All Posts, Web Design, Web Development, WordPress
Most new business professionals and entrepreneurs are bootstrapping when they’re starting their new venture. Hiring a staff or agency isn’t always financially possible, and so they’ll try and learn and do as much as they can to get their business to a viable start with a limited budget. When it comes to the cost of building and maintaining a website, business professionals need to consider more than just the initial price of investment, they’ll also need to consider the quality (and functional features) and the amount of time it will take to launch. While WordPress and Squarespace have different pricing structures, there are hidden costs associated with both platforms, from time investment to ongoing maintenance.
Let’s break down the costs involved in building and running a website on each platform, so you can make an informed decision about where to invest your time and money.
WordPress: A Customizable, Pay-As-You-Go Approach
With WordPress, the cost can range widely depending on your needs and how much customization you require.
Cost Breakdown for WordPress:
1.Domain Name:
Typically you can purchase your domain for an annual cost of $10 to $20 per year. You can purchase your domain from a variety of providers, such as GoDaddy or IONOS (Formally 1and1).
2.Hosting:
WordPress doesn’t include hosting, so you’ll need to factor that in. Shared hosting plans start at around $3 to $10 per month, but if you need better performance, expect to pay for managed WordPress hosting, which can range from $20 to $100+ per month for higher traffic or resource-heavy websites. We recommend SiteGround for their great customer support, server performance, and pricing tiers.
3.Themes and Plugins:
While there are free themes and plugins available, many businesses go for premium options to achieve a more professional look and enhanced functionality. Premium themes range from $30 to $100 that may be one time or have an annual license that includes regular updates. Plugins can cost anywhere from $5 to $200+ per year depending on the functionality you need.
4.Developer Fees (Optional):
If you need custom functionality or advanced design, hiring a developer can cost anywhere from $50 to $200+ per hour. If your project requires extensive custom coding, expect a web development budget starting at $500 to several thousand dollars, depending on the complexity of your project.
5.Maintenance and Security:
Since you’re responsible for managing updates, security patches, and backups, you may want to invest in a managed service or security plugin. Budget $10 to $50 per month for these services, or more if you opt for premium backup and security solutions.
Time Investment for WordPress:
•Building the Site:
Depending on your experience, building a WordPress site from scratch can take anywhere from 20 to 100+ hours. If you’re using a pre-built theme and plugins, it will take less time, but customizations will add hours to the process. If it is your first time, prepare to spend quite a bit of time learning some technical aspects of the infrastructure setup. You’ll want to have a good idea for where you want your website to be and look initially and what growing it with additional features and functions will entail.
•Maintenance:
WordPress requires regular updates, both for the platform itself and for plugins and themes. Budget a few hours per month for this, or pay for a managed service if you want to offload the responsibility. You’ll also need to periodically monitor performance, security, and backups. Many of these tasks can be automated, and that will save you a lot of time. You can also hire an agency to monitor and maintain your website and perform the necessary updates and backups for you so that you can toss that hat away.
Squarespace: All-Inclusive with Transparent Pricing
Squarespace offers an all-in-one solution with pricing that covers hosting, design templates, and even e-commerce features if needed. While the price is more straightforward, you may end up paying more for features that come standard in WordPress via free plugins.
Cost Breakdown for Squarespace:
1.Domain Name:
Squarespace offers a free domain for the first year when you sign up for an annual plan. After that, the domain renewal costs about $20 to $40 per year.
2.Monthly Subscription:
Squarespace’s pricing is subscription-based. Plans range from $16 to $65 per month, depending on whether you need basic website functionality or more advanced e-commerce features.
- Personal Plan: $16/month – Basic website with a few pages and no e-commerce functionality.
- Business Plan: $23/month – Adds e-commerce and marketing tools.
- Basic Commerce: $27/month – Ideal for businesses selling products online.
- Advanced Commerce: $49/month – Includes advanced e-commerce features, such as abandoned cart recovery and subscriptions.
3.Design Templates and Features:
Squarespace includes a selection of high-quality, responsive templates at no additional cost. There are no additional fees for themes or templates, unlike WordPress, where premium themes are often necessary for a more polished look.
