Michael Davis
Sarah Thompson
Digital Growth Editor
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Solar-powered savings
Alberta is the sunniest spot in Canada, with more than 300 days of sunshine every year. That’s a whole lot of solar energy you could be putting to work in your home! Have you thought about installing solar panels on your home or property? Let’s shed some light on how solar energy systems can brighten your day.
Look up! Look waaay up!
Solar panels are (most often) installed on the roof of your home. An installer’s job is to get them up and running while protecting your roof. They’ll safely secure your solar panels, seal all points of entry and be careful to consider factors like weight, weather, etc. Talk to your installers about workmanship warranties to cover you in the unlikely event a leak does occur from the installation – a professional crew will keep you covered.
More options to go green
Costs vs. Savings
The cost of your solar system is impacted by the number of panels, location, the complexity of your roof, and if additional equipment is required to complete installation. While pricing varies, the cost is typically around $2.50 per Watt installed.
Everyone’s system and energy habits are unique and, so their solar energy savings are too, but the average home in Alberta uses about 6,900 Watts per year. With just 22 solar modules, those homeowners are net-zero!
Watch the savings in real time
Depending on the size of your system and the fluctuating nature of energy prices, your energy savings with vary. Watching that happen can be fun and satisfying! Most solar systems use equipment with free online monitoring software (like ours!), so you can view your solar energy production in real time on your computer, Smart TV or smartphone. Then, you just have to wait for your monthly electricity bill from your electricity retailer to see your energy credits roll in.
Staying ‘on the grid’
Many people choose solar to reduce their carbon footprint and become more self-sufficient. In Alberta, you can expect to generate more power than you’ll need in the summer and less in the winter.
Even if you produce enough electricity to be self-sufficient, you’ll still get an electricity bill that includes some transmission and distribution fees associated with being on the grid. This is good! Not only because it keeps you covered during bad weather or for when you need a little extra power, but also because you can sell back your unused energy. Your energy retailer will give you a credit on your energy bill for the power you feed back into the grid.
What about all that snow?
Solar panels and materials that fasten to your roof are built for all weather, even our Albertan winters! Ours, for example, outlasted tests with golf ball sized hail at 100kph!
Snow doesn’t stop the energy flow either. Light is diffused through snow cover to allow panels to produce power. Bonus: The heat generated from the panels will remove most snow naturally. So, put the ladder away! Your snow will clear off on its own. Stay in and get cozy while your panels work for you in more ways than one.
Worth the investment?
The extra great news is that solar systems last for decades! With proper installation and care, your system should far outlast the warranty. And you’ll see a payoff even sooner than that! It’s hard to predict the future cost of energy but you can expect your system to pay for itself about halfway through its warranted lifetime (between 12 – 18 years).
Talk to your energy provider about a personalized payback assessment based on your actual utility bill consumption history.
Green energy on the go
You can stick with solar power even when you’re not at home by using a portable solar generator. They’re perfect to throw in the camper for outdoor excursions or to take with you to remote worksites. They’re especially popular on film sets that need to plug in lights at night!
On the move?
If you want to feel that personal payoff, investing in a solar system is especially wise when you’re planning on remaining in your home for a long time. If things change and you decide to move, you can most often (depending on how they were installed) take them with you. However, uninstalling and reinstalling them can be an expensive task. When you’re deciding, talk to your real estate agent about the value they add to your listing as well as your installation experts on the costs to move them.
Nothing like a little bit of energy savings to brighten your day. If you’re considering installing a solar system, talk to a solar expert to determine the best system and the right number of panels for you. They’ll look at your home’s annual power usage and available space before selecting a module with a power rating that’s right for your application.
Solar & Green Energy FAQs
Are there solar rebates available for my home?
Incentives available in Alberta include:
- The City of Calgary
To find out more information, visit Calgary.ca
- The City of Edmonton
To find out more information, check out their Solar Rebate Program - Town of Banff
To find out more information, visit Banff Solar PV Rebates
Are there solar rebates available for my business?
