Thinking of Redesigning Your Website?
Updated: Feb 18, 2020
The bottom line...
How much work is going to go into your new website will determine its cost.
More specifically, the two things to consider are the complexity and size of the project.
For example, a finished product 5-10 page website with few functionalities beyond a “contact” page will definitely cost less than a 40-50 page website that has a ton of functionalities like online payments, scheduling, etc.
Depending on the size, scope, and functionality, a small business can spend less than $1,000 or all the way up to $10,000 and beyond.
That’s a wide variety of prices! In this report, we’re going to be getting into the details so that you can get a tangible idea of what your specific website will cost to redesign.
The 2 Main Options
DOOR #1: Hiring a Professional Web Designer
Let’s face it - most small businesses are just straight up busy. In addition to that, redesigning a website requires a skill set that some people don’t have. If the thought of doing anything techy gives you a headache or you just can’t find the time to make it happen, then you should simply hire someone to do it for you.
That’s all there is to it!
But finding the right person to do the job for you can be tricky. For instance, if you look at a lot of web designer websites out there you’ll find they often:
Don’t list their prices
Show prices in a crazy range so you don’t know what you’re getting into
Lucky for you, we’ve put in the work and done the deep digging to give you this report with everything you need to know about getting your site redesigned for the best price.
After a lot of looking and compiling of data, the median range for a small business full website redesign is in the $3,000 to $6,000 range. However, it can go to $20,000 and up if it’s a large site with a lot of bells and whistles.
In order to get you a good idea of what you’ll be spending on a full website redesign, you need to understand…
What factors affect the cost?
Glad you asked!
BONUS TIP:
If that $3,000 to $6,000 made your heart stop, ask the designer if they have any kind of financing plans. Most will be more than happy to help you out in that way!
1. Number of Pages
A lot of website design firms will offer a flat rate for a certain number of pages (something like $4,000 for a standard 10 page website).
These packages might help some people, but what will it cost to add on extra pages if you need them?
For most situations you can count on somewhere in the $100 to $200 range per extra page beyond a company’s standard rate. Somewhere in there is pretty typical.
So if you pay $4,000 for that 10 page package and you still needed an extra 5 pages added on, you could probably plan on spending between an additional $500 to $1,000 for those extra pages.
That number will vary, obviously. But this gives you an idea of what you’re looking at.
2. Customizing Layout
Most website designers begin their design from a premade template. This is good news for you as the business owner in need of a redesign because it means you will pay less upfront and your website will get done faster!
If the template gets you a little over half-way to finished, the website designer is being paid for the rest of the customization required to make that website exactly what you’re looking for.
Keep in mind, the more customization you require, and the more complex that customization is, the more expensive it will be.
3. Graphics and Images
We live in a visual world. You have just a few precious seconds to capture a website visitor’s attention before they’re gone. This is an area where you do not want to skimp.
If you want plenty of custom images, slideshow or videos, then you will be paying more. However, this is one expensive that will definitely pay off in the long run!
4. Programming - Further Customization
Depending on the functionality you need for your website, there is most likely an app for that (literally!). But if there isn’t, it may require some specialized custom programming.
Decide just how important the functionality is before charging ahead. It could end up saving you quite a bit if you can make do with an existing application or plugin.
5. Revision Rounds
Just like any kind of design work, you probably won’t get the final version on the first try.
A designer will typically deliver a first go at the website (a rough draft) and request that you give it a look and let them know what changes you would like to see.
The majority of the time, 1 or 2 revisions are all it takes to dial things in to your liking. Just make sure you discuss the price of revisions before getting started.
A lot of designers will just include a couple revisions in the starting price. At Invicta, we have a “until the customer’s 100% happy” policy - in other words, the price of a website redesign includes as many revisions as it takes to make you totally happy with the finished product.
6. Content Creation
The goal of your website is to convert visitors into clients. But you can’t do that without stellar sales copy throughout the site.
You’ve probably seen websites that focussed on everything BUT their copywriting. Not very engaging, is it?
That’s why the copywriting of your website is as important, if not more important, than the design of the site. I’ve got over half a million words written under my belt so I think I can safely say - your website copy matters!
Creating engaging, motivating content for your website, or else reworking existing copy into something more effective, will be money well spent in the long run.
BONUS TIP:
Remember - you get what you pay for! This goes for websites too. If the going rate is between $3,000 to $6,000 and you see a deal where you can get a site for only $299.99, stop and ask yourself - will what you get be the kind of quality that you need?
DOOR #2: Going Solo - Designing a Site on Your Own
If you are not the type to be scared of a computer and are ready to get your hands dirty (digitally speaking:), then this door might be for you.
It’s not as scary as it seems, plus it isn’t necessarily super pricey.
Here’s the basics of what you’ll need to get going:
A Domain Name:
This is the URL that people will use to find your site. Usually you are looking at somewhere between $10 to $20 for a year long domain name registration.
You can get a domain from NameCheap.com, GoDaddy.com, HostGator.com, or a ton of other registrars. I personally use Name Cheap for most of my domains. Quick, easy, & they have great customer support.
