Building a website is based on many elements. One must remember that it’s a long-term investment and, if the foundation is planned and built properly, it will bring in extra income for many years.
Building a Successful Website – The Complete Guide
Everywhere we look people ask: “So, how much will it cost to build an online shopping site”?
First of all, building an online site involves many elements which affect cost . For example, when one wants to buy a house it can cost anywhere from $100,000 to millions of dollars depending on size, location, upgrades, etc. When one wants to build an online shopping site, there is also a large price range as online sites can cost from $2,000 to $300,000 depending on the customer’s needs. That’s why we decided to make a guide which outlines common mistakes while building an online site.
1. Choosing the type of website we want to build – Many times when considering to build a website, business owners have a certain budget in mind and when they understand that the cost is going to be much higher than what they had planned, they start negotiating without even knowing the real consequences. For this reason, it is important to know the difference between the different types of sites: a landing page/ Corporate Website / online shopping site / Cataloged site / blog etc. Remember, first you must understand what type of site you want to build.
What are the sites and what is the difference between them?
1. Corporate Website – The main purpose of a corporate website is to act as a company’s online business card. Usually it consists of a few pages such as home page, about, contact us and another content page. This type of website usually costs a few thousand dollars. Its main goals are to show that you are a serious business and to bring in potential clients.
To get an estimate for a Corporate Site
2.Online Shopping Website- The need for building a shopping website means we have a clear intention for our brand to start selling products online. Building an online shop means we must choose the right infrastructure from the Server, a Clearing system and making sure our site is secure.
Also, to make our online shopping site a successful one that will really sell, we must have a correct selling strategy, starting with fully analyzing the user that is going to visit the website and planning it from his point of view. This step is important because it affects the way the site will be designed and built. Depending on the results of the user analysis, we might add specific features to some sites such as Private area, Gift Card, Blog, Special delivery etc.
Usually online shopping sites start at a minimum cost of $5,000 to $6,000, but can go as high as a $300,000 depending on its size and features. Although this expense may seem high, the main point here is that one is creating a long-term investment with an ongoing return for many years.
To get an estimate for an Online Shopping Website
3. Catalog Website- A catalog website allows a company or store to show its products without having the need for an online clearing system. For example, if a fashion company is selling to retailers and has a catalog site, the company will be able to show all of its clothing on this site as well as allow its customers to choose what they like and make an order, but the payment will be done manually.
4. Blog Website- Usually a blog is part of a corporate or shopping website but still there are websites that are just blogs. All news sites are considered blogs. Designing and developing a blog website is a bit easier because most of the pages are basically uniform and look a like.
Building a Website with Professionals – How does it affect the pricing?
Building a site with a professional development company may cost a few thousand dollars more at the beginning, but in the long term, it will be a profitable investment. Many people don’t understand the result of building a site that is not professional and decide instead to invest their money in marketing and SEO. Undeniably, part of the selling strategy must have an SEO and a marketing budget. However, when a site is lacking a good user experience, even if it’s highly ranked in Google, it won’t convert visitors into paying customers. A visitor must visit the pages on the site intuitively and understand what can be found and where. The site must “speak” to him. That is why before deciding to build a site, it must be planned with the right strategy in mind.
Content Management System
Most sites today are based on a management system because usually it’s more profitable. However, each development is different and must be checked before starting. Other than price and time, the impact of SEO and Marketing is something that needs to be examined at the beginning.
Domain and Server
1. Domain – The domain is the name and website address. For example: www.npcoding.com
2.Server – The server is a place to store the site. Every site must be stored somewhere. When we start developing a project, we always advise our customers to store their site with us. Why? Because it includes our support and follow-ups. For example, when a client invests a lot of money in SEO, the site traffic rises. We follow the website activity and if needed, we offer more storage. This way, the site will keep running at the same speed and continue to work perfectly.
Post-Air Support Services
When a client chooses to work with us, they get an instruction guide on how to operate the website so that when the site is done they always know how to upload products on their own. However, we always recommend our customer service to our clients because this way we always have their back, even after we are done. If they have any questions or need upgrades, it’s all included in one support package.
Hourly Cost for Additional Upgrades and Developments
Usually, a contract clearly outlines the cost of additional hours. In our contracts, for example, we list the amount for the agreed upon characterization stage, the time table for design and development and the instruction hours on the site. We also include our hourly rate so that from the beginning our clients will know the amount that they will be charged if they want to add something not previously included.
Proper Preparation for Promotion
Even if you choose to promote your site without the company that built it, the site must be prepared properly for promotion. It’s important that the site be built in a way which is compatible with Google including options for adding tags and other definitions outlined by Google.
Writing and Inserting Content
Every contract is different so be sure to check what is agreed upon with regards to content and uploads. In our price estimates, for example, we always emphasize the number of products that we are going to upload as example products and on our follow-up calls we make sure this is clear. It’s important that you understand what you are getting from the development company because if you think you are getting X and then you get Y you will be disappointed.
A few things to sum up:
1. A clear price offer – Make sure that the price offer is clear to you from A-Z. For example, the main feedback we get from potential clients is that they are so happy with the way our price offer is written. This feedback makes us happy every time!
2. Don’t let pricing be the main factor – Your website is the virtual face of your company. If you want to show that you are a successful business, make sure you’re paying a company that is professional. If you get a price offer that is too low, there is a reason for that.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – If you don’t understand something when you get the price estimate or before you start the development process, ask questions and clarify everything before you begin. Don’t start a process when you feel frustrated.
