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How Much Should I Spend on a Website?

What does a new B2B website cost these days?
More importantly, how much should I spend on a website?

People often have no idea how much they should spend when on a new or redesigned website for their business.

The never-ending options for website creation can make it difficult to understand how much you should spend — and who to give it to. While I’ll always argue that you should figure out what your company needs and invest accordingly (preferably with us), sometimes “the budget is the budget,” right? And as much as you would like to spend blockbuster-sized dollars on your site, you have to start with what you have.

For all you “the budget is the budget” types (we know you’re out there), this guide should help you understand where you fall on the spectrum of website project spending, and what you should expect for your website dollar.

NOTE: All of the budget numbers listed below are an estimated range. Your website’s cost will vary according to your project’s scope and who you choose to work with.

$100: DIY

If you are starting a new business and your website budget falls somewhere between “slim” and “none,” you’re going to have to pay for a new website with other forms of currency – like elbow grease and sweat equity.

There are tons of do-it-yourself website platforms like WIX and Squarespace that you can use to create professional websites cheaply. If you don’t consider yourself tech-savvy this can be difficult, but if you have a little design sense and a basic understanding of website functionality you’ll be able to figure it out.

$500: Freelancer

If you have managed to scrape a small budget together, you might be able to enlist a freelancer to help build your site. Some freelancers are great, but all should come with a big “Buyer Beware” sticker — there are a lot of awful freelancers out there too. Do some research and look at their portfolio with a critical eye.

Also, some freelancers do great technical work but aren’t the best about communication and deadlines – usually because they’re busy wearing all of the hats in their company. Be sure to vet a freelancer before agreeing to a project, and make sure they’ll have time to complete your website before signing a contract. (Also, make sure you have a contract, just in case things go bad.)

$5,000: Small Agency

If your business is small but established, it’s time to spend some real money and get to work with an actual web design company. Small agencies will usually have a team of 3-10 employees and a larger portfolio, as well as reviews on sites like Yelp and Google My Business. Some of them will outsource parts of the job, but if their portfolio and reviews are good you should give them a try.

Keep in mind, however, that smaller agencies will be limited in technical ability, so you’ll want to keep your new site fairly simple. Smaller agencies don’t have big teams with experts at everything, so don’t expect anything too fancy or customized.

$15k: Boutique Agency

Agencies in this range are usually good at making websites for businesses in specialized industries that are ready to bring in new leads and increase sales. They typically have a lot of experience in their field, a strong design and content team, and a well-defined process.

While they may offer better service or create a better website than the smaller agencies, they still may have limitations in terms of expertise for more advanced or custom products.

$40k: Medium Agency

Now we’re talking about a serious investment. A mid-sized agency will dig deep into the details of your company, starting with a robust discovery process and/or branding exercise to fully define and develop all of your website’s needs and functions. The agency will have a team large enough and specialized enough to customize your website and define success. These projects can take many months and go through many revisions to get everything just right.

$500k+: Large Agency

You’re really going places. A half-million dollar budget for a website will include unique and custom functions for a serious and invested audience.

A website project of this size may also use a customized Software as a Service (SaaS) that requires high-level technical knowledge – and costs some serious dollars. At this budget amount, you’ll have a dedicated team committed to the project for years of innovation, development, and implementation.

We hope this guide helps you figure out what types of agencies you should be talking to about your project – and what you’ll expect to spend on the finished product.

Good luck!

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