|
What are the
Elements of a Website and What do they
Cost?
Many people think that if
you get a website, you will get rich, you will be on a level playing field
with major companies and everything is free. If you want to be part
of the Internet Revolution, you must be aware that the Internet is just
another form of advertising. It is true that costs are far lower then
running a brick and mortar store but by no means is it free. There is a
cost involved for starting, promoting and selling your products or
services online.
If you wish to open your
own online business, you should expect an minimum initial investment
starting under $100.00 if you do it all yourself and around $75.00 -
$120.00 per hour from most major companies. See our low Service Rates
below if you want us to assist you.
Once your website is up and
running, promotion of your website is your most
expensive cost. When compared to opening a small store where
overhead will run thousands of dollars a month, the cost for your Internet
business is just pennies on the dollar.
Website costs can be
deceptive. A site with many annoying graphics is not necessarily more
expensive. Often, the more natural a site feels, the greater care and hard
work went into its construction.
Quality does show through,
but quality doesn't always cost as much as you might think. The key is
determining what elements are most important in your case, and spending
appropriately.
We have broken out some
typical Website cost categories and thrown in a range of costs for each.
Some firms may give you a proposal entirely on this basis, while others
will break out overhead and management costs so that you can see where
your money is going.
Domain Registration:
A small, but sometimes overlooked
expense in Website development is domain name registration. Our prices
start under $10.00 a year. Depending on
the type of site, you may also want to register domain names for .com,
.net, .org, and possibly domain names that are variant spellings.
Hosting & Email:
There are a broad range of cost-effective hosting opportunities that will
free you of the burden and cost associated with maintaining a server
in-house
-
Hosting Plans start
below $10.00 a month
Ideal for most individuals and small business. Featuring up to 200 GB
disk space, up to 2,000 GB bandwidth, database(s) and FREE scripts
-
Virtual Dedicated Server Plans
start below $40.00 a month
Convenience and cost-effective server control. Featuring up to 50 GB
disk space, up to 2,000 GB bandwidth, up to 3 dedicated IP addresses,
and full admin access
-
Dedicated Server Plans
start below $80.00 a month
The ultimate in performance and server control. Featuring an Intel®
Celeron®, Pentium®, or Core™ 2 duo processor, up to 2,000 GB bandwidth,
up to 2 X 300 GB disk drivers, up to 2 GB RAM, and full admin access
Web Design & Graphic
Design:
This should be
one of the most important elements in the creation of your Website, yet is
often taken for granted. A poorly designed site will drive people away. A
site that is difficult to navigate will only frustrate visitors. It is
true that unless you're trying to compete in a very tight market, you
don't need to spend as much as the major corporations. However, first
impressions are sometimes the most important, and this is no less true of
how a first time visitor to your Website. Of course, you want to convey a
look that is a reflection of your organization's personality, mission, and
goals. Remember that many times "less is more". At a very low cost,
starting below $400.00 dollars, we can produce a site that looks adequate for many
basic purposes. Note: Many custom design web development firms typically start at
$3,000 (just for the design elements) and can cost more than $500,000 for
high end sites.
Content & Graphics
Maintenance:
A Website,
once up, will not stay current all by itself. The more up-to-date your
content is, the more quickly it will go out-of-date. Design elements will
change if your organization changes its image. And Website technology will
continually raise the expectations of your target market, demanding that
you stay current as well. Whether you include the costs of maintaining
your site upfront are up to you, but be aware that they do exist and you
will be facing them.
Our Service Rates
based adjustments needed in a single month:
Online Marketing:
Marketing online is a very fluid endeavor.
Marketing should begin in the design phase and go from there. For
instance, design elements such as text on the front page, meta-tags,
page titles, and keywords provide for maximum placement with search
engines. Once a site is up, it should be registered with all the
major search engines, any specialized search engines, industry specific
lists, and cross-linked to related sites whenever possible. Regular site
submission is recommended to keep your site promoted to the search
engines Cost starts around $35.00 a month with an annual contract.
E-commerce Site
Development:
If your
product is entirely electronic, or you are soliciting contributions or
membership fees, there are solutions that can be put in place for less
than $100 per month. These solutions are flexible and can be easily
customized to fit into a professional, custom-built site. If you are
offering a catalog on-line, you will need a merchant account, shopping
cart, and catalog. These are typically custom-built into a site. The costs for
our custom shopping cart starts around $300 plus $10.00 per item added. You will also have to consider the
costs of a merchant account so you can take credit cards.
TVADV.COM is
here to work with you and help keep your costs under control. Please feel
free to
Request
Information on how we can help
you get started with your own Home-Based online business!
|