How Much Should Your Website Cost?

If you run a business, you need a website. Even in today’s age of social media, your website serves as a key marketing and customer service tool. Therefore, you’ll want to have a site that looks great and functions properly.

However, this comes with a cost. Website development costs in Canada vary depending on the type of website you want. Understanding the different factors that go into a website can help you decide which type of site is right for you. You’ll also learn more about what goes into the overall cost of a site, so you can make the right choice for your business. 

One of the first choices you’ll need to make is working with a freelancer or a web design agency.

Agency vs Freelancer

A freelance web designer will usually have a lot of flexibility, as they can usually shift their hours to accommodate their clients. They may be easier to communicate with as well, since you’re talking directly to a single person. You may also be able to save money working with a freelance designer or developer. 

However, a freelancer will have to do everything themselves. This means they could get overwhelmed, may take longer to complete their work, and they might be lacking experience in certain areas of development or design. There’s also the fact that it can be hard to know if you can trust a freelancer, as experience levels and ethics vary wildly. 

When you choose to work with a professional web agency, you’re able to take advantage of the combined experience of the entire staff. This means a more comprehensive service offering. Large agencies also usually have better customer service and support than a single freelancer. There may be a higher cost associated with working with an agency, however.

Determining the Type of Website You Need

One of the most important things to learn about website development costs in Canada is that every site is different. A large corporate website with ecommerce functionality will cost more than a simple blog or a one-page site that lists basic details, for instance. 

Think about the purpose of your website and what you hope to accomplish. Some websites are informational, some serve as a showcase or portfolio, and others are transactional. What will you be using your website for?

Some of the most common types of websites include:

• Personal Blog
• Portfolio website 
• Corporate website 
• Small business website
• Ecommerce site
• Custom-Designed Website

Think about scalability when you’re designing your website. If you’re running a small business today, do you plan on offering ecommerce in the future? Will you want to add any interactivity in the future, such as the option for users to participate in forums, add content, or otherwise engage with other users? 

Creating a website that can scale can be very beneficial. Otherwise, once your business grows and expands your offerings, you will need to start over from scratch. 

Fundamental Website Costs

Once you have decided on the type of website you want, you’ll also want to understand the different aspects of putting together a website. A website isn’t just a single thing that happens all at once. It is a process and there are several choices to make as you move through this process. 

Again, each website is unique, so the choices you make about your site will be different from those made by anyone else. 

Here are a few aspects of a website that you’ll want to consider: 

Domain Name

• A domain name is how you identify your website. For instance, Google.com is a domain name. Each domain name includes at least two parts: a top-level domain and a second-level domain.
• In the address Google.com, “Google” is the second-level domain and “.com” is the top-level domain (TLD). There is also a third-level domain, which goes before the second-level domain and is separated by a dot. The default is “www,” but websites can have other subdomains as well.
• You will need to pick a domain name that is available. A domain name registrar will be able to tell you if the name you’re interested in is available.
  Common domain name registrar include:
  • GoDaddy
  • Namecheap
  • BlueHost
  • Hover
  • And many others
• You also have a choice when it comes to your top-level domain. The most common TLD is .com, but there are many other choices. 
• You may want to consider using a country extension domain (such as .ca in Canada). There are advantages and disadvantages to this choice.
  First of all, you have a better chance of getting the domain you want if you choose a country extension rather than a global domain extension.
  Using a local country extension indicates that you do business within a certain country. For example, a website that ends in .ca serves the Canadian market. This can help you attract Canadian business, but it will hurt you if you’re trying to promote yourself to an international audience. 
• When it comes to website development costs in Canada, know that registering a new domain name costs between $10 and $30 per year, depending on the registrar you choose and the domain.

Website Hosting

• In addition to choosing a domain name, you’ll need to find a website host.
• There are many options available and different hosting packages for you to choose from. 
• The cheapest option is shared hosting with an average price ranging between $5 and $10 per month. Shared hosting is an economical option, but it comes with drawbacks. For instance, since you are sharing with other websites, load times will likely be slower. There are limited resources to go around, so your site won’t perform as well and may have issues with uptime. There are also potential security risks with shared hosting.
• Cloud hosting is another option. Instead of using a single server to host your site, a cloud provider will spread this task out among several servers. This helps balance traffic and keep your website performing well. With cloud hosting, you will typically pay based on a pay-as-you-use model rather than a standard monthly fee. 
• Dedicated hosting is a situation where your website is hosted by itself on a server. This is the fastest and most secure way to host a website, but it is also the most expensive. Dedicated hosting costs can range from $75 per month to $125 per month, depending on your site and the resources you need. 
• Website hosting can affect your website’s speed, security, and reliability as well as your search engine rankings, so it is important to make the right choice for your business. For more information, read more in our article: How Important is Server Location for SEO?
• Popular hosting providers include:
  • Bluehost
  • SiteGround
  • Hostinger
  • DreamHost