Yes! To find out more information, visit Emissions Reduction Alberta Energy Savings for Business
Can I choose green energy as a source with my ATCOenergy plan?
Yes, you can choose green energy as a 25% or 100% source of your ATCOenergy electricity plan from renewables.
How much do the best website builders cost ?
We’ve created this easy website builder comparison guide to give you an overview of the prices and features of the top products.
At the end, we’ll explain how to go about hiring a web developer. For now, let’s look at a quick overview of website costs.
How much does it cost to build a website?
You can expect to spend $0-$500 using a DIY website builder tool, or $5,000-$50,000 for a custom design built by a professional.
Websites can be made in a number of ways, so the cost will vary according to several factors. These are:
- Whether you hire a professional, an agency, or use a DIY tool
- The number of webpages you need
- Its complexity
- How much multimedia you want to upload
- Whether you need sales and payment features
- The level of security and malware protection you need
- How competitive the website (domain) name is
- How much traffic (flow of visitors) you expect
Broadly speaking, there are many DIY website tools that will provide exactly what you need within a defined price bracket.
For instance, if you want an online store with thousands of products, the ability to automate processes, plus complex inventory management, we’d recommend Shopify Advanced, which costs $4,653 per year, including a promotion to get your first month discounted to just $1. If you are not eligible for the promotion, it costs $6,204 per year.
However, if you hired an expert to build a custom website with these same capabilities, you’d likely end up spending $20,500-$60,000.
On the other hand, if you only want a basic site to promote your local business, you could spend $144 for the entire first year with GoDaddy ($192 per year on renewal).
How much does it cost to run a website?
Ongoing fees can range from nothing to several hundred dollars per month depending on the way you’ve chosen to construct the website. For instance, you could pay $0 if you use one our recommended free website builders.
Or you could pay around $51 per month to use WooCommerce (a plugin that adds selling features to a WordPress website). The plugin itself is technically free, but you’ll have to pay for hosting (and a template, if you like) separately.
There are various pros and cons to using a flexibly priced online store such as WooCommerce versus a set price plan from Shopify, for instance. You can read the in-depth differences in our WooCommerce vs Shopify comparison.
Website costs at a glance
What you need is an overview of price brackets for various types of websites.
For added simplicity, we’ve created a comparison table with the information you’ll need:
| Website Type | Features | Hire a Professional (Per Project) |
Subscribe to Website Builder (Per Month) |
| Basic business |
|
CAD$800-CAD$4,800 | CAD$0-CAD$40 |
| Small business |
|
CAD$1,500-CAD$3,400 | CAD$5-CAD$40 |
| Small-to-medium sized online shop |
|
CAD$2,000-CAD$16,000 | CAD$0-CAD$550 (plus transaction fees per sale) |
| Database-driven
(Specialist websites) |
|
CAD$5,000-CAD$15,000+ | CAD$10-$590 per month |
We’ve gathered the above by researching freelancer rates and website builder plans. Bear in mind you’ll need to add on the cost of templates, content (such as copywriting, articles, photos, and videos) plus plug-ins. As a quick reminder, plug-ins are the additional apps which add extra features to your website. Examples include email marketing, accountancy, and invoice creation. Costs of website plug-ins vary hugely, from CAD$0-CAD$1500+ each per month.
The main takeaway is the cost of your site will depend on the type of website you need.
While website builders are priced within set limits, custom projects are designed specifically to your requirements, so we can’t give you an exact figure for those. A developer or agency would be able to work with you individually to work out a price.
What kind of website do you need?
