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Is a Custom Website Worth the Price?

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Today, a website serves as the digital storefront into your business and develops the first impression with your audience. High-quality, custom websites showcase your services/products, tell your brand’s story, and give people easy steps to taking the next step with you. The price of a website varies based on the features, size, and type, but a custom website can run toward the expensive side.

If you are currently experiencing sticker shock from a website proposal, here are some things to consider to determine the value of a custom website.

Functionality

A website can fit any budget, but not every website at all price tags will function the same way. For example, an eCommerce website will act differently than a static blog website, and the more complex a website is, the more likely it will cost more.

Keep in mind, a more robust, expensive website will more likely lead to more conversions and sales, which would pay for itself in the long run.

Security

Keeping your website secure from spam, hackers and malware are crucial to protecting your visitors and digital reputation. Security is even more critical if you are collecting customer information through forms or orders, and investing in a high-quality website will protect this sensitive information.

A secure website starts with a professional developer building it the correct way and adding additional security plugins to make sure everything is sound. Once the website is live, getting on a maintenance plan for site backups and ongoing monitoring needs to be in place. We often say that a website is not a one-off project, and ongoing maintenance is absolutely necessary for not just security, but digital success as well. While this can get expensive over time, keeping your website and visitors safe is well worth it.

Custom Design

At GreenMellen, our websites are each custom-designed to meet the needs and goals for our clients, as well as make sure the user experience is as seamless as possible. Website templates through Squarespace or Wix are still a good option for businesses on a budget who simply need a small website. Still, they will have to accept that their website will have to fit within a pre-built template with minimal customization and refinements to ensure a successful user experience.

If having a unique website is vital for your business, it will likely lead to a higher cost. The tradeoff is an aesthetically appealing and one-of-a-kind website that can set you apart from the competition.

Speed

Choosing a host for your website is something to consider when thinking about the price of your website, and we suggest particular hosts based on how quickly they can load sites. While there are plenty of ways to tune up your site’s speed, allocating money to a good host will ensure your website matches your user’s expectations when it comes to loading times.

In addition, a custom website will typically load faster than a template-based site. With a custom site, you get precisely what you need, whereas, with many templates out there, you’ll get a ton of options and end up with a degree of unused bloat on your site that will slow things down.

Business Development Features

We’d argue that a high-quality website is certainly an investment in your business’s success. No matter how much money you save on your website, none of that will matter if it’s not attracting new customers or generating revenue. Custom websites often include even more strategy behind it, ranging from SEO and email marketing to custom search functionality and interactive images. All of these features work together to expand your reach, push users down the sales funnel, and grow your business.

A custom website does come with a higher price tag, but if you look at it from the perspective of strengthening your online reputation, it will pay for itself over time. As we stated in this post, not every business will need this kind of website, but if you’re interested in a ballpark price for your dream website, contact us today for a quote.

About the Author

Brooke Desmond

Communications Manager
With a passion for all things digital marketing, Brooke aims to give a unique perspective on the latest trends and ideas in this ever-changing space.

View Brooke's Profile

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