Web Design Pricing: How Much Does It Cost In 2024

The price range for website design is from $1,500 for a basic site design to $50,000 for a feature-rich custom website. Mind you that this is just for the initial design package–the cost can go higher if you want site maintenance to ensure that it observes the best and latest design practices.

To have a clearer idea of how much you have to pay for a website design, I will talk with you about the different factors that influence its costs so you can control how much to pay for a design package. We’ll also look at the website design process, maximizing your site design to get the most ROI and more. Let’s get started!

Factors That Affect Website Cost

Below are variables that influence the average cost of web design services for your site:

Scope of Work

Basic web design work includes the creation of a responsive and fast-loading layout and appearance that is accessible to all. But the bigger your business, the more features you’ll need, and the higher you must pay for website design services. Below are the different business types in need of web design for their site and how much each cost:

• Startups and small companies – They need a basic design that appropriately communicates their new brand to their audience. The site also requires a certain number of pages that provide visitors with additional business information (About Us, Services) and a way to reach out to them (Contact). A small business website costs range between $1,000 and $10,000 upfront.
• Medium-sized businesses – These businesses need a content management system (CMS) where they can launch a digital marketing strategy so more people can find their professional-looking website. Implementing tactics like search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing from the CMS lets them scale their businesses and generate even more revenue. Annual costs start at $10,000 and can go as high as $50,000 yearly.
• Enterprise-level organizations – Corporations require even more scaling to sustain and continue growing their large business. They need web design services that constantly monitor their site performance and make changes to improve it, help them establish clear information architecture, and comply with extensive security measures. For online stores, they need to integrate databases from various sources for seamless transactions and stock management. Cost ranges from $50,000 to $100,000 a year.

Starting From Scratch vs. Redesign an Existing Website

If you already have a website, you can get help redesigning it to increase its performance. Since your site’s foundations are all set, the agency or freelance web designers you’ll hire will identify areas that need improvement in your web design, tweak its elements, and monitor the results for better retention and conversions.

Reworking an existing site is more cost-effective compared to setting up a new website from the ground up. The agency must shoulder everything your business needs to get a website up and running. That means more work for them, resulting in higher costs.

However, paying more for a website redesign is not uncommon, especially if the site is poorly designed. The agency will have to undo most of the website, which becomes equivalent to creating the site from scratch again.

Additional Services

Some web design companies offer added services on top of their website building solutions. As add-ons, they won’t be as comprehensive as what dedicated agencies offer. But the convenience of having all these cost-effective services from an agency is hard to beat. 

Plus, these help you create a digital marketing strategy that normally costs between $2,000-$15,000 monthly and perfectly complements your website design.

• Graphic Design – Aside from designing your website, the agency can establish your brand guidelines, like logos, typography, and color that match your company’s goal. It uses them to create your online (email templates, cover photos, infographics) and offline (business cards, postcards, flyers) marketing materials. Costs range from $100 to $1,000 per task.
• Content Marketing  – Creates high-quality content of various types and promotes them on various online channels to increase the site’s visibility. The company can audit your existing content and decide whether to reoptimize or update it to improve its performance. The total cost of a complete content marketing strategy ranges from $10,000 to $25,000 a month.
• SEO – Increases search engine rankings by optimizing your site for keywords relevant to your industry. Services mainly include on-page optimization, link building, and website content creation. An agency specializing in this service charges $3,000 to $5,000 monthly.
• Social Media – Build a following and engage with them by setting up profiles with custom graphics on social channels where you can find most of your audience. Some service providers can prepare your content plan and monitor your brand mentions. These services cost between $500 and $5,000 a year.
• Website Hosting – Let the agency choose the best hosting provider that suits your website needs, secure a domain name, and others. The latter is a freebie in your first year, but you’ll have to pay up on the succeeding years. Hosting costs can be as low as $3-15/month and as high as $100/month or more.
• Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certification – One of the many security features a web design agency can offer. An SSL certificate encrypts data transmitted from the browser to the website, which is crucial for an ecommerce website and those that ask for sensitive customer information. This comes at $175/year but comes typically as part of most web design packages.
• Web Development – This package includes the services mentioned above to provide comprehensive solutions that address all your website needs. It may include which plugins and apps to use, update, and support and maintenance costs. Expect to pay between $2,000-60,000/year for website development, depending on which services you want to include.

Website Complexity

A landing page-type website that explains your business and has a contact page allowing visitors to reach out to you is the most straightforward and affordable among website types. It costs around a thousand dollars, but you can choose ready-made design templates for your site instead of letting the agency create a brand new one to make it fit your budget.

Businesses that require a more conversion-focused design must pay a bit higher (between $3,000-$5,000). This type of website includes custom graphics and branding that best reflect companies and elements like call to action (CTA) buttons and web copy geared to turn website visitors into leads and clients.

Finally, companies that require website maintenance and management cost the most. On top of website design, they need the agency to monitor the site’s performance and update it to observe the latest and best online practices. This website type costs $10,000 or higher.

Type of Service

Aside from an agency, you can hire a freelancer to handle your website design needs. Freelance designers usually charge by the hour and are available for hire on job marketplace sites like Upwork. Depending on their experience, expertise, and skill level, expect to hire one for $20-$100 per hour.

How Long Does Website Design Take From 0 to 1?

A good and professional website design could take approximately three months to complete. Below are the steps included in a well-executed web design process and how long each step takes.

