Why are websites so expensive?

Kristin Zembower • Feb 21, 2023

Top 10 Reasons Why Websites Are Pricey- and Why They’re Worth It!

You’ve decided to take the plunge and build a website for your business. But when you started researching web design and development costs, your heart sank. Realizing that website creation can cost thousands of dollars turns many away from hiring a professional company to build their website. After all, why ask professionals to do it for thousands of dollars when you can ask your friend’s cousin’s brother to create the website?



Many small business owners are wondering why websites built by professional companies are so expensive—but those who understand what goes into creating a website know that they are well worth every penny. Here are the top 10 reasons web design and development can be pricey but worth it in the long run.

1. Professional Design

Professionals know what it takes to keep someone interested in your site. You will lose potential customers if your site has poor, unengaging, and unflattering design. EZ Marketing reports that “75% of users make judgments about a company’s credibility based on visual design alone.” Think about it: would you feel inclined to stay on a website that was tricky to navigate and inconsistent with content and branding? Professional web designers have the experience, knowledge, and skills needed to create an attractive and effective website for your business.

2. RESPONSIVE DESIGN

Mobile devices have become increasingly popular in recent years, which means you need to ensure your website is optimized for mobile users as well as desktop viewers. This requires responsive web design to make sure your site looks great on any device, regardless of size or operating system. Good web designers have the professional software to ensure your site is designed with mobile, tablet, and desktop users in mind from the start- not just desktop alone. It takes a lot of extra work on the part of the designer/developer to ensure that everything looks perfect on each type of device and across multiple browsers too! 

3. Quality Content

Great content is key if you want your website visitors to stick around and engage with your site—not just skim through without reading anything or clicking any links! Professional writers understand how to craft engaging copy with SEO in mind so that Google takes notice of your content and helps boost rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs). 


Quality content includes well-written text (with no spelling or grammar mistakes), relevant images, videos, infographics, etc., all of which require time and effort to create—and cost money too!

4. SEO Optimization

If you're serious about achieving success on the web, search engine optimization is an absolute must. SEO isn’t easy and can take a lot of hard work to do properly, but it's necessary if you want your website to be competitive in today's landscape. When done well, SEO can help ensure your website shows up when potential customers search online for products or services related to your business – after all, how else are people supposed to find you? 


The challenge is knowing how to approach each aspect of SEO, such as researching keywords and incorporating them into content, optimizing titles and headings, building backlinks, creating linkable content, and so on. That’s why it pays to enlist the help of professionals who have the experience and know-how to get it right – that way, you'll have peace of mind knowing yet another task is off your plate.

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5. Security & Maintenance

Your website needs regular maintenance, such as backups, software updates, security scans/monitoring, etc., to keep it running smoothly and safely from hackers or malicious software/viruses that could damage or even destroy your site (not to mention cause serious reputational damage). You should also consider investing in an SSL certificate for added security – this helps protect customer data, such as credit card numbers, when customers buy from your site. 

6. eCommerce Solutions

Selling products online is an enticing concept, but doing so involves a lot of backend work. If you plan on selling products online, you will need a payment processing system like PayPal or Stripe integrated into the website and other features like shopping cart integration and product inventory tracking systems - all of which add up quickly. But with the right setup from a professional, you can run a profitable business on the internet that will eventually pay off the high price of website design and set-up.

7. Social Media Integration

Having a website or even just an online presence is a growing necessity in the world today, with nearly every legitimate business having a virtual storefront. Integrating social media into this online presence, however, is not only vital for reaching a larger audience, but also dramatically expands your engagement and conversation power. 


With platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter becoming central hubs for user discussion and dialogue, having them linked to your website maximizes exposure. It brings more value for potential customers, meaning that most of the time, it’s essential to hire a professional who can ensure everything from coding to design elements look perfect. From increasing public outreach to creating better brand perception – connecting websites with social media is essential.

8. Hosting and Domain Fees

When running a small business, having a unique domain can take your branding to the next level and give potential customers an easy way to find you. At first glance, a domain may seem like an unfavorable expense. However, with the help of a web design company, you can have your domain purchased for you as part of their overall package. A good domain is also seen by search engines as increasing website credibility which helps with visibility online. Additionally, domain fees may apply depending on what TLD (.com/.org/.net) you choose - some may require annual renewal fees while others are one-time purchases only! 


Alongside that, being able to use clever email addresses along with this credibility makes it easier for customers to reach out to your business and leads us towards establishing relationships that form our success. Investing in the perfect domain is essential for small business owners today and can benefit your business's growth going forward.

9. TECHNICAL SUPPORT & TRAINING

When launching a new website, you want to make sure you have proper maintenance and technical support on the back end. Investing in a web designer will provide this necessary support, ensuring your site is always running smoothly and performing at peak efficiency. The web designer can help with daily troubleshooting tasks and cover any problems that arise while also providing comprehensive training for staff members on how to use the site. It pays to have an experienced web designer as your companion when pushing live– trust them to make it all hum!

10. Analytics & Reporting

Keeping track of who visits your site and what they do while there is important information that can help you improve user experience, increase conversions, measure ROI, etc. This requires setting up analytics programs like Google Analytics, creating reports, interpreting data, etc. All of these things take time (and money!) 


Invest In Your Company’s Future Today!

Building a successful website requires planning, creativity, skillful coding language expertise—and yes—money too! Investing upfront in professional web design services will save you from headaches down the line when issues arise due to poor quality workmanship or lack of maintenance oversight. And remember, even though it might seem costly in comparison to other forms of marketing like television ads, radio spots, print publications, etc., nothing quite compares to the sheer impact of having a strong presence online. 


So whether just starting out building the very first company homepage or perhaps finally considering revamping the existing site, the benefits far outweigh the expenses incurred. Don’t hesitate to take the plunge; let the web designers at Oostas, LLCc  start creating the perfect digital platform to represent your business dreams both now and in future years to come! 


Unlike many big business web designers, we provide affordable web design options for small businesses depending on your needs and budget. Together, we can create a site that properly reflects your business and your vision! Contact us today to get started on your dream website!

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