Select an option below to try our recommended website builder
Local business
Online shop
Unsure
How much your site costs will depend on how you build it. We’ve made a cheat sheet to weigh up your options:
| Build Method | Benefits | Drawbacks |
| Website builder tool |
|
Needs 20hrs+ of your time, and some confidence with technology. |
| Hire a freelancer or agency |
|
Costly, and results depend on your ability to communicate well. |
| Code website from scratch |
|
Results are limited to your skill level and free time. You’re in charge of design, debugging, spam, security, updates, content, and indexing on Google. |
Website builders are great for creating a simple site based on an industry-specific template (such as a restaurant, an events company, or a clothing shop). You might be surprised at the range of design choices you can pick from. Design customization tools have improved to that point that now – unlike five years ago – website builders are no longer a recipe for a generic-looking website.
We’ve tested a range of website builders and found GoDaddy is by far the easiest to use. Close behind is Jimdo, which is a little better value for money (if you’re happy with it’s basic editing capabilities).
More sophisticated programs (such as Wix, Shopify, WordPress) take more time to learn to use. Yet, whichever DIY website builder you choose, you’ll be trading in your time to save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on developer or agency fees.
After all, 87% of web designers said clients generally expect lower pricing than is realistic. We don’t want you to get caught out if a web builder subscription would be cheaper for you.
Don’t worry if you can’t pin-point exactly which option you need right now. First, figure out what kind of website you need. Then you can skip to the relevant section of this page to understand costs.
Website builder and ecommerce platform costs
To avoid the expense of hiring a web developer, you can use website builder software and make the entire website yourself. You can expect to pay $0 and $500 per month, which includes web hosting and security. The only extra cost you have to pay is the domain (your web address), at roughly $11-$21 per year.
Wix is our favourite all-around website builder because it offers great business features, like the ability to take bookings via an online calendar. Best of all, the Wix free plan allows you to try out some of its premium features and doesn’t request any payment details.
Online shop platform costs
An online shop website is sometimes known as an ecommerce platform. It’s a special type of website builder that includes the ability to take payments securely. You can choose between different payment gateways to offer your customers multiple ways to buy your products, services, content, and subscriptions.
Luckily for you, we’ve already rated and ranked the best ecommerce platforms for small businesses to make your decision that much easier.
Using our research, we created this summary table of the top online shop website builders:
| Shopify | Wix | BigCommerce | Square Online | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Score 4.7⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Score 4.6⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Score 4.4⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Score 4.4⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Score 4.3⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Best For Advanced sales features |
Best For Creating a good-looking website with excellent sales features |
Best For Multichannel selling |
Best For Value for money |
Best For Selling digital products or portfolios |
|
Price Range CAD$7-CAD$2,675+/month |
Price Range
|
Price Range CAD$39-CAD$400/month |
Price Range CAD$0-CAD$85/month |
Price Range
|
|
Free Plan ❌ |
Free Plan ✔️ |
Free Plan ❌ |
Free Plan ✔️ |
Free Plan ❌ |
|
Free trial ✔️ |
Free trial ✔️ |
Free trial ✔️ |
Free trial ❌ |
Free trial ✔️ |
If you’d like a more detailed comparison of the two closest mid-range online shop tools, read of our Wix vs Squarespace guide.
WordPress website costs
The cost of WordPress depends on the type you’re using.
- WordPress.com offers specific price packages ranging from $0-$91 per month.
- WordPress.org is open-sourced (this means it’s free).
| WordPress.com | WordPress.org | |
| Subscription | $0-$708 a year (billed annually) | None |
| Domain | Free or buy your own ($0-$120 a year) | Buy your own ($22-$75 a year) |
| Hosting | Included | Buy your own ($174-$460 a year with BlueHost or less with a promotional discount) |
| Templates | Use free or paid ones ($0-$50) | Upload a free or premium one or design your own, eg using Elementor plugin for USD$59 (~CAD$79 a year) |
| Plugins | Only available on business plans ($0-$1,800+ a year) | Optional ($0-$1,800+ a year) |
| USD$35 a year (with WordPress) (~CAD$47) $94 a year (for Google via WordPress) | Configure your own based on hosting (around $94-$281 a year for Google via BlueHost or less with a promotional discount) | |
| Total: | $0-$2,772+ a year | $369-$2,695+ a year |
As you can see, the costs are variable because most of them are based on your particular needs (and budget). While some of the costs are optional (for example, plugins and email), others are not (you have to pay for hosting in some form, and most people prefer to buy their own domain name).
