How Much Does it Cost to Develop a Website in 2024 [Full Breakdown]

Website development is now a well-known term for all, if not, it is simply a process to develop a website and maintain it with the ever-changing trends. But the story doesn’t end here. There comes an often undiscussed part of this process, i.e., the cost of creating your website. 

This also invites several questions like, does the cost vary with the type of website? Whom to hire for your website development? What are the factors that affect website development costs? Hold all your questions for a while and welcome to the guide that takes you on an in-depth tour of how much it can cost to create a website that ticks the whole checklist for a reader. Right from factors like SEO and content creation to incorporating the soul of the website, i.e. user experience, each and everything affects the bill for a perfect website.

Moreover, you will also find a tiny treasure of tips that can help you find relief and make your website development journey cost-effective. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur or a successful local business that now wants to launch a strong digital debut, this piece is going to be a perfect trailer for you.

How Does an Ideal Website Look? Top 5 Factors Influencing Website Development Costs, You Must Be Aware of! 2.1 Functionality 2.2 Type Of Website 2.3 Website Size 2.4 Language Versions 2.5 Development Approach and Technology Stack Web Development Cost, ft. Different Team Model Tips for Cost-Effective Website Development Website Cost Breakdown Conclusion

 

How Does an Ideal Website Look?

Before knowing how much cost you have to cater for the website, it is important to understand what a perfect or ideal website looks like. This will help you to visualise your website that not only resonates with the vision of your brand but is capable of bringing great user engagement too. 

Let’s find out the perfect formula for an effective website:

• Well-designed and reflects simplicity
• Beginner-friendly and easy-to-understand
• Unique and up-to-date content
• Mobile-friendly interface
• Clear and Crisp CTAs
• SEO-friendly

Simply, if your website is made keeping these pointers in mind, then it will surely be noticed by the potential amount of audience out there on the internet. Hence, before bringing your notepad and pen to calculate the cost of the website, chin up for the quality it will reflect.

Top 5 Factors Influencing Website Development Costs, You Must Be Aware of! 

Now, that you are familiar with the foundation of visualizing a website, below is a list of factors that play a major role in influencing the website development cost, have a look at it.

It does not matter at what scale you are running your business, but if you want to cater your visitors with a lot of functionalities on your website then it is good to know that it also affects the cost. You can better understand it with an example. Imagine you want your website for a fashion store to have functionalities like visual try-ons, real-time updates, advanced search experience, etc. Each of these functionalities affects the investment, but no doubt they are all worth it. To understand it more clearly, you can bifurcate it on 3 levels.

Basis	Basic website	Moderate website	Complex website
No. of Pages	Approx. 15	More than 50	No Limit
Features	Simple backend database, UI/UX design, CMS integration, etc.	Third-party integration, Intricate database management, Customized UI/UX, etc.	Feature-rich interface, Advanced security measures, Custom flow animation, etc.
Development time	2 months	4-6 months	9-12 months
Estimated cost	$5,000-$30,000	$40,000-$1,00,000	$80,000-$2,00,000

 

2. Type of Website

After functionality, one of the major factors that influence the cost of website development is which type of website we find more suitable for your imagination, that can align with your desired goals. Although there are a plethora of types of websites, out of which the most commonly used are given below:

• Static websites-  Static websites are made up of pages of static content and plain codes built with HTML, CSS or Java scripts. Regardless of who is using it, it remains firm, which means it remains consistent and is capable of offering a small amount of interactivity.  And because it remains independent from the users, it is kept stored and has the potential to be delivered quickly without any real-time processing.

Best Suitable for – Portfolio websites, Landing pages, Brochure websites or event websites.

An example of a static website is given below:

Website name- Spotify

• Dynamic websites- Completely opposite of static websites, these websites offer real-time content based on user preferences. These websites are backed up by coding scripts like PHP, Rails or Javascript. It includes dynamic features like shopping carts, live chats or contact forms. Most platforms you scroll through, are dynamic websites. Wait for the one to be revealed.

Best suitable for- News and media websites, online banking, job portals, shopping websites, etc.

A popular example of a dynamic website is given below: 

Website name- Netflix

Cost breakdown for static and website development:

Website Level ➡	Basic	Medium	Advanced
Static Website	$500 – $2,000	$2,000 – $5,000	$5,000 – $10,000+
Dynamic Website	$2,000 – $10,000	$10,000 – $50,000	$50,000 – $150,000+

Data source- UpWork, Clutch

Apart from dynamic and static websites, you can mould your cost preferences according to these types of websites too.

• E-commerce websites- An e-commerce website is a website crafted to perform retail or whole practices, in other words, it is designed to provide visitors with a virtual showroom where they can buy or sell goods or services. The internet is full of such websites, which is a perfect testament to how the users are accepting the place and time utility provided by these websites, open-heartedly.

You can now even satisfy your wholesale customers through websites like eBay and sell the things that are no longer in use for you through websites like OLX.

Popular Examples- Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra and Snapdeal 

Website name: Snapdeal

• SaaS Website- Notably, SaaS, stands for software as a service. Hence, these are the websites that provide cloud services to users over the internet. For example, if you want to create a catchy graphic for your blog, you will go to Canva’s website to proceed ahead. 

Prime Examples of SaaS websites are- Figma, SellX, Slack, and Zoom.

Website name- Figma

• News Website- Beautifully ideated news websites are designed to convert news companies into brands along with providing convenience to users to get all the updates covered on their fingerprints. New websites include unique features like one-page navigation, customized news feed, real-time updates and dynamic page loadings.

Some examples of News Websites are- BBC, NDTV, and Times Of India.