4.Additional Costs:
Squarespace’s integrated tools may reduce the need for third-party services, but some features (like advanced marketing integrations) could still require additional investment, such as paying for email marketing services or external plugins.
Time Investment for Squarespace:
•Building the Site:
Squarespace is designed for users with little to no coding experience. You can build a simple site in 5 to 20 hours, depending on how much customization and content you need to add. Most of the process involves selecting a template and adjusting it to fit your brand.
•Maintenance:
Squarespace takes care of updates, security, and backups for you. This significantly reduces the time you’ll need to spend maintaining the site. Business owners can expect to spend less than 1 hour per month on upkeep—typically updating content or adding new features.
Important Considerations for Business Professionals
1.Budget Flexibility:
If you’re operating on a tight budget, WordPress offers more flexibility. You can start with a low-cost hosting plan and add features as your business grows. Squarespace, while convenient, has fixed subscription costs that may not scale as efficiently as your site’s needs grow.
2.Time vs. Customization:
WordPress demands more time to learn, build, and maintain, but in return, you get unmatched customization and scalability. Squarespace, on the other hand, saves time with its ease of use but sacrifices flexibility. Consider how much time you can dedicate upfront and over the long term when making your decision.
3.Long-Term Growth:
If you anticipate significant growth in your business or need advanced functionality like a custom-built e-commerce system, membership site, or integrations with other platforms, WordPress is a better long-term solution. Squarespace is great for small to medium-sized businesses that value simplicity but may fall short as your business scales.
4.Tech Expertise:
If you don’t have technical expertise and don’t want to hire a developer, Squarespace is the easier, lower-maintenance option. WordPress, while powerful, requires either tech knowledge or the willingness to invest in professional support.
Our Final Thoughts on Cost and Time Involvement
When choosing between WordPress and Squarespace, it boils down to balancing cost, time, and flexibility. WordPress allows you to start small and grow with your business, but the hidden costs in development, maintenance, and plugins can add up. Squarespace provides a more predictable cost structure, but if your business outgrows its capabilities, you may need to switch platforms down the line. If you’re a business professional looking for a quick, hands-off solution, Squarespace’s ease of use is hard to beat. However, if you’re in it for the long haul and envision a website that evolves as your business grows, WordPress offers the versatility to make that happen if you’re willing to put in the time.
Not every website project is the same and so we couldn’t recommend one of these to everyone. Hopefully after reading this article and seeing the different options you now have a better idea of which platform will be best for you and your business.
All Posts, Web Design, Web Development
This is a touchy topic for some people because it involves the main thing we’re all battling with in the current economy – MONEY. Depending on how familiar you are with the web world and which side you fall on (user/consumer or developer/geek), the cost of building/creating a website can be a mystery to business owners Because it’s not just about selling you the service but helping you to understand what goes into the cost and ultimately and why you’re being charged what you are for your businesses website
Most people think its pretty easy to build a website. And for some that may be true. But for most, the key considerations are beyond their level of expertise and a designer or developer is the best options. When contracting a designer or developer, understand that you’re not paying for the technology. You’re paying for their time and knowledge. To be honest, there isn’t anything that a web designer does that anyone else cannot do. So let’s go deeper to understand what the common needs are, clarify some myths about web design and give a clear understanding of what the “time and knowledge” really provides you with.
Small Budget but Big Ideas
There are plenty of you out there that are either thinking of starting a business or at the beginning stages of developing your business. Chances are you don’t have that huge SBA loan or a stockpile of start-up cash, so penny-pinching and sweat equity is you’ll be building on. As a small, budget conscious business owner you might have a great idea in your head but are unable to bring it to life because you don’t know how to or have the necessary tools. You could spend hundreds of dollars on buying a tutorial software program, spend hours to learn from them all in hopes of a “DIY” success. Just the thought process of designing your own brand takes time. Then bringing that vision to a digital medium takes some additional time and skills. So what’s more likely is that it might be cheaper and faster (and less of a headache) to hire a designer who can make your vision a reality with a little less Advil.
