A web presence for any business is mandatory and cannot be ignored. But the most difficult question which rarely anybody answers with complete details and satisfaction is ...How much do I have to spend or rather invest for a good web presence which will in future generate the necessary ROI.
Let us analyse the cost factors and try to discuss how much a business has to invest in order to be alive online in 2014.
No doubt a website can be created using free tools but it has its own disadvantages. It usually will look like other sites which have used the same template and will not have the flexibility to add customized functions and features.
The Break down of each cost factor:
- Domain
- Hosting
- Web Design
- Web Development
- SEO
- Online Marketing
- Continuous Maintenance
1. Domains: Registering a domain may cost anything between $10 - $20 (INR 600 to INR 1200 approx.) per year depending on the TLD you select.
2. Hosting : Selecting a good hosting platform ensures that the site has maximum uptime, offers regular technical support and also offers expansion features as the website grows in size and traffic. A good secure server can also protect the site from the hacking attacks by offering security features. The cost of a good hosting platform can vary from $100 to $250 (INR 6000 to INR 15,000 approx.) per year.
3. Web design: Web design is the look and feel of the website which creates the first impression. The costing of this factor is based on the layout, time to design, selection of images and graphics, etc. A normal static 15 – 20 pages website can range from $250 - $600 (INR 15,000 to INR 40,000 approx.).
4. Web development: Web development is the added cost for websites which requires added customized functionality like CMS, eCommerce, database driven applications, etc. The cost of such websites depend on the features and functionalities to be embedded. It may range from $1000 - $10000 (INR 60,000 to INR 6,00,000 approx.) or more.
5. SEO : SEO makes the site capable of having a search presence and can cost from $300 (INR 15,000 approx) per month to $1500 ( INR 90,000 approx.) per month.
6. Online Marketing: Online marketing is the regular presence of the site on the web via social media, blogging, email, etc. The cost of a regular presence can range from $500 (INR 30,000 approx.) per month - $2000 (INR 1,20,00 approx.)per month.
7. Continuous Maintenance: Regular updating of content – (Text, images, videos, etc.) , managing and monitoring the smooth functioning of the site is an ongoing feature for which again the cost depends on many factors like the frequency of the updates, the time taken to make the updates, etc. The maintenance costs can vary from $500 (INR 30,000 approx.) - $3000 (INR 1,80,000 approx.) per year.
Out of the above costs web design, web development are onetime costs. Domain and hosting have to be renewed every year. SEO, marketing and maintenance are an ongoing investment depending on the requirement and the outreach needed.
Hence, quotes for every website have to be designed individually as per the requirement which mostly fall in the above range of investment.
Of course the price may vary from place to place and from company to company. But, before you finalize the development contract of your website, one should be sure that the company is capable of offering a long term support. If the company does not have any base and disappears after the website has been handed over then once again you will have to go hunting for another option when you want to upgrade the site or make some modifications.
A web presence provider company should become an integral part of your business team and should help you gain the necessary web presence just as your bankers help you in your finance related functions to put your best foot forward for your business.
