By: Cecilia Bennett
Does your business have a website? Most small business owners don’t. In fact, according to a recent survey by Visual Objects, 29% plan to use a website for the first time in 2020. Usually, when small businesses first think about having a professional website built, they think they cannot afford it. However, that is completely untrue. A professionally built website can not only be attractive and properly optimized, but it can be very cost-effective too! Competition in the market is tough, we are going to break down the main costs and features that go into a general small business website build.
Domain Name & SSL Certificate
One of the first steps of having a website built is buying the perfect domain name for your small business. Picking a domain name is very important because it will be the face of your online brand for years and years to come. Luckily, purchasing a domain name is very affordable. The price of your domain depends on which type of web host or registering website you choose to use. The typical price of a new domain ranges from $10 – $15 per year, which is very reasonable.
An SSL (secure socket layer) Certificate helps protect and increase trust between your customers by sending the information to the server utilizing secure technology. Adding an SSL Certificate to your domain is crucial and actually more affordable than you think. If you entrust a professional website company to build your website your domain should automatically come with an SSL Certificate. Contrary to what most will tell you SSL certificates (in most cases) are actually 100% free and can be automatically issued by the hosting server. If your web host or website developer asks you to pay for the creation or installation of an SSL certificate we recommend checking out BRMC’s hosting options.
Overall Site Size
Site size is a huge factor within the overall website price and structure. Site size refers to how many pages your website and sitemap will hold. Generally, for a small business, your website does not need to be more than 10-15 pages. This will greatly help you to have a more affordable website built, rather than an extensive 100-page site.
Web Hosting
If you decide to have a website built for your small business, you will need to have a reliable web hosting service to go along with it. Web hosting prices can vary per company, but they can start as low as $10 per month.
Site Optimization (SEO)
Making sure your website is search engine optimized is very important, especially if you want your business to show up on search engines. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to increase your overall rankings on the organic and “free” portion of search results. If SEO is done properly by a professional, it only needs to be done once. This means your website should start ranking on search engines without any additional monthly or yearly fees.
Website Copywriting
If you have never written website copy before it can be a daunting task, even if it is for your own business. The overall price of website copywriting depends on how many pages you will need content written for. Website copy has to incorporate your business’s main keywords in order to show up in search rankings. When you hire a professional website copywriter they can make sure your content is hitting the optimal keyword density while staying true to your overall brand.
Logo Design
No website or small business is complete without a solid logo design. If you need a new logo it can be very beneficial that the website company you go with also offers graphic design services. A new logo design can last your small business for years to come. Also, if you already have a logo design before seeking out a new website then you are going to save even more money!
Website Support Plan & Team
Once your new website is live, it is important to have a website support plan. With a typical website support plan, you are able to submit a variety of changes and updates for your website even after it is officially published. This allows your small business to have the opportunity to update your services, products, sales, team members, etc. without being confined to the initial published website design and layout.
Is Your Small Business Ready for a New Website?
If your small business is ready for a new and affordable website? Contact Blue Ridge Media Company in Cleveland, OH today for your customized web design solution. We’ll be more than happy to help you plan an affordable website design solution. Check out our website calculator to get started or call us at (216) 233-3009!