Why You Don’t Know-It-All
We love these types of people. Why? Because they likely already have a plan and concepts for what you want your website to look like and convey to your consumers. Which is great that you’re that clear about your market base and what they need or want. The only drawback, is you usually believe the building process is as simple as copy and paste. Know-It-Alls sometimes will sign up for a trial version of some web-based CMS (Content Management System), built a few pages of a simple website, and now assume that it’s a quick and easy process. Like some .99 cent WYSIWYG app which can would work just the same as every app that a seasoned developer must be using. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Here’s what that time and knowledge consists of a seasoned web designer and developer offers:
- Knowing how to build page structures
- Creating responsive designs for a better user interface and user experience
- Adapting the website for optimum browser compatibility
- Ensuring all necessary software updates
- Typography for a better look and feel
- SEO
- Sitemaps
- Working with image sizing and quality
- Optimizing page loading times
- Creating content for landing pages
- and so much more
If You Want Full Control
I have no argument with clients who want to manage their websites once it is completed. The ability to update content, images, links and so on without having to contact your developer is truly ideal. We used to sell desktop programs for this back when we primarily built HTML websites to allow this indulgence. Now with WordPress, not only is the learning curve smaller, there is no cost for additional software. Now because most people aren’t looking to change the base structure of their websites; WordPress is a great option to self manager. But here’s the warning. Be aware that with a few wrong clicks or improper coding edits, you can actually break your website. These types of mistakes can render your site with a 404 error quick and in some cases may not have an easy fix. This is just one of many examples why its better to leave it to the professionals. If we break it you justifiably can yell at us!
When Time is of the Essence
There are plenty fly-by-night and quick turn around website builders out there. Also some software programs available from your local Best Buy or Office Depot, as well as online with quick setups that seem like great financial options. . I’d like to raise just a small, red flag on this seemingly time and cost-effective option. You technically don’t “own” the software. What I’ve seen happen countless times is that after purchasing the software, the software developer goes out of business. Or worse, no longer cares to update their software for the most current browsers and security loopholes. So you the consumer are left holding the empty bag and spending hours Google’ing how to fix something you had no part in creating.
So what’s the best option when you need to get online with your website within the next few days and don’t have the time to learn, study, design, or build it. Most designers and design firms can accommodate your prompt request, but may entail a slightly higher cost because of the quick turnaround.
BYOS (Bring Your Own Stuff)
If you want to see a designer or developer do a face-palm smack, tell them you need a website, but you’re not sure how many pages; don’t have any content; the pictures you have are all on your cell phone as text messages; and oh your favorite colors are all in the rainbow. Sure my example may seem a bit comical and slightly unrealistic but I can assure you those requests have come to us. Clients who come to web designers unknowingly unprepared should be prepared for higher costs as a result. Additionally some of these issues which may come up haphazardly during the development process, can require redesigns, restructuring and reorganizations, shooting the cost up even higher.
To keep costs at quoted or at priced levels, clients must BYOS or prepare to PMM (Pay More Money). Lack of preparation can also hold a project at a standstill or cause a push back the launch date. Additionally, when those requested materials are inadequate, there might be more incurred charges for the designer to find stock imagery, perform research on your industry for content as well as securing a content writing for your website. So before you sign on the dotted line, think about what you’re able bring to the table to mitigate costs, both time and money. If you’re not a great content writer, admit it and pay for someone to write for you. If you don’t have time to take product pictures, let a photographer come in and do that.
The Wrap Up
Know that most designers and developers who have been around for more than a few years, do what they do because they really get joy out of it. We enjoy seeing a happy client at the end of a project that’s excited to tell the world about their new worldwide face and presence on the web. One of Design Theory’s “theories” is that we don’t treat businesses as a one time sale. Me and each of my team members maintain good working business relationships with each of our clients. They know we’re always looking out for their best interest as we offer the right products and services to make their project a success.
If you have questions about our pricing, (or our competitors), don’t hesitate to call our office at 888.603.1090.
(image credit from RGBStock.com)
All Posts, How to, Web Design, Web Development
Found this application from Adobe recently and though to share my experience with all of you. If you’ve been in the design industry for about a year, chances are you’ve worked on or own a Mac computer. I’m not going to get into how or why Mac’s are the preferred choice in design and development, but they are. One main pain in the rear though is browser testing, and since the common browser that we mostly use is Firefox or Google Chrome, access to Internet Explorer isn’t an easy because there isn’t an app for that on the Mac OS.
