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How much does a website cost?

There are many solutions available today for getting a website for your business or organisation. These can range from free sites that you create yourself, to complicated multi-page database powered sites that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to get up & running. Unfortunately there is no 'standard' across the web development industry that dictates how much a website should cost, or what you will receive for your money.

Avoid the cheap & nasty

With so many free options out there, you may ask 'what's the point of using a professional?' Ultimately, if you want a quality website that looks great, is original, consistent with your organisation's branding, AND works well, then you will have to pay for it. There are so many factors that work together to make a website successful - some of which you may not even be aware of, or more importantly, have control over if you use a free website tool. You will save yourself time, money and stress in the long run if you leave the details up to a reputable company such as Design Sense Graphics & Web.

What is involved in creating a website?

To understand the true value of a website, it's important for you to have an idea of what's involved. Here at Design Sense Graphics & Web, we provide a very thorough web development service, and our attention to detail guarantees that you are getting your money's worth. Here's a brief overview of the website production process:

1. Initial meeting- We meet with you to discuss your needs, and provide you with a detailed quote and recommendation for the features we think your website should include.
2. Planning & visual design - A website plan outlining the page structure will be created, along with an original visual design and layout incorporating your logo & branding.
3. Content - We will provide you with a template into which you can insert your content. We will consult with you and give advice on how to optimise your content for search engine visibility.
4. Development- When the design, structure & content are finalised, development will start. This is the process of turning the visual design into web code, creating all of the individual pages, inserting content, and can also involve setting up databases, content management systems and more.
5. Testing - Comprehensive testing of your website will take place to ensure everything is linked and operating smoothly.
   Note: Design Sense Graphics & Web provides a 12 month warranty on all web development. This means that after your website goes live, if there are any technical glitches  which are found to be due to the error of the web developer, we will fix them promptly at no further cost to you.
6. Previewing- You will be provided with a link to a test website so that you can see exactly how it will look and function in a web browser. You can then request further minor changes if desired, and we will tweak the site until you are completely satisfied with the final result.
7. Final upload - Domain registration & web hosting will now need to be organised if it hasn't been done already. Then we can put your website online and make it 'live'.
8. SEO Audit & Analytics - When the website is live, you can opt to have a free SEO audit completed on your site. This will ensure that we have done as much on-page optimisation as possible. Google Analytics can also be installed for tracking of your website visitors.

Hopefully you have more of an idea now of the amount of work involved in creating a quality website - and what we've outlined here is only the bare minimum! We also offer ongoing support and advice after the launch of your website and will work with you to make sure your website grows with you.

Websites are a valuable tool

Another thing to consider when thinking about the value of a website is the multitude of benefits that come from having an online presence for your business. Essentially you are opening yourself up to a much larger 'pool' from which you can draw customers; yet another reason to make sure your website is done right.

A Website to stand the test of time

Once your website has been developed by Design Sense, you will never need to pay the initial setup cost again. You then have the core of your website and Content Management System (where applicable) which can be updated and revamped any number of times as your business grows, at a fraction of the cost.

A website to suit your budget

Ultimately, there is no simple answer to the question we proposed at the beginning of this article. Every website is different and as such we would like to steer away from providing any set figures. We can, however guarantee that we will always provide fair and competitive prices, along with a quality product and great service. At Design Sense Graphics & Web we can find a solution to suit any budget.