Working out your WordPress costs
At the cheapest end of the scale, it’s possible to build a beginner WordPress site using the free plan and no plugins. You’ll have to use a WordPress subdomain, meaning your website URL contains “WordPress” (and everyone will know you’re not paying for your website name).
As the size and complexity of your WordPress site increases, so will the price. You can pay $396 a year for a small business website made with WordPress.com. This includes: backups, unlimited bandwidth enhanced security features, and the option to upload your own templates and install plugins.
Of course, plugins cost extra. The top plugin, Yoast SEO Premium will cost USD$99 (~CAD$133) a year, and you may need four or more plugins for your website to work the way you need it to. That’s just shy of USD$400 for four WordPress plugins, and this is only an example.
A custom-built WordPress.org site will require extensive work from a developer. Costs for this can be in the region of $6,000-$18,000, depending on the project.
How much does each type of website cost?
In this section, we’ll explain the costs you can expect to pay for basic, business, ecommerce, and bespoke websites when using a web designer or website builder platform.
Cost of a basic website
A basic website is made up of one to five pages, and will require very simple functionality. They are considered ‘brochure style’ websites. In addition to the core pages, they will have a contact and landing page. They should also be mobile responsive, but it’s always worth checking that this is included in the design price.
Basic websites are great if you’re after a very simple, stripped back online presence. It is a place to showcase your business and receive enquiries. Think of it as a modern day business card.
You can go down several routes when creating your basic website. Each option has its own pros and cons:
Build your own basic website: Free or $7.50-$385 per month (paying annually)
Website builders have become prevalent and sophisticated in recent years. They are now a legitimate option for businesses and individuals alike. Other than a clear cost benefit, website builders also allow you to get a website up and running in just a few hours, with no prior design experience required.
Wix is our top all-around website builder for promoting your small business. It offers impressive great design tools and handy features to improve the SEO (search engine optimization) of your website.
Here are the current prices of the top website builders:
| Wix | Squarespace | Shopify | GoDaddy | Hostinger | WordPress.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Score 4.9⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Score 4.8⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Score 4.7⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Score 4.1⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Score 3.7⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Score 3.3⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Best For Creating a good-looking website with excellent sales features |
Best For Selling digital products or portfolios |
Best For Advanced sales features |
Best For Getting online quickly |
Best For Best for Uptime Reliability |
Best For Value for money |
|
Price Range
|
Price Range
|
Price Range CAD$38-$385/month |
Price Range CAD$8-$22/month (first year) CAD$13-$32/month (afterwards) |
Price Range USD$3.99/ month (saving 75%) |
Price Range CAD$0-CAD$59/month |
If you want more detail on each of these platforms, check out our overview of the best website builder tools for Canadian businesses.
Basic website from a design agency: $650-$1,800
Design agencies offer you the chance to work with reliable and experienced website creators. Making slick websites with exceptional user experience is their bread and butter. As a very rough estimate, a small one to five page website from an agency will likely cost between $650 and $1,800.
This is the perfect option if you want something that’s truly unique in functionality. It’s also the ideal choice if you have a decent budget but not much time or desire to create it by yourself.
The price may be higher than working with an individual because of the additional overheads (such as paying multiple staff, office rental, and marketing costs). But you could benefit from the range of experience agencies have in-house, including graphic designers, SEO experts, and marketing specialists.
Agencies or freelancer designers will provide a quote for the project as a whole based on what you need, so we’d always recommend comparing quotes before selecting a provider.
However, we’d recommend that you don’t go with the cheapest agency you can find because reviews on the quality of their work is critical. The last thing you want is to lose thousands of dollars in revenue because of an unprofessional website that doesn’t work.