So enter Adobe for creating a web-based browser simulation app called Adobe Browserlab. It is free to use, all you need is an Adobe ID that you can also get for free and use immediately. This makes for browser testing across multiple browsers a much more pleasant experience even with side-by-side comparing. For those using Dreamweaver there’s also a way to integrate Browserlab for even more testing and preview abilities during your site developments. See some of the screenshots and video below.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmU19swH7aY]
Are you already using Adobe Browserlab; well let us know your thoughts and some tips or tricks you’ve learned along the way in the comments below.
All Posts, Marketing, Social Media, Web Design
We’ve all heard the old adage, you only get out of it (a particular action) what you put into it. And that is so true when it comes to the online marketing of your business and the sweat equity you put into it. It takes time, effort and can also cost a considerable amount of cash if you have it. But if you are a frugal business owner or have fallen on hard financial times due to the economic climate, you need to review these 8 ways to promote your business online completely gratis!.
Free Social Media Resources
#1 Facebook posts need to occur on a regular basis to be effective. Most people are logged on during the prime time hours of 5-9pm. You can create quick posts about a new product or service, a free service tip or even ones that are relevant to seasonal time frames. For example, “Stay warmer longer and out of the cold less with a new SmartStart remote starter!”
#2 Blogging via your website is easy enough by adding a few paragraphs with information specific to your business or service. Adding fresh content on a regular basis will give you consistent indexing on major search engines. You can do this yourself or consider asking a friend or family member that’s a pretty good writer to put a brief article together that gives you an authoritative voice about your particular niche and hopefully a faithful following!
#3 Twitter posts are the easiest but seem to be the hardest to keep up with. Why I don’t know. But I do know is that prioritizing a few Tweets per week can help keep your business relevant in this social medium. If you just don’t have the time, there are social media management programs to help schedule postings on a daily or weekly basis.
#4 Hootsuite is a free social media management tool can help you to schedule and manage multiple Social Media networks and your daily/weekly postings. It’s free up to 5 networks and then becomes a paid service. This is a great no cost/low cost option and it’s super easy to use. Another option would be to consider asking a college student to do it for a few bucks so they can leverage it as professional Social Media management experience.
Free Website Resources
#4 merchantcircle.com holds major clout when it comes to online business networking as the largest social network for local business owners. They offer free online business listings, free marketing tools, internet advertising and so much more. It’s 100% free to set up a profile account so you can connect with other local businesses and promote your services/products.
#5 Yelp touts they are “the best way to find great local business” and true enough they are one of them. The site is well-known as the word-of-mouth for the digital world when it comes to reviews and opinions about businesses. Creating a profile is easy, smart device friendly and it is similar to Zagat, allowing consumers to rate your business. Don’t be afraid to ask your favorite and most long-term customers to add reviews to your business profile which helps increase your ratings. Remember, you will look better to consumers with 3 great reviews rather than someone who has none. But make sure you monitor your profile regularly in case someone puts something on there that’s less than becoming. You want to be able respond timely to anything that’s said which could affect your business’ reputation.
#6 Google Places helps consumers, much like Yelp, to help choose the right businesses based on their needs. These searches focus on geographically locating your personal needs in the areas of food, service industries and more. Here you can add photos, videos, coupons and even weekly specials all on your Place Page.
#6 Google+ Profile Business Page is another great tool by Google helps you find, share, rate, and recommend your business to their friends, and people across the web. But here’s the real gold nugget value – on this site you can also hold free customer meetings via 1 to 1 or even a 10-way video meeting called Google Hangouts. You can even stream and record conversations for playback later.
#8 A Free YouTube Channel for your business will allow you to upload your videos and market via your own channel! Plus you can really leverage this medium by programming certain settings and keywords to make your channel appear in people’s online searches. Not sure what kind of video to shoot? Consider educating your consumers via a Tips Video with several how-to’s or why choose your business infomercials. For example, if you’re an automobile service business, give a how-to-tell if your tire has a real flat or if it’s just the outdoor temperature affecting the pressure.
