There are a number of basic requirements that need to be met when setting up a website. These include registering a domain name, finding a website hosting company, locating a professional designer to build the website or doing it yourself with a website-building platform. You may also need to obtain an SSL certificate if it’s not included with one of these services, in addition to other add-ons you might require, such as an e-commerce portal.
Ultimately, you can get a website up and running for very little, but it may not have all the necessary components to make it a searchable website, one that people stay on or one that exudes security. You want your website to be a place where readers feel good about getting information and buying products or services.
| Domain Name | $0 to $20 per year |
|---|---|
| Domain Name | $0 to $20 per year |
| Web Hosting | $30 to $500 per year |
| Theme or Template | $0 to $100 (one-time fee) |
| Professional Web Design | $100 to $5,000-plus |
| DIY Website Builder | $100 to $400 per year |
| SSL Certificate | $0 to $249 per year |
Domain Name
The domain name is the starting point of your website. Securing the right domain name is vital, especially if you’re looking for a .com URL or a prized top-level domain (TLD). Top-level domains can be expensive because they represent a first stop after the root zone, meaning you have the desired domain name followed by .com.
Registering usually entails an annual subscription from a domain registrar, ranging from anywhere between $12 to $60 a year. Keep in mind that some premium domains may cost a lot more depending on how popular the keywords in the domain are. Some domains sell for thousands of dollars. Most business owners find something that works for under $60.
Best Domain Name Services
| Namecheap | Domain.com | DreamHost | Hover | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating |  | |  | |
| Starting Price | $5.98 first year | $11.99 first year | $8.99 first year | $17.99 first year |
| Standout Feature | Free Whois privacy | Unique extensions available | Domain name privacy comes standard | Domain and email plans available |
If you’re utilizing a website builder service, they sometimes include this as a free bonus for the first year. With services such as WordPress, it’s an extra fee.
Web Hosting
You can’t have a website simply with a domain. You must obtain hosting for the website so that visitors can see what’s on the site. Hosting is a separate fee from the domain but may be included in some plans.
With drag-and-drop website building sites, this is usually included in their annual subscription fee. But if you’re building the pages yourself or using WordPress, you will be required to subscribe to a website hosting service provider.
Best Web Hosting Services
| MochaHost | InterServer | A2 Hosting | TMDHosting | DreamHost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating |  | | | | |
| Starting Price | $3.18 per month | $2.50 per month | $2.99 per month | $2.99 per month | $2.95 per month |
| Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited | 100 GB | Unlimited | 50 GB |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Free SSL Certificate | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free Domain Name | ✓ | X | X | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn More | Learn more | Learn more | Learn more | Learn more | Learn more |
Once again, these subscription fees vary from around $100 to $500 per year. If you have a lot of web traffic to your website, it’s better to invest in a more robust web hosting plan to ensure that your site doesn’t crash. A high volume of traffic is considered to be more than 100,000 visitors a month. If your hosting plan doesn’t allow for a lot of traffic, you may run into problems as your visitor counts increase. Baseline plans are fine for when you start but be prepared to upgrade as your website gains more traction with visitors.
In fact, at a later stage, you could invest in your own servers and ensure that all the information is kept in-house. This is a high expense that can range from $5,000 to $20,000 per year. Generally, most smaller companies don’t need to go this route.
DIY Website Design
We’ve mentioned website builders and their inclusive packages. If you are on a tight budget, using these packages to design a site yourself can save you a wad of cash. They usually don’t require any technical skills and utilize drag-and-drop features for your convenience. It may be overwhelming at first, but with a few minutes in the do-it-yourself (DIY) program, most people are able to build their first website to their liking.
These programs may be free or inexpensive to use the basic features. But to access premium features such as unique themes, you will need to pay higher subscription fees. Costs vary depending on the platform you subscribe to and the plan you choose, and they can run anywhere between $100 and $500 a year, but most average around $200 a year.
Best Website Builder Platforms
| Squarespace | Weebly | GoDaddy | Wix | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating |  | | | | |
| Starting Price | $16 per month | $10 per month | $9.99 per month | $16 per month | $29 per month |
| E-commerce Price | $28 per month | $12 per month | $20.99 per month | $27 per month | $36 per month |
| Free Prebuilt Templates | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web Hosting Included | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free SSL Certificate | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free Domain Name | ✓ | X | X | ✓ | X |
| Learn More | Read review | Read review | Read review | Read review | Read review |
As a rule of thumb, customization for website builder sites is limited compared to WordPress or building your site from scratch. If you want to tap into that unique design aesthetic, you will need a graphic designer familiar with HTML coding. Most graphic designers will charge you a flat fee or an hourly rate. Expect to pay anywhere from $30 to $100 an hour to get someone who is also versed in the coding needed for your website.
Professional Website Designers
You might decide that building the website on your own just isn’t your cup of tea. That’s fine as long as you know that it will cost you more to have the site built. Hiring a professional website designer can take a huge burden off your shoulders and provide you with a unique and beautiful website.
Designers can charge per hour or a flat rate for the allotted project. But you’ll want someone who has a strong portfolio, as there will be fewer design reverts, and you’re more likely to get what you envisioned for your website. When working with a designer, it helps to show them the types of websites that you like that would be similar to yours. This gives the designer a starting point. Also, go over color schemes to make sure the site fits your brand and what you want to show your readers.
Costs can vary widely depending on experience and the needs of the project, but it’s not uncommon to get quotes between $30 and $100-plus an hour.
SSL
Many small businesses don’t realize how important it is to sign up for a secure sockets layer (SSL) service provider. An SSL certificate is a digital authentication of your website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection for security purposes. It’s also required to accept online payments, so any online store will need an SSL.
SSL certification means that your visitors are protected from unwanted cyberattacks. Some browsers will divert users away from websites without SSL certification with the message, “This site may not be secure.” For most visitors, this is enough to deter them from clicking through to the site. This certificate changes your site from an HTTP to an HTTPS prefix in the web domain, showing web browsers that you have invested in security for the website.
In many instances, you can get an SSL certificate for free through your web hosting provider. However, you can opt to purchase an SSL certificate from a third-party provider as well.
Best SSL Services
| Comodo | SSL.com | DigiCert | Sectigo | AlphaSSL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | |  | | | |
| Starting Price | $5.99 per year | $36.75 per year | $288 per year | $99 per year | $49 per year |
| Types of SSL | DV, EV, OV | DV, EV, OV | EV, OV | DV, EV, OV | DV |
SSL also helps with search engine optimization (SEO) and the flow of data to and from the site. Fees for SSL vary from free to around $249 a year. Some website builders include this certificate at no additional cost, so consider that a valuable perk if you see it offered. Either way, you’ll want your website to have an SSL certificate to gain the confidence of readers from around the web.
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