One of the most common questions we get asked is, “How much does a #website cost?”. It may seem like a simple question, but in order to give an accurate answer there are a lot of considerations to take into account. Expecting an accurate quote based on no information or brief is the equivalent of asking a construction company to give you a price on constructing a building without telling them what style, size or functionality the building requirements have to be met. Websites vary in size and functionality based on the clients requirements. Some sites require ecommerce capabilities or very specific functionalities that have to be custom developed. The hours that go into building a website vary based on the design and functionality the client requires. Once a client has a good idea of what they want, then we can give them an exact quote. In this article we will explain the process involved in creating a standard six page brochure style custom website for a service based business.
Initial Contact
Once initial contact has been made, we ask every client a few questions based on what kind of a website they want and what they want to the website to achieve. Most of the time we are able to gauge what the client wants based on this feedback and are able to give them a quote promptly. Depending on the size of the prospective job and the client’s understanding of the boundaries of web design, we sometimes recommend having a short meeting to clarify any questions a client might have regarding the work. When a ball park figure has been established regarding the cost, we generally arrange a sit down meeting.
Meeting & Brief (1-2 hours)
At this meeting we establish the clients goals for the project. Functionality and preferences in design styles are taken into account. We give every client clear directions on what can be achieved with their website and always advise our clients on the best practises for their website. This includes recommended applications for SEO, user experience and security. It is when we have taken all of this information on board that we create a brief for the website. This brief takes the client through what’s involved including timescale, costings, functionality, etc. At this stage we forward on the final proposal to each clients and only move on to the next stage when the proposal has been signed off on.
Website Design (2-5 days)
Once we are given the all clear to begin the design stage, we put together a custom wireframe based on the brief. A wireframe is basically a structure on each page. Each website is put together using an entirely custom made wireframe with the brands guidelines (logo, fonts, colours, etc) adhered to and it is then presented to the client for approval before we begin the development process.
Website Development (7-12 days)
Once the website design has been signed off on, we take the design and convert it into a working interface. The custom template is fully coded and the functionality (plugins) are introduced to the website. The menu and pages add structure to the website and we create a responsive theme for tablet and mobile to compliment the desktop design. After vigorous testing on all platforms and internet browsers we present the interactive website to our clients for viewing. When the client approves the new website, we make any relevant finishing touches and offer each client support and training for their new website.
Support & Training (1-2 hours)
Support and training is provided to every customer so they can add content to their new website via the CMS (content management system). This process can be done in person, via email or over the phone.
Costings
The average costing for the above description is generally between €1,900 to €2,500. The cost is entirely dependent on what the customer requires in terms of functionality and design.
Things To Be Aware Of
The timeframe above on a custom designed six page brochure website is entirely dependent on each client providing adequate content for the website at the beginning of the project. In our experience this is rarely done, so we offer an inhouse Copywriting service to speed up the process. This service involves extra work that has to be quoted separately.
We also provide web hosting and maintenance packages taylor-made to suit your company size and needs. To find out more about more about these packages read our recent article entitled; Quick Tips: Web Hosting Packages Explained.
For anymore information on a web design quote or any other design related service contact a member of the Opus Creative friendly staff members on +353 (0) 21 242 8689 or email hello@obtuseideas.ie
