October 12, 2018

Breaking down the cost of a website without knowing the specifics of the project is a near impossible task. In most cases, the cost of a website is determined based on the amount of time a designer and developer would need to complete the project. That’s why a meeting with the client is crucial. What does the client want to achieve with the website? What functionality does the website require? Is the website a custom design or a template? These are all questions that need to be answered prior to pricing a website.

After spending nearly 2 years quoting websites for clients in Windsor in various industries with various needs I’ve come up with a general cost for websites. These costs are just a starting point and are based on one of two types of WordPress websites:

1. Purchased WordPress theme
2. Custom WordPress theme

Purchased WordPress Theme

A purchased WordPress theme project is the more cost-friendly option. When selecting this option, the client is presented with a choice of 3 or 4 premium “out-of-the-box” WordPress templates which have already been designed and programmed. Because these themes are already designed and programmed, the designer and developer working on the project will need less time to complete it and thus can keep costs down.

The drawback to this type of project is that there isn’t much customization available when it comes to the overall layout and design of the website. Colors, fonts, content and branding can all be changed but layout and functionality, are for the most part, “what you see is what you get”.

Approximate cost: $1,250.00 – $3,000.00+

The range in cost is due to factors such as: e-commerce, content, customized programming

Custom WordPress Theme

While the custom WordPress theme option is more costly, this type of project is built “from the ground up” which gives the client a design and layout that is truly their own. A WordPress framework is still used to program the website but each of the pages are custom designed to provide that unique look. Because more leg-work (or finger-work as it were) is involved for the designer and developer, they do take longer to complete and thus cost more.

The drawback to this type of project is that they do take longer to complete and require the client to be a bit more hands-on. While a purchased WordPress theme project could be completed within 2-4 weeks, the timeline for completion of a custom WordPress project is roughly 6-10 weeks.

Approximate cost: $3,500.00 – $6,000.00+

The range in cost is due to factors such as: e-commerce, number of designed page layouts, content, customized programming, client/customer login area etc.

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As with any “A” or “B” decision there are pros and cons to both. Your best bet is to schedule a call or a meeting with your web developer to talk about your vision and goals and determine which option is best for your business.