Last Tips
-Unless you want to pay someone to do the work for you, it sill takes a consistent effort of rolling up your sleeves and getting these resources to work for you.
-Remember, the goal is to create engagement and grow your online business presence leveraging these free online tools.
-Be consistent in your business descriptions across all these mediums so that search engines pull the same company information about your business.
-Keep in mind that with these resources, there’s no “set it & forget it” recipe. Even with Hootsuite, you’ll need to follow-up on your postings to check for comments and post responses to those consumer comments.
-You aren’t going to see dollar-for-dollar return on these efforts & the time investment you put into it. But I am confident that within 6 months, you will be surely see the fruits of your labors with leads and consumer recognition.
-Pace yourself so you don’t burn out and remember, slow and steady still wins the race all the way to the successful business finish line.
All Posts, Content & Copywriting, Marketing, Web Design, WordPress
Let’s lead in with a fact shall we? The Online Publishers Association (OPA) research has found that 57 % of technology users time is spent accessing content via the mobile Web, while the remaining 43 % is spent accessing content via apps. Wow, one wonders what the future of PC’s will be at those increasing rates of usage of mobile devices in a manner that was once relegated to PC’s. Don’t bother pondering too long because according to Peter Thompson’s recent article it has been predicted that during 2013, mobile devices will overtake PCs as the most common technology to access the Internet. That means smartphones & handheld device content will remain hand-in-hand and maintain quite the profitable marriage this coming year.
What it Looks Like
Based on the statistics above, the mobile device viewing of web content is growing at astronomical rates. Because of this, mobile operating systems and device specific websites require optimized content and high-quality imagery resolution for smartphone & tablet users. So most web designers and content writers are trading in their traditional methods of web marketing (including HTML sites) and traveling down the aisle with other tools on their arms such as WordPress and SEO-rich platforms.
Entertainment Content
Now a days, “infotainment” (which is information-based media content or programming that also includes entertainment content in an effort to enhance popularity with audiences and consumers) is a premier reason enhanced mobile devices screen resolutions need to be what iPad with Retina display has achieved for games, music and video. And just when you thought that was a match made in heaven, Chris Yewdall informed us that coming in 2015, software & mobile device giants like Samsung & HTC are releasing 3D phones that will not only enable consumers to shoot 3D content but to consume 2D content in 3D. AND to watch the converted 3D content on their TV’s. All of this innovations help us escape from the daily grind and enhance users experience.
Free Apps
Although most weddings cost a fortune, when it comes to espousal of apps & mobility, cost-free remains the key to our hearts. Many note that with the current economy, customers are increasingly on the hunt for free apps. Recent statistics show that Android free apps will continue to outnumber free iPhone apps into 2013. According to DISTIMO, a leader in app analytics, there are now more free apps available for Google’s mobile OS than the iPhone.
Purchase Power On The Go
After honeymoon bliss, couples go about the business of daily living and with most of our time spent on the go, our lives require mobile purchasing power. The ability to make purchases when the customer is “on the go” requires mobilized versions of websites that are fully functional but with quick and easy purchasing directives. Vivid imagery & engaging content are required to move the consumer from enticed to committed buying making on-device purchasing easy & effective.
Jumping the Broom with Cars?
Getting hitched on the physical & technological mobility bandwagon, Hyundai is taking us to another level! Ready for release in 2015, this car manufacturer will be coupling smartphone technology with their vehicles via the Hyundai Connectivity Concept. This new innovation is designed to wirelessly mirror the contents of your smartphone directly within your vehicle. By 2015, Hyundai says it can replace a conventional key fob with the consumers’ smartphone to lock/unlock doors by placing it over the NFC (Near Field Communications) sticker on the window or door. Inside, the smartphone is placed in a docking station within the center console where it activates the user’s profile & streams content to a touchscreen that displays all of the user’s music, radio stations and phone contacts. It can even control the navigation and various other on-board infotainment and telematics systems. Yes all that while recharging the phone’s battery wirelessly. And here’s the real gift of this technology and user interface nuptial, multiple users and their individual smartphones can access the same car in the same way.
So there you are folks…technology wed to content equals blissful & entertaining engagement for us.