Type of websites	E-commerce website	SaaS website	News website
Price range	Approx. $60,000	Approx. $75,000	Approx. $7,000

 

3. Website Size (Number of pages)

Another factor that is likely to affect website development cost is the number of pages you want to inculcate in your website. These pages are called web pages, which obviously affects the size of the website.

It’s totally upon you, how you want to bifurcate the web pages, according to the services you provide or on any other basis. Hence, it is very important to keep this thing in mind while deciding the size of your website. For more clarity, discuss the ranges with your developer or hiring agency before creating an outline.

The estimated figures for the website range from $1000 – $10,000 for pages between 1-250. 

4. Language Versions

Having language versions for your website is a crucial factor as it invites audiences all over the globe. It also enhances the user experience as it brings in-hand translation without any effort from users. However, one thing to be aware that opting for language versions includes translation costs as well and it also increases the complexity of the website, affecting the cost of building a website.

Experts have suggested generating content translations by professional translators out there to bring humanised efforts on-screen as sometimes with automated translators, your translated webpages might lose the tonality and ultimate intention.

According to the current market price, hiring a translator might cost you approx. $0.10 to $0.30 per word. For another reference, if you scroll through the famous website Upwork, you can see that translators have pinned their charges around $20 and $50 per hour.

Last but not least, if you are calculating the average cost of website development then do not ignore your approach to website development and tech slack, as it also creates a distinct impact on the cost chart. If you feel that you should go for website builders, then they bring an estimated cost of $1,000 and $20,000, further moulded according to the features you want to add.

However, if you feel that opting for a CMS-based template to build your website is more attractive, then observe the below cost chart to check if it fits your budget:

Site Builder	Cost Packages
WordPress	$4 per month- For personal use $8 per month- For freelancers $25 per month- For small businesses
Wix	$17 per month- Basic $25 per month- Unlimited $35 per month- VIP
Joomla	$99 per year- Personal $199 per year- Business $399 per year- Agency
Weebly	$10 per month- Personal $12 per month- Professional $25 per month- Performance

 

There are various free versions for website builders available in the market, but before choosing any of them, ensure how much compromise on quality it will cost you. One popular free website builder is Drupal. 

Now, the third approach that comes in is to go for custom development. However, the cost varies according to the demand you put in for your website architecture. But the current estimated market price for building a customised website ranges between $30,000 to $3,00,000. This approach is appropriate for complex structures and a unique vision for your website.

So, that was the revelation of the top 5 factors that are most likely to affect your website development budget. However, apart from this, there are several more factors like UI/UX design, AI and ML integration, voice-over optimization, etc., that will surely play a major role in the website development cost.

Web Development Cost, ft. Different Team Model

Right from the hiring of a project-specific freelancer to outsourcing an experienced agency or website development agency, the digital market is full of experts who want to shower their years of experience onto your website. But not to forget, that each team model comes with their own cost. A freelancer might be a reasonable choice for you, whereas an in-house expert might let you chase the nearest or exact copy of your vision. Similarly, another option that hops is outsourcing an agency to leverage the expertise or finding a local agency that aligns with your time zone and keeps you in the loop.

Following is a chart representing the estimated cost of all 4 kinds of models, assuming that a project takes 1,000 working hours to complete:

Team Model	Cost
Freelancer	Approx. $30,000
In-House	Approx. $90,000
Outsourcing Agency	Approx. $40,000
Local Agency	Approx. $120,000

Tips for Cost-Effective Website Development

Now, that you are well aware of how website development packages mould their figures according to the factors and features of your preferences, it’s time to delve deeper and let’s know how we can makeshift a little of these packages in our favour or make the journey of website development cost-effective.

Following are some tips that can help you to gift yourself a website that beautifully fits your budget:

• Define Clear Objectives- Before initiating the development process, craft your objective clearly for your website. Understand what you want your website to cater to and how it should behave. What is the ultimate goal, is it generating leads, selling products, or providing information? This clarity helps in prioritizing features and functionalities, avoiding unnecessary expenses on elements that are not devoted to your core objectives.

• Choose the Right Platform- Selecting the right platform is crucial for cost-effectiveness. Gauging different options such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal for CMS-based sites, or considering custom development for specific needs. Each platform comes with its relevance and cost. Hence, evaluate which one aligns perfectly with your goal and budget and then make your choices wisely.

• Utilize Pre-built Templates- Pre-designed templates are an amazing option to attain a professional website without the expense of custom design. Many platforms offer templates that can be customized according to your brand and functional requirements. Ensure the template is responsive, SEO-friendly, and meets accessibility standards to provide a seamless user experience across all devices.

• Open Communication Channels- Effective communication with your development team is essential till the end of your project. Communicate your requirements, budget, and timelines clearly. Regularly scheduled meetings or check-ins can help address any issues early, prevent misunderstandings, and ensure the project stays within budget. 

In brief, if you want to enjoy a cost-effective website development journey then it is important to know what you exactly want from your website, and what is the best platform that can adhere to your vision without making a huge difference in your budget. This way, your investment in planning can lift the gains for your action.

Conclusion

Summing up, the cost has always been a topic, that business enthusiasts often need to be made aware of. But looking forward to the scope of a virtual showroom, i.e. the website, it is important to discuss all the factors, be it the team model we chose or the features we want to incorporate into our website, that affect the website development cost.

However, as a budding entrepreneur or someone who has just decided to try the potential of the digital marketplace, it might be a little hard nut to crack to keep all these factors in mind while visualizing your website. Hence, to drop all your worries and let you leverage professional web design services, we are here to handhold you and develop a website that resonates with your vision. 

W3era ensures nothing holds your imagination back! Join hands now.