Freelance developer pricing for a basic website: $1000-$2,500
Using a freelance developer is a convenient option to create a basic website. Finding a freelancer takes more research than an agency, and you may want to go off a recommendation rather than a Google search. However, you will find that a freelancer won’t be hiding behind glitzy marketing and call centres. Since you’re working directly with a skilled professional, you’ll enjoy a high level of accountability as well as a personalized service.
A freelance web developer typically charges CAD$80 per hour. However, it’s common to charge per project, too. A basic website will likely cost you $1000-$2,500 from a Canadian-based freelancer.
Offshore web company basic website costs: $120-$880
Using an offshore web company is definitely one of the cheapest options ($5-$40 per hour). However, they are often a lot less reliable than the other options. You’ll likely have to wait for responses to your questions because of time zone differences, too. Language barriers may prove problematic, and there is the possibility of spelling mistakes on your website.
When creating your website, bear in mind how your needs will change over the next few years. If you are planning to expand your company, or predict future surges in the number of visitors, mention this when requesting quotes to ensure you get a website that is future-proof.
Of course, these prices depend on the size and the complexity of your site. When requesting a web design quote, try to be as specific as possible and ensure that you get the total cost. Transparency in the early stages of the web design process between both you and your designer ensures everyone is on the same page, and will help prevent costly amendments further down the line.
Cost of a small business website
A small business website is the perfect size for a business that requires more than a very basic website, or is looking to upgrade from their existing basic website. ‘Small Business Websites’ are also brochure style, but are far more feature-rich.
Small business websites are perfect for businesses that are likely to update their content regularly. This makes them the perfect choice for startups, freelancers, or any growing organization.
Such features may include: integrating social media, responsive design, a content management system, Google Analytics, Google Maps, and a ‘Google my business’ capability. They will also have more pages than a basic website and, again, will be designed to be mobile responsive.
We cover the rough cost of a small business website below:
| Cost of a Small Business Website | |
|---|---|
| Upfront costs | |
| Design | $850-$1,700 |
| Domain | $5-$170/year |
| Total Upfront Cost | $855 to $1,870 |
| Ongoing costs | |
| Hosting | $5-$75/month |
| Content Updates | $0-$450/month |
| Total Ongoing Costs | $5 to $525/month |
Paying for a well-designed website isn’t a guaranteed formula for internet success. Once you have your completed website, we recommend that you reinforce your presence with regular marketing and content updates to keep visitors coming back to your site. Allotting a monthly budget of time and money can be a great way to ensure that this doesn’t get forgotten.
When choosing a web design company for small businesses, select one that has experience working with small businesses. Otherwise, you may find yourself lumbered with fancy features that won’t actually offer you any real benefit.
Again, website builders are a great option for creating your small business website. Wix categorises its templates by industry, making it really easy to find the one that’s right for you.
Cost of an online shop website
If you decide to hire a freelancer to build your online shop website, they may include one or more of the below elements in one overall price. You may also get a cost breakdown. This is why we’ve put together this quick reference table to give you an idea of market rates for a typical small to medium-sized online shop
Again, being as specific as you can about your requirements will help you arrive at an accurate quote early on. It can be hard to guess at the price of an ecommerce website due to the many variables involved.
The easiest way to get the right price for your website is by comparing free quotes. We can help you there. Simply let us know what you’d like from your website, and we’ll match your business with trusted web designers that suit your requirements. They’ll then be in touch with obligation-free quotes for you to compare. It’s simple!
Cost of a specialist website
Bespoke websites are great for larger companies requiring more functionality, with a higher number of visitors or with more information to share.
Such websites are database driven. They have advanced functionality and unlimited subpages (pages created within the subcategories of your site). Businesses in certain industries need these most, including financial services, recruitment, property, and architecture.
| Cost of a Bespoke Website | |
|---|---|
| Upfront costs | |
| Design | £2,500-£10,000 |
| Domain | £2.99-£100/year |
| Total Upfront Cost | £2,507.99 to £10,100 |
| Ongoing costs | |
| Hosting | £10-£350/month |
| Content Updates | £0-£300/month |
| Total Ongoing Costs | £10 to £410/month |
When requesting a bespoke website, it is highly beneficial to work with a dedicated partner.
