How Much Does a Website Cost?

Right, let’s get straight to the point here: website design costs in New Zealand can vary considerably. This is why it can be difficult to answer the question: how much does a website cost?

We’re not going to dodge the question though – you’ll find real figures in this blog that will give you a much better understanding of the costs involved.

First, though, a bit of context.

Compare the question of how much a web digital website costs to a question about how much a watch costs in New Zealand.

After all, how do you compare a Casio digital watch that costs less than $20 with a Breitling watch that costs thousands? They’re both watches, but they’re far from the same thing.

The same applies to websites.

So Many Options! But Only One Real Choice

When it comes to website design in Auckland, you have loads of options to choose from:

You can use a free website builder if you’re happy with ultra-basic designs and features plus ads on your website that have nothing to do with your business. Oh, and you’ll have to spend hours , days , weeks setting it up.

, , weeks setting it up. You could pay a bit more for a premium website builder, but you’ll still have to do all the work yourself. Do you really have time?

You could ask your partner’s cousin’s daughter’s mate as he/she knows how to use WordPress. You won’t have to do the work, which is a massive plus, although it will cost you a bit more. Then it will cost you a lot more when things start to go wrong (and things will go wrong).

One-person operation website designers are common in New Zealand too. They’ll charge a fee that approaches a more realistic price for a professional service, but they will have limited resources, experience, and expertise. When the headaches start (and they will), they won’t stop.

Then there is the option of a professional website design company that has designers who have experience working with a range of companies across NZ.

If you’re serious about getting a professional website that delivers results for your business, there really is only one option – getting your site designed by a professional website design company in New Zealand. Visit and try Web Digital as an example.

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website for a Small Business?

Before we start talking numbers, it’s important to point out that the original question might not even be the right question.

After all, why are you viewing website design packages as a cost?

Your website should deliver results for your business. This means sales, enquiries, leads, visits to your physical location, phone calls, etc.

When you look at your website from this perspective, it becomes an investment rather than a cost.

The key, therefore, is to make the right investment decision.

What will that investment be? New website design for a small business will cost from around $1,500 upward, depending on the size of the website and the features you want.

The Right Choice for Your Business

A professional website designer will have a team of people who have experience in website design, graphic design, website development, digital marketing, and more. These are all crucial skills required to build a website that works for your business.

Things you should expect as standard for the ballpark figure mentioned above include:

Bespoke design for your website (rather than a template)

Content Management System (ideally WordPress)

Features like an enquiry form, slideshow, and social media links

Responsive design to ensure the site works on mobile

Fully optimised code to ensure the website runs fast

Things That Can Increase the Cost of Your Website

There are additional things that you may need that will increase the cost of your website. Here are some examples:

Additional pages

Content writing

Photo galleries

Blog setup

Newsletter integration

You will be looking at $3,000-plus for a website with the above features.

How Much Does an eCommerce Website Cost?

What about an eCommerce website?

eCommerce websites are very different from standard websites because they need several additional features including product listing capabilities, a shopping cart, integration with a payment gateway, and, potentially, integration with your backend stock control or sales systems.

It’s not surprising, therefore, that eCommerce websites cost more than standard business websites.

The starting price is typically in the region of $4,000.

How Much Does a Website Cost Per Month?

So far, we have been talking about the cost of website design in Auckland, i.e. getting a new website design, developed, and launched live on the internet.

Are there any ongoing costs you need to be aware of?

For most website designers in NZ, the answer to this is generally no. At Web Digital Auckland, for example, we don’t charge any extra monthly fees as standard.

There are two costs you can’t avoid, however:

Domain name renewal Hosting

There is more information below on both of these costs. There is also information on other potential ongoing costs you may incur, but the only absolutely essential costs are domain name renewal and hosting.

Paying for Your Website

Website design companies typically charge for your website in three installments:

Initial fee before work begins – somewhere in the region of 50 percent of the overall cost

Halfway through the development work – usually 25 percent

On completion – the final 25 percent of the cost

What Are the Main Ongoing Costs You Should Be Aware Of?

Hosting

All web designs need hosting. You typically pay monthly or annually, and you should expect costs to be in the region of $40 per month.

Domain name renewal

Domain names usually need to be renewed once a year, although you may be able to set a longer renewal period, so you don’t have to do it as often. Domain name renewal is an ongoing cost, however.

Updates

The content management system and plugins used to build your website are not static pieces of code. Instead, they are constantly updated both for functionality and for security reasons.

There may also be elements of your website hosting package that need periodic upgrades.

You can do this yourself, although your website design company could also offer you an ongoing maintenance service for an additional monthly fee.

Premium Plugin/Theme Renewals

If your website designer uses premium plugins or themes when building your website, you may incur annual fees to renew the subscriptions. Whether this applies depends on your website design company, so you should ask about it upfront.

SSL Certificate

An SSL certificate is a security feature that encrypts information as it is transmitted from your visitors’ browsers to your website’s server.

SSL certificates are essential if you have an eCommerce website, so it will be an ongoing cost you will have to factor into your calculations.

SSL certificates are not just for eCommerce websites, however. They are increasingly expected by internet users too, and Google loves them. So, most SEO experts recommend having one.

Therefore, even if you don’t have an eCommerce website, getting an SSL certificate is probably a good idea.

Backups

Nothing is guaranteed on the internet, and that includes the safety of your website on your hosting provider’s server. To protect you from loss of data, you should backup your website. This will be another ongoing cost.

Marketing

It’s also important to remember that getting a new website is a step on your digital marketing journey, i.e. it’s not the endpoint. Once your new website is launched, you then need to promote it to generate traffic from your target market.

Design Changes

Having a content management system means you can add, change, and remove content from your website whenever you want. Web Design or feature changes, however, are different.

Therefore, you may also incur additional costs if you want to get a new web design or functionality changes to your website in the months and years after it is launched.

Website Design in Auckland that Delivers Results for Your Business

Having a web design in NZ is now essential for businesses in all industries. You need to make sure yours looks professional, properly represents your company’s brand, and delivers tangible results for your business.

The costs highlighted above will give you an idea of the investment you should be making in your new website.

If you need further help on this topic, Web Digital can help you in many ways. Aside from offering web design services, we also provide web hosting and other plans. We’re a well-established web design specialist (NZ) and we can help your business grow with our assorted packages to choose from. To get more information about digital services in NZ and website design services in Auckland, contact Web Digital!