How Much Does A Website Cost In Hamilton, Ontario?

How much are you really going to pay for a website in Hamilton, Ontario?

One of, if not the most common questions business owners have is “How much does a website cost?” This post will answer this question, while giving you some general guidelines to follow when searching for that perfect Hamilton, Ontario web design company.

Basics that will be covered in this blog, will include:

  1. What to look out for when approaching different web design companies for prices & quotes on your project.
  2. How you can discover what your website will cost today.
  3. The 3 main price ranges for websites.
  4. Why investing in your website is one of the smartest business moves.

It’s pretty easy to see why investing in your website is worth it, but just to make sure you get it, let’s consider what happens if you don’t make a smart business move.

Saving a few dollars with a basic website, isn’t saving; the real cost is not the $1,000s you waste, but rather the $1,000s in new customers you lose, by not investing in a proper website and online marketing setup.

The real cost is missing out on an incredible opportunity to promote your business, services, products and get more customers.

To work out the specific cost of your website, our team takes the time to talk 1-on-1 with you to find out what your goals are and what type of website and marketing will work best for your business and your target customer. Market research is a key component of this and we do it with you.

Once we uncover your intentions and the goals you’re wanting to reach, we create a proposal with 2-3 options with varying scopes of work we think will have the biggest impact on your overall business’ success.

We break the options down, price them separately and then let you pick what suits you best and what fits within your budget. We will make suggestions, but the decisions are ultimately yours.

Calculating the cost of your website project.

We know that as a business owner you’re busy and time is short. You want a general guide of costs before you contact a few Hamilton web design companies; so we’ve created a short infographic below to show you different general price ranges and where you might fit in with your project.

You’ll see the 3 main price ranges as a general guide, so when you start asking web companies for quotes to compare, make sure they price properly, otherwise you’ll end up comparing rainbows and butterflies and paying more for something you likely don’t want or need.

General Website Investment Guide

Click the below image to view the full-size PDF of the guide.

ShiftIdeas Website Price Range

Let’s get a little more detailed about how much your site will cost piece by piece.

The very first thing to know is; you get what you pay for. Simple, and a philosophy transfers to every area of life.

If you just want a basic website from a professional Hamilton web company it’s not going to cost a lot, most likely somewhere around the $1,000-$1,500 mark. Sure you could get cheaper from a student or family friend, but here we’re talking serious, professional quotes only.

But this sort of website isn’t really going to do much for your business. A website is just a tool; a means to an end. It also needs a strategic marketing plan behind it.

Why? Because without a proper marketing strategy, nobody will find the site and those that do find it won’t be overly impressed since it hasn’t been designed to connect with your target audience. You know the expression “Build it and they will come”? Websites don’t work like that. You need a plan of action to get people to your site and then wanting to do business with you over a competitor.

A thoroughly designed website that has a proven strategic plan behind it, is naturally going to come with higher cost over a cheap, commodity website.

This type of thoroughly developed site ranges from $2,500 to $10,000 depending on functionality. Keep in mind you have to consider any monthly advertising budget to run a Google Adwords campaign for example. This generally costs $1,000 and up depending on the business and competitiveness of the industry you’re in.

As a business owner, you’re probably wondering which option you should go with and whether it’s really worth the investment

The best answer to this is to think about what you’re getting for your money.

If you go the basic, cheap route, you’ll probably pay around $1,000 to a local freelancer or Hamilton web design company. This website will most likely just sit there not performing or getting the results you’re after.

So if it doesn’t bring you new traffic or customers, then what was the point of it? If you really think about it, you’re basically getting nothing in return for the $1,000 you spent. Websites like this aren’t an investment that will make you money, they’re just an expense, and in a way, a waste of time and money.

But on the other hand, if you investment a bit more money into your new website with a company that treats your money not like an expense but rather an investment, and then pair it with some effective online marketing, you then you get three things;

  1. A beautifully designed website that connects with your target audience.
  2. A real marketing solution that works by bringing you lots of new potential customers
  3. An effective website that persuades potential customers to become paying customers.

So instead of treating your budget as an expense and getting a website for the sake of having a website, you’ve treated the process as an investment that will bring a return — real money back into your business to help it grow.

What would you rather have?

We’re a Hamilton, Ontario based web design company that loves working with local small businesses. You can start the conversation with us to learn how we can help you grow your business.