Website Design Prices in Canada

• Once you have decided on a domain name and a host, it’s time to get started on designing and developing the website. Again, there are choices to be made here. One of the first is whether you want a custom designed website or if you’d like to work from a template.
• Custom website design means starting from scratch and designing the website from the ground up. An advantage to this process is that you can build your website exactly the way you want it, and include whatever specific functionality you need. Your site will be completely unique and based on your brand, so it will stand out from the crowd.
• However, custom websites generally take quite a long time to build and come with a higher cost than using a template. You’ll also need to come up with all aspects of the website on your own, which requires more planning and consultation. 
• When you use a website template, you start with an existing layout or framework and then customize it for your brand. A template-based website is faster to customize compared to designing a whole site from scratch, and there will likely be existing functionalities and third-party features that you can integrate into your site. 
• That said, your site may not look as unique as a custom site and you may not be able to find add-ons or plug-ins that do exactly what you’re looking for.
• Designing with a website template will be more affordable as well.
• The average price for website design in Canada depends on many factors, but it typically ranges from $2,000 for a straightforward site to $10,000 or more for a very complex design. 

Website Development

• Website design is not the only aspect that affects the cost of your site. There is also the website development process. This refers to the actual programming and construction of the site.
• Typically, the design will be completed first. This means the look of the site, the graphics, the colours, the fonts, etc. Once the site is designed, the next step is writing the code that makes the site function. 
• There are two major options when it comes to website development: Custom website development vs Website Builders.
• A custom development is what it sounds like: you will work with a web developer or a team to build a website based on the requested design. 
• A website builder is also basically what it sounds like. It is a tool that makes it possible to create a site through a user-friendly interface. With a website builder, you will choose from several templates and various options, then apply customization based on what is allowed through the builder. 
• Custom website development usually starts around $2,000 and can increase to $20,000 or higher based on the complexity of the site.
• Website builders range from free to a few hundred dollars. Many charge a monthly fee ranging from $20-$40 per month.

Additional Things To Consider

In addition to domain name, hosting, design, and development costs, there are several other factors to consider. You may consider some of these additional factors unnecessary, but that depends on your business and your preferences. 

You may want to budget for:

• Website Content Writing
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Website Security 
• Site Backups
• Website Maintenance 

The cost of these features will again be based on your specific requirements. 

Total Costs for Building a Website in Canada

While each website is unique, here are some basic estimates for website development costs in Canada, including domain name and server costs. 

• Personal Blog
  From $0 for a site hosted on a free server and without a custom domain to $1,000 or more, including domain and hosting fees
• Portfolio website
  From $0 to over $1,000 depending on factors such as the host, the domain, and the design
• Small Business Website
  Expect to pay at least $500 for your site and higher depending on the design, number of pages, functionality, and more.
• Corporate Website
  Ranging from a few hundred dollars a year to several thousand dollars, primarily depending on whether or not you hire a designer or developer
• Ecommerce Site
  Setting up, designing, and maintaining a small ecommerce site will usually cost between $2,000 and $10,000, with some costs such as hosting, etc. recurring yearly
  For a larger site, you could pay up to $50,000 or more 
• Custom-Designed Website
  A completely customized website will cost between $10,000 and $75,000 or. This range is large, because there are so many individual factors that go into the costs.

Speaking with a designer or developer before building your site can help you understand exactly what you can expect to pay and what you will receive for this amount. If you have any questions about building a new website or revamping your existing one, please contact Eggs Media today. We’re here to help and can give you all the information you need.

How to Save Money on a Website

As you can see, there is a wide range when it comes to website development costs in Canada. If you’re looking to reduce your expenses and save money while still getting a great website, there are a few things you can do. 

The first is to set your budget beforehand. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the process of designing and developing a site and wind up paying more than you expected. Setting a firm budget before you start the process can help you avoid this.

It’s also a good idea to research your competitors and their websites. Look at their designs and the functionality of their sites. If everyone you’re competing with has elaborate custom sites with complex functions, you may need to do the same in order to compete. However, if this isn’t the case, you might be able to save money and still remain competitive by choosing a site that is more simple and straightforward. 

When you meet with a web design company, you’ll want to have a plan for what you’re looking for. What website features matter the most to you? Are you primarily looking for a simple site that lists your contact information? Do you want a beautiful site to showcase your offerings? Are you focused on speed or security? Focus your efforts and your spending on the factors that meat the most to you, then use your remaining budget on the rest. 

Choosing the right developer and designer matters as well. Prices differ and so does the level of service you receive. You’ll want to choose someone honest, open, and who will work with you to design the site you need without blowing your budget. This is why choosing Eggs Media,  an award-winning web design and development agency in Toronto, can be such a good decision.

Since 2014, Eggs Media has won multiple awards and designed and developed hundreds of websites for our clients. We understand what it takes to create a great site that accomplishes a goal without going over budget. We’ll work with you as a trusted partner, helping you keep your website costs low without sacrificing aesthetics or functionality. Get in touch with us today to learn how we can help your business thrive online.