/month for marketing maintenance, and be prepared to spend $1000/month or more for a large site aggressively marketed and maintained. Content maintenance costs depend on the number and difficulty of the changes requested or required
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