Written by Merlijn Broersma 10 January 2020
If you have a look at various web designers, then you’ll notice right away that their prices vary enormously

Whereas some freelancers already offer a website for a few hundred euros, others easily ask thousands of euros. At first glance this might appear excessive, but you have to keep in mind that a good web design can exponentially boost your marketing, especially if you already have a working product and/or customer base. Because your web design determines the first impression, user friendliness, and conversion rate of your website, it can increase the yield of every marketing activity.

What do you get with a Cheap website?

Yet, it is possible to make a website for a few hundred euros. Our cheapest option at Rocket Minds, the Basic Website, already starts at €500. What makes this website option so cheap is a template design, no CMS, only 1 design revision round and no extra functionalities, integrations, and SEO services. However, a template design is available to anyone and without a CMS you cannot easily add or change your content. However, this is a perfect option if you want a relatively good website in a short time.

CMS and extra functionalities

Do you want to have a modern CMS (Content Management System), then the price starts at €800 higher, and if you want a personalized design, SEO services, and a few modules integrated, then your website price starts at €1450.

If you want that your website contains retail functions, the price starts at €1200 for a webshop. Do you want to add personalized functionalities then the price raises depending on the complexity of your wishes. All these differences depend on the basic functionalities of your website and whether your web design is selected from a template database or designed specifically for you.

What Are the Costs for Making a Website? | Rocket Minds
Design according to your branding

In our website development, we always make sure that it is easy to use. Your website can be delivered in Joomla, Drupal, or (custom) CMS of your choice. In this, we will integrate your CMS with the right plug-ins so you can realize your goals and easily manage your own website.

What Are the Costs for Making a Website? | Rocket Minds
Easy management system (CMS)

Depending on your wishes, the cheapest option is to let us develop your website with a custom CMS tailored to your specific needs.

What Are the Costs for Making a Website? | Rocket Minds
Modules & functionalities

There is more to the development of a professional website that just the integration of a CMS and the creation of a conversion oriented design. In order to interact (communicate, sell, convince) with your visitors, the website can be integrated with chat or ticket services, a payment system, or any other module that facilitates visitor interaction.

What Are the Costs for Making a Website? | Rocket Minds
SEO & visibility

After the website is delivered, you will always receive additional support. Depending on the type of website, you will get instructions on how to use your CMS, how to work with the links and tools that are integrated, and about the other services that your website relies on.

Visitor experience

The big difference after having a CMS and custom web design comes from the professionalism, user friendliness, technical quality, and creativity of your website. In this, the expertise, support, and amount of employees of the web design agency play a big role.

But, as website requestor you just want that your website does what you buy it for – selling, convincing, informing, generating leads, and so on. In this, it is not about what you or the designer think or like, but what your visitors experience: whether they navigate your website easily, know what you offer, and understand how they can get this.

Conversion oriented design

In order to satisfy your visitors, it is important that you invest in user friendliness, technical quality, and expertise. These elements combined ensure that you attract visitors to your website (SEO) and that they’ll become actual customers and/or clients (conversions). So, for a good – and not just a pretty – website, you pay for the time that it costs to be able to realize your (organization) goals via an online platform.

  • 1
    Acquaintance: e-mails, (online) phone calls
  • 2
    Personal meeting or online conference call + preparation
  • 3
    Research
  • 4
    Drafting quotation + contact about the details
  • 5
    Studying similar websites and aspects that you would like to have in your website
  • 6
    Wireframing of the most important webpages, client approval, and revisions
What Are the Costs for Making a Website? | Rocket Minds
  • 1
    Designing usually takes a few days and requires various internal meetings
  • 2
    Design approval by the client, contact, and design revisions
  • 3
    Programming of the design into a responsive website: a few days to a few weeks, depending on the complexity

    Depending on the complexity of the website, this can be done in a few days but also take a few weeks.

  • 4
    Responsive website design, revisions, and approval by the client
  • 5
    Integrations of the content (1-2 days), or copywriting services (a few days – a week)
  • 6
    Integrations of external systems (e.g. payment system, stock management, Google Analytics)
  • 7
    Activation of the functionalities (e.g. contact forms, social media buttons, newsletter sign up)
  • 8
    Testing + final revisions
  • 9
    Website delivery and going live
  • 10
    Aftercare: bug fixing, maintenance and/or marketing
Marketing costs

Finally, there are optional costs for making photos, and marketing (e.g. SEO, AdWords, landing pages, e-mail advertising).

The price of your website will thus be determined by all these steps multiplied by the hourly rate (depending on the CMS and the complexity of your desired functionalities). As a result, a good website costs between €2.500 – €5.000 and complex online platforms can cost even more.

How much should I spend on my website?

In the end it depends on what phase you business is in. Did you just start and do you need a website ASAP? Then go for a Basic Website with CMS so you can be online fast and have the ability to grow the website with new content and marketing activities. However, do you already have a product and/or target group and do you want that your website helps you realize bigger goals? Then don’t save on your website and invest in a web design that will continue to support your business and marketing efforts in the long run.

Regardless of your goals, never save too much on your hosting provider. Hosting services can be the difference between 3 or 1.2 seconds loading time (which is a lot from the user's perspective). Besides, fast websites rank better in Google and are more user friendly. This ensures that more people find your website, and that they stay on it longer while performing more actions. Finally, we always recommend getting a maintenance package to ensure the up-time, back-ups, security, and support of your website at all times.