Unless you have a strong relationship with a talented freelancer, we would definitely recommend looking for an agency to work with. This ensures you are getting the best possible service and that they understand your business and what you are trying to achieve.
It’s vital that you get a quote for the project as a whole, rather than a ‘per hour’ rate. This is because larger projects have the potential to produce time-consuming problems that are out of your control as a customer.
Website builder vs web designer
Here are the main factors to weigh up and decide upon when you’re building your own website or hiring a designer:
| Use a website builder | Hire a web designer |
| ✔️Affordable, cost spread out over time. Free options available | ❌High upfront costs |
| ✔️Maintenance automatic and included in price | ✔️ Maintenance costs may be minimal (unless you need significant changes) |
| ✔️Add your own media and customise design | ✔️Unique website look, feel and function |
| ❌Some platforms don’t offer certain features | ✔️Get any feature you can imagine |
| ❌Plugins may cost more than you anticipate | ✔️Full cost transparency from the start |
| ✔️Choose from a range of design templates or build your own | ❌Design limited to your own research or designer’s preferences |
When it comes to your time, you’ve got to consider if you’re willing to put in about 5-20 hours setting up your DIY website with a website builder. From then on, you’re looking at 2-30 hours per month for content and usability updates. A web designer will usually take care of all of that work, so you’ll only spend time checking in over calls and emails.
When it comes to your interest, you’ll need at least some enthusiasm for design, writing, and marketing your business with a website if you’re going to build your own. If you don’t care to spend your talents here, a web designer takes all that creative load off your plate.
Thinking about budget, the cheapest option of all is to build your own website with a free plan (we’d recommend Wix). A plan with your choice of domain (website URL) and no adverts costs roughly $7.50-$35 + VAT per month (and you’ll spend less if you pay for one year upfront).
Or, if you’re looking to seriously invest in a custom site that’s more than an online business card, you can expect to pay $1,100-$5,500 to hire a developer to build a small to medium-sized website.
Ongoing costs explained
There are several website maintenance costs you should bear in mind. We’ve outlined these below:
Domain Costs
All websites need a web address – the formal name for this is the “domain”. For example, the VPNClicks domain name is “VPNClicks.com”.
Domain names include everything after “www.” so you’re paying for the website name and the “.com” part afterwards. That final part is called the top-level domain (TLD). Domain costs vary according to:
- Which registrar you choose
- Which type of TLD you want
- Whether someone already owns the domain
- If you add extra security protection
- How many years you buy the domain for
Here are some examples of different TLD prices:
| TLD | Cost (per year) from Web Hosting Canada |
|---|---|
| .ca | $11 ($15 renewal) |
| .com | $14 ($19 renewal) |
| .org | $11.49 ($21 renewal) |
| .net | $16 ($21.49 renewal) |
Most registrars will draw you in with a low price for your first year, then increase the price thereafter. So buy a longer domain term if you can, and look at the renewal price for accurate budgeting.
Unsure where to start with a domain name? We can provide you with quotes from hosting and domain name providers including Bluehost, GoDaddy, and Hostgator. Simply enter your contact details and we’ll put you in touch with those companies.
We strongly suggest you purchase a domain for at least five to 10 years. If you allow your domain name to expire, you will lose access to the web address, and someone else can host their own website at that web address. There’s usually a discount on the first year, so you should look beyond that and consider the cost over time. Generally it’s less expensive per year to pay for a longer rental.
Even if you decide to close down your business, you should continue to pay for the domain. Why? This protects your professional reputation for customers that try to access your website after it’s closed down. Otherwise it’s easy for an opportunist to set up a gambling, gaming, spam, or scheme website at your old web address to take advantage of your online customers. Here’s an example:
The domain name of former charity was bought by an Indonesian gaming site.
