One of the most common questions people ask when they want to increase their online presence is: how much does website design cost? The cost of designing a website depends on the goals you want to achieve and the site’s features.
When we talk about car prices, we think about the type of car (sports car or SUV) and the brand (Ferrari, Honda). The same goes for website design: the cost of a website varies and depends on factors such as: what is the purpose of the site? Do you need an informational site or e-commerce? Does it require custom programming? All of this determines the final price of web development.
On the market you’ll find people who will build you a website at a very low price, or free tools for designing websites. As an agency specialized in digital marketing and web design, we recommend using professional services, because we have seen clients lose sales by building a “free” site or hiring very cheap services with poor results.
That’s why thinking about a free website or a cheap one will limit the reach you want, unlike a custom website designed to win clients, which will give you more power and help you make more sales.
With that said, here are the factors you should consider when budgeting for your website.
Factors that influence the final budget for website design in Colombia
Domain name
If you want a website, you need a domain name that people can type to find your site. The domain is your online postal address and the foundation for building your brand on the internet. The price depends on factors such as:
- The domain extension: buying a .com extension isn’t the same as buying a .info or .travel extension, to name a few. The price varies with the extension and the domain level (top level, second level and third level).
- Domain provider: you can buy your business’s domain directly from domain registrars, auction sites or domain resellers. Some of them offer discounts.
- Plans: to own your domain, you can buy a one-year, two-year or longer plan. When your plan ends, you’ll need to pay for a renewal.
Web hosting
Hosting keeps your website up and running on the internet every month. You can have a website with a great design, but without hosting you’d have a pile of files with nowhere to go. There are many hosting providers, and choosing one depends on what your business needs. For example, if you want to design an online store that sells sportswear nationally or internationally, you’ll need hosting with plenty of capacity and resources, where you have control of the site, unlike an informational website, which needs fewer resources.
SSL certificate
An SSL certificate protects your website and your visitors’ data. It’s a sign of trust that encourages users to keep filling in a form or complete the purchase of a product or service. Without an SSL certificate, sending information online isn’t secure. Some web hosting providers include the certificate in their plans and others offer certificates at low prices; however, the cost depends on the data you want to protect.
Web design
Web design is a key process for both users and search engines. When we talk about your site’s design, we don’t only mean the visual side, but also usability: how easy it is for users to navigate your website and find the information they’re looking for. Another essential factor is responsive design, since most internet visits come from mobile devices.
There are different types of websites, so the final cost of a website should take the following into account:
- The type of website you choose: informational site or online store
- The type of design
- The number of inner pages on the website
- Whether the site is designed with a template or developed from scratch. All Gulupa Digital websites are developed from scratch and tailored to your business’s needs.
- All Gulupa Digital web designs adapt to different screens, but for some sites, because of the type of business and its specifications, it’s necessary to design and develop a mobile version: a site with the same information as the desktop version but with a special design for mobile devices.
Number of pages
Every website is different in the number of inner pages it needs: while an online store can have more than 100 pages, an informational website requires fewer than 10. From a design and development standpoint, it takes time to design and lay them out. For example, an e-commerce site may have 50 products, which translate into 50 pages that need to be created, with images and videos uploaded, testing and so on. So the number of pages depends on your website’s goal.
Website functionality
A website’s design and functionality cover different features, most of them related to online stores that allow buying products or services online, other websites with booking features, custom developments and those that require business-specific design and development features. All of this adds development hours, which ultimately increase the final cost of the website.
Maintenance costs
Websites need maintenance, so it’s a good idea to set aside a monthly budget for this service, which covers updates, backups, fixes and more.
Now that you know how much it costs to design a website in Colombia, all you need is your business idea and a digital partner to help you win clients online every day. You can start with an informational website and later move to an online store if your business requires it.
Once your website is finished, we recommend launching a promotional campaign. There are currently close to 2 billion websites on the internet, so it’s a good idea to implement digital marketing strategies so your clients can find you. You can start with a lead generation or SEO campaign, so your clients always find you in first place.
We hope this content helps answer the question how much does it cost to design a website? and helps you plan the budget your business needs to increase its online presence and start generating sales with great web design and digital marketing strategies.
It’s time to create your website and start receiving potential clients
At Gulupa Digital we can help. Get in touch with us and let’s start working on your website design.