• Onboarding Phrase – The agency’s customer support calls you back regarding your web design inquiry a day or two after filling out its contact form. The person discusses what you can expect from the company’s design services and answers any questions about them. You must then fill out another form once you decide to proceed with the design plan.
• Design Phrase – The design team proceeds with the plan discussed in the previous phase. They create the proposed high-fidelity design of your site in wireframe format for your approval. The team also accommodates your design revision requests to achieve the look and feel you want for your site. This phase can take two weeks to complete (longer if you request revisions).
• Programming Phase – The team translates the approved design into HTML, CSS, and JS formats. They then use TestLink to ensure that the site runs smoothly in any situation the visitor may encounter. The tests allow them to uncover and address issues regarding the site’s usability, compatibility, and performance before submitting it for review. The phase takes the longest (more than a month) due to the rigorous testing the team must fulfill for your site.
• Pre-Launch Phase – The design team finetunes the website within a week by improving its loading speed and observing the best SEO practices. They also set up security measures to protect the site from online threats. Finally, they conduct a user acceptance test, guaranteeing that the site meets the requirements of its intended visitors before undergoing final review and approval.
• Website Launch – The agency immediately publishes your website for everyone to visit and see.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Web Design 

Hiring a web design agency or freelancer to work on your site can be a hit or miss if you don’t know what to look for. Below are things you must know to help you get the best agency possible to work on your website design.

Properly Vet the Design Agency

First, you must determine what makes the company a mutual fit with yours. Start by checking out what their clients say about their work on online review sites. Visit the client sites to see if the agency can capture the look and feel of your brand. 

Reach out to them if the agency’s work impresses you. When on a discovery call with its team, ask the right questions about web design. Aside from its services, inquire about its customer service, revisions, and availability. Their answers help determine whether its team can create the best website for your business and provide you with all the support you need.

Be Actively Involved in the Process

Some agencies prefer working independently and submitting the design to you once they’re done. But if you want to be more hands-on in the design process, you want a company willing to collaborate and bounce off design ideas. After all, nobody knows your brand more than you do, and it’s the designer’s job to realize that for you entirely.

Sharing clear objectives and goals for the design project isn’t enough. You also must be actively involved throughout the process by reviewing work in progress and providing timely feedback. Always contact the team regarding the project status and be available if they need your help.

Take Advantage of Revisions

The best agencies offer several design revisions to ensure client satisfaction. Take them up on their offer to get the best design possible for your site. At the same time, you want to be reasonable with your requests. For one, you can’t demand changes not part of the original agreement.

DIY Website Builder Vs. Agency: Web Design Costs

Choosing between a website builder and an agency for your web design needs is another factor to consider if you’re conscious of costs. Sites like Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify allow you to create a professional website without any design experience by choosing from its pre-made templates and editing your chosen design with their drag-and-drop editors. 

Prices for each website builder vary as well. Shopify currently charges at least $25/month to include ecommerce functionality for your online store. Wix has ecommerce ($35/month upward) and website plans for business owners who want to connect with their target audience (starting at $4.5/month for domain connection). All plans include web hosting.

While website builders are more cost-effective, they limit how you can design your site. For instance, Wix lacks the flexibility that a CMS like WordPress offers. While Shopify at least provides you with apps that can improve your site’s design, you cannot make tweaks to its hosting plan to improve its performance like on open-source platforms.

Also, using a DIY website builder to create your own website doesn’t mean the site achieves your business goals. You need an in-house team that observes the best design practices and provides your website visitors with a seamless user experience.

If you don’t have the time and skill to design your site, hiring an agency is your best choice. The costs may be higher than designing the site yourself, but you don’t have to learn from trial and error. Its team knows how to create a custom site with a design that aligns with your brand, satisfies visitors, and generates conversions.

Does the Cost Vary Significantly Between CMS Platforms Like WordPress vs Others?

Compared to site builders, CMSs like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla are open-source, allowing you and designers to achieve better-looking and functioning design and layout for your site. While they’re free to download, you must pay for the domain and hosting services if you want to use any of these. 

How much you’ll spend for the hosting depends on the number of visitors your site receives and the type of business you’re running. A high-traffic online store requires dedicated or ecommerce hosting, both of which have higher server specs and better functionalities to help you sell more.

Also, most agencies and freelancers design for the WordPress CMS, resulting in more affordable design packages. If you use a different open-source CMS for your site, expect to pay much higher due to the limited availability of designers adept at these platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Less Price Mean Less Functionality?

Normally, low costs mean fewer website features. However, this doesn’t mean an affordable website is inferior to an expensive one. The price depends on what your business needs are. If you’re a startup owner looking for a simple portfolio site design, a low-cost design service should be sufficient to help achieve your goals.

Should I Get a Project Website Development Rate or an Hourly Rate?

A freelance professional web designer is more affordable than agencies if you want them to perform specific web design tasks that take a few hours to complete. But they will be more costly than agencies for bigger and longer design projects, given their rate. 

How Much Does Ongoing Website Maintenance And Updates Typically Cost After Launch?

Web maintenance costs hinge on the level of support your site needs. A basic plan that includes website backup, plugin and app updates, blog posts for publishing, and tech support should cost you at least $5,000/per year. The price increases if you need the agency to launch marketing campaigns on your behalf and send performance reports.

So How Much Should You Spend on Website Design in 2024?

Prepare at least $2,000 for a one-time payment of a basic professional website design for your business. Be ready to shell out an additional $500/month or more to maintain and improve your site’s performance.

To know for sure what your site needs from a web design service provider, get On The Map Marketing on the phone now. Our team will learn everything about your website to provide a custom quote containing tasks complete with a cost breakdown that we’ll work on to improve its performance. Contact us with your site URL, and we’ll reply shortly.