SSL security certificate
Without a security certificate, it’s easy for cybercriminals to hack into your website. This could mean website outages, stolen credit card details, reputation damage, and even legal action. It’s your responsibility as a website owner to keep your website protected from malware and password theft.
Website visitors can see if you have a valid security certificate – your website comes up with a padlock symbol in the address bar. Browsers may block visitors from entering your website if your security is out of date.
SSL pricing differs according to:
- The number of websites you have
- The amount of data you need to protect
- How tough your security measures need to be
Hosting costs
Every website needs to be hosted on a web server. While your domain is your virtual address, your sever is the physical location of your website. Hosting basically means renting some “space” (well, bandwidth) on the internet. Fully understanding what hosting means is not necessary, but you should know that your website will need it in some form and you have a few options for this:
| Type of hosting | Typical cost (per month) |
|---|---|
| Shared hosting | $5-$20 |
| WordPress hosting | $9-$30 |
| Virtual private server (VPS) hosting | $7-$70 |
| High performance VPS hosting | $140-$1,000 |
| Dedicated hosting | $120-$300 |
| High performance dedicated hosting | $250-$900 |
Choose from the best web hosting services in 2023
Bluehost tops our list. Compare them against GoDaddy, Hostgator, and more.
Shared hosting
Shared hosting is the cheapest form of web hosting. You share your hosting platform with a number of other sites, which means you’ll be sharing the cost as well. The downside is that you also share the bandwidth. So, in effect, you fight for server space with other sites. Shared hosting can be a great low-cost option for basic or new sites that don’t yet get many visitors.
Prices range from $5-$20 per month.
WordPress hosting
You may be familiar with WordPress, an open-source website-building software that includes a content management system (CMS). In fact, VPNClicks.com is built using WordPress!
You can now find WordPress-specific hosting packages that help your site run fast and may come with automatic updates, scheduled data backups, and other tools.
Prices range from $9-$30 per month. Managed solutions (with technical support) and ecommerce options (for online selling) are at the upper end of the price scale.
Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting
A VPS server is a good middle ground between shared hosting and having your own dedicated server. A VPS is one physical server but allocates multiple, separate servers to its sites. This way you avoid the problems associated with shared hosting.
Prices range from $7-$70 per month for standard VPS hosting, and $140-$1,000 per month for high performance VPS hosting. Windows hosting is generally more expensive than Linux.
Dedicated hosting
With this option, a server is dedicated to hosting your website. Websites that are particularly large or complex, or require exceptionally high levels of data security, will benefit from dedicated hosting. It is also the best option for websites with a high and steady amount of traffic. You do not have to compete for bandwidth, so the price is higher.
Prices range from $120-$300 per month for standard dedicated hosting, and $250-$900 per month for high performance options. Managed plans (which include technical support) are on the higher end of these price ranges.
Top Tip: Websites such as IONOS, 123reg, and GoDaddy regularly offer package deals for domain names and web hosting.
Additional costs
Aside from the costs we have already mentioned, there are some additional services that you should consider:
1. Content production
Producing written content is something that you can do yourself to keep costs down. However, it can be worth getting a freelancer or agency to help. Expect to pay between $30 and $100 per hour for web copywriting.
2. Imagery
Hiring a photographer to collect a bank of images for your brand or product is always advisable for creating a strong brand image. You can also buy stock images and graphics from sites like depositphotos, or download free images for commercial use on unsplash.
3. SEO/marketing
Let’s say you own a cupcake shop in Ontario. Googling ‘Ontario cupcakes’ returns over 4 million results. So how do you make sure that your business appears near the top of the results?
This is where SEO comes in.
SEO is the process of making a site the best that it can be in terms of search engine visibility. Search engines give preference to sites that load fast and offer the information that people are searching for, among other things. If you’re running an online store, make sure you check out our guide to the best ecommerce platforms for SEO.
If you’re hiring a web developer or agency, ask whether SEO services can come as part of your overall package. For websites with a lot of content, consider getting a freelancer or agency that specializes in SEO to take a look through your site every month to ensure it’s visible on search engines.