Hosting Your Website:
Again, there are tons of options out there and the price will vary. But for basic hosting, you’ll be in the $100 to $200 range for a year.
If you are the more techy side of things and are planning on going the traditional WordPress route, then HostGator, GoDaddy, or BlueHost are all pretty safe options.
If you need to beef things up a bit, you could check out SiteGround or WPengine. Keep in mind, these more powerful options will put you in more like the $300 to $500 per year range. However, you don’t really need to worry about upgrading until you are getting a lot (think hundreds of thousands) of traffic.
Choosing a CMS:
CMS stands for Content Management System. These are the real plug-and-play versions of web design like Wix.com, Squarespace.com, and Weebly.com.
If you’re not on the techy side of things or just don’t want to go with WordPress, these might be a good option for you. Just keep in mind you’ll be paying more for the convenience ($150 to $350 per year, potentially more especially if you have an ecommerce website).
Security - Your SSL Certificate:
You know that little padlock symbol that you see in the URL address bar of your browser? That’s important. It tells visitors that their data is safe and makes Google trust your site more (always a good thing!).
For a basic certificate, you’re looking at a mere $10 per year in most instances. There are more expensive options but they’re not super necessary unless you’re dealing with a lot of sensitive data all the time on your site.
A lot of website hosts and CMSs actually offer a free SSL certificate as part of their hosting package.
Your Website Theme - Going Premium:
Be ready to spend between $100 and $150 if you want to really upgrade the look of your site. If you really want to make your site stand out, it’s definitely worth it to invest in a premium theme. Plus it will give you a lot more options in the future and prevent headaches down the road.
Plugins - Going Premium:
Prices range from $100 to $200 for premium plugins. Whether you need forms or really nice looking galleries, investing in a quality plugin (that doesn’t have its own branding displayed!) just gives your website that special something.
Going for the free ones can be a time drain and a headache.
Photos:
$50 to $200 for enough photos for a full site. Probably more if you want videos too.
Like I mentioned before, we live in a very visual world. You have to have your pictures on point.
If you already have good quality photos or a nice camera, then you should be pretty well set.
You can get free photos from websites like:
Pexels.com (they have free stock videos too)
Problem with free sites is that sometimes you’ll see *your* photo on a competitors website…
Awkward!
So it might be worthwhile to spend some money on your photos from
And of course there’s always Shutterstock.com
REMEMBER:
You cannot use just any old image you find in a Google image search. You can get dinged for copyright infringement.
Continued Learning:
If designing websites is not your main expertise, then you are probably going to need to spend some money on learning the ropes. You can spend $20 for a cheap course or you can spend $200 to $500 for more in depth learning.
Since website design is a constantly changing art, make sure to set aside some money because you know what they say…
You’re never done learning!
Sum Total:
For a DIY site, you will most likely end up somewhere in the $300 to $800 range depending on all the factors we just talked about.
However, that price range is not taking into account your most valuable resource…
Your time.
For a typical site, don’t be surprised if it will end up taking you between 25 to 45 hours of effort to get the kind of quality you’re hoping for. Keep in mind too, that timeframe is based on someone who has a pretty good existing grasp of building websites.
If you’re a total newbie, then you’re probably closer to 80 or 90 hours of work to get it done.
The whole process is very time consuming, especially if you’re having to learn the process by trial and error along the way.
If you’re at the point where you have more time than money, or if you can’t use that time to a more profitable end at the moment, then the DIY method might be best for you.
Some More Things to Consider...Updating, Upgrading, Maintaining, Etc.
So you’ve designed the perfect website. Now time to kick back and watch the new clients roll in…
Right?!?
Sadly, no. It’s not quite that easy.
Think of it like purchasing a house - once you’ve bought it, you have to keep maintaining it, investing more time and money in it so that it stays looking pretty and doing its job.
Remember your website domain name & the hosting and/or CMS that we talked about? That is a yearly fee. Then if you get a premium theme or premium plugins, most of those also have yearly licensing fees.
Over time, you’ll need to update images, videos, content, add pages as you grow and expand.
Maintaining security is also very important and takes time and effort to make sure everything is up to date and operating correctly. Gotta watch out for those hackers! Will you be able to handle things if your website gets hacked? What if it crashed? Do you know how to back-up your site?
Again, if you have more time than money, or if your time can’t be spent in a more profitable way, then you can totally do all of this stuff.
Another option is to purchase a monthly website maintenance package ($50 to $400 per month depending on how much support you need). If you don’t need things on a monthly basis, then you can just hire a web developer on an hourly basis (probably between $100 to $175 per hour).
In addition to all of that, these days...
A Website is No Longer Enough
I know - this may seem like blasphemy coming from a website designer. But think of it like this…
Most websites are like billboards - they sit there and hope that someone drives by, looks at the billboard, wants what the billboard offers, then takes action based on that info.
That’s a lot of ‘ifs’ - don’t you think?
The companies that are really crushing it in today’s business world are going beyond billboard websites and creating funnels.
Basically a funnel is a specific step-by-step process that takes someone from a potential client to a paying client by providing value, meeting their needs, and building a relationship and trust from the get-go.
The whole fu