Let’s say you’re an entrepreneur or leader of an organization, and you want to have a website for your business or advocacy. You go around and ask agencies how much web development costs. More often than not, a lot of people express concern or surprise over how much developing a website costs.
Is web development really expensive?
Earlier this year, we wrote an article on web development costs. And if you haven’t read the article, then this is the best time to do so. Here’s a link to it.
In that article, we mention the different components and features that make up a website. The simpler you want your website to be, the less costly it will be. But if you want something that has a lot more features, then you should be ready to invest. Web development has costs, but it only becomes expensive if it isn’t as responsive as you need it to be, or if the customer service you’re getting isn’t optimal.
What kind of website do I need?
Basic Website
The kind of website that you need determines the cost of developing and designing a website. For example, if you want a basic website for informational purposes, you would only need the following:
- Domain and hosting
- Platform
- A blog
- A section for reviews and comments
- Opt-in form for subscription
- A contact form
- Bookings
- A company database login
- E-mail setup and hosting
The cost of a basic website for informational purposes ranges between S$15,000 to S$20,000. For an informational website, that may seem a lot. But most of these features are necessary to generate more interest, and possibly, even sales.
E-commerce
An e-commerce website costs more due to the level of customization. Here are the features you may need to invest in developing an e-commerce website:
- Domain and hosting
- PlatformÂ
- Log-ins for individual customers
- Account management to track orders, past and present, and shipping addresses, etc.
- Product section
- Photography for images
- Image storage
- Product information
- Chatbot
- User reviews
- Shopping cart
- Payment gateways (PayPal, Bitcoin, credit cards, etc.)
Web development costs for e-commerce sites range from S$5,000 to $50,000 depending on complexity.
Online Marketplace
If you want to put up an online market, then you should ensure that it has these features
- Log-in functionality from multiple devices
- Search
- Product categories
- Product descriptions
- Seller information and contact details
- User ratings and reviews
- Comparisons
- Payment gateways (PayPal, Bitcoin, credit cards)
- Image uploader and storage for product or service photos
Online marketplace websites usually cost between S$50,000 and S$300,000, again depending on the complexity of the project.
What else do we pay for?
Quality talent and customer service
Prior to developing websites, we also sit down with clients to ensure that we understand their needs and give helpful suggestions. We also update our clients and communicate with them throughout the process.
Most importantly, you invest in is the talent and the service we put in to ensure that your website is visible on search engines, loads quickly, has a great copy and is informative, and so on and so forth.