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What kind of website does your business need?
How long does it take to build a website?
Now that you have a rough idea of how much your site might cost, it’s on to question number two: How long will it take?
It should come as no surprise that the answer will again depend on the size and complexity of your desired site as well as the agency you’re working with.
Website builders are likely to be the quickest option – you could build yourself a basic website in just a few hours. Working with an agency may take anything from a couple of weeks to a few months.
To get a clearer idea of how your project will progress, it helps to have an idea of the steps involved. Check out our guide on how to build a website or watch this video to learn more:
Kieron Woodhouse, head of UX for a major UK tech company, breaks down the web design process.
10 Questions to ask your web designer
Communication is the key to making the web design process as streamlined as possible. You need to know exactly what you’re getting from your web designer, and they, in turn, should know exactly what you expect of them. With this in mind, we’ve put together a few questions to ask your designer:
- Do you arrange buying the domain name and hosting for the site, and is this included in your quote?
- How easy will it be for me to report on and update my website? If it requires specialist knowledge, will you provide training for myself and my staff?
- Will there be any ongoing costs for general site maintenance?
- Will you optimise the website for search engines?
- Will the site be mobile responsive?
- If I am unhappy with the finished design of my site, can it be amended and is there a cost associated with this?
- Will you provide content and imagery for the site, or must I provide it?
- What is the scope for future development of the website? Is it built to grow quickly?
- How much will future amendments to the site cost?
- How is my website protected if something goes wrong?
What to know when hiring a web developer
The last thing we want is for you to go into a consultation with a web developer without some key advice under your belt. Here are the main points you need to know:
Web development is a service, not a product
You’ll have ongoing costs because a website always needs updating. When first hiring a web developer – and paying for upkeep and maintenance – you’re buying the use of someone’s time and skills. It’s possible you could negotiate to transfer ownership of the website over to you when it’s done being built. However, it makes sense to keep the same web expert on your books to install security patches, and so on.
Support levels vary
You could be quoted $1,000 and $50,000 for the same project. This is because an agency will give you an account manager, and connect you with graphic designers, marketing professionals, and possibly social media services as well. A freelancer will generally work alone to deliver what you need. You need to work out how you will best communicate a website project, and if having a range of marketing professionals at hand is preferable over just one point of contact.
Standards vary from agency to agency
As with any industry, the quality of work will vary from one agency to another. It’s a good idea to have a look at customer reviews and examples of previous work when deciding which agency to go with. Remember, the cheapest option isn’t always the best one – your website is an investment in the growth of your business. It goes beyond a good-looking business card, and can be central to the facilitation of your services.
Next steps
Even with a guide to help, trying to work out the exact cost of a website without a background in design is really tricky. We know that the cost of living is adding extra pressure to your profit margins this year, more than ever before.
For the most affordable website, all you need to do is take a look at our easy ecommerce platform comparison tool. You can find links to free trials on that page to try out the tools you’re curious about.
FAQs
Website costs vary according to their size and function, so there’s no simple answer to this question. However, maintaining a website with sales features will likely cost you $192-$1,314 per month, excluding the cost of initial design and development. This includes technical maintenance, security, hosting, domain costs, and content updates.
In 2023, a basic website will cost $650-$1,100 plus tax from a professional developer. This will include between one and five pages, including product or services description, a contact form, and information about the business.
The average cost of a small business website (using a DIY platform such as Wix, Squarespace, or GoDaddy) is $21.50 + tax per month.
You can build a website for free using a builder platform such as Wix, Drupal, or WordPress.org. Wix has a free forever plan that includes hosting and a Wix-branded domain name. You’ll have to pay for your own hosting and domain with Drupal or WordPress, however.
Depending on the size and complexity of the website you need, it will cost between $650 and $10,000+ plus tax for a custom web design project.
Written by
Michael Davis
Written by
Sarah Thompson
Written by
28 November 2023
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