“How much does website development cost in London?” is without a doubt the most commonly asked question we get at Grow. Unfortunately, the answer is not as straightforward as the question itself. It’s like asking how much is a car? For a small budget, you can buy a Nissan Micra. For a large budget, you can buy a Ferrari.

The price of a website is similar. With the advancement of technology this 2020, prices range from a few thousand pounds to hundreds of thousands. I’m going to shed some light on why this is the case, how to choose a budget that works for you, and what you should expect for your budget.

What is a Ferrari in Website Terms?

I’m glad you asked!

Consider your perfect customer. They respect you and trust you. They have high budgets and they come back to buy from you frequently. In car terms, they are the supermodel that’s attracted to your Ferrari. The supermodel isn't impressed by your Nissan Micra! You don't want that supermodel going to someone else because they have a Ferrari and you have a Nissan Micra. Not only have you lost out on the perfect customer, your competitor has gained from it. You become weaker and they grow stronger.

But what if I can’t afford a Ferrari?

If you can’t afford the best, there are still great alternatives. You might choose a Lexus, Audi or a Mazda; all great options that match your specific budget. We always buy the best we can afford, and the same applies to websites.

The One Glaring Difference

“A car is an expense but a website is an investment...a high-performance website will be the biggest source of revenue for your business”

Whilst a car is an easy analogy to make in terms of quality and type of customer you attract, it’s important to realise that a car is an expense whilst a website is an investment.

In fact, a high-performance website will become the biggest generator of revenue for your business. Consider what that would be worth to you. At the same time consider what you're currently spending on marketing and sales to generate your current revenue. If your website could surpass that and support your current revenue generating activities, again, what would that be worth.

By now you're probably starting to realise the value of a website to your business. The good news is that the investment required to achieve that is relatively small by comparison. Not only that but there are solutions for all budget appetites.

How to Calculate Your Budget

To understand what you can afford to invest in your website, you need to understand what you stand to gain from it.

I have put together a calculator in excel which will do the legwork for you. It will help you to calculate the profit you stand to generate from your website over its lifespan. You’ll then know the amount you can afford to invest in producing the best possible website for your business.

 
Download The Calculator Today To Know Your Website's Budget and Potential Profit!
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What Affects the Website Cost in 2020?

By now you probably understand that the price of a website varies quite a bit. So what is it that impacts the price? In short, it’s the complexity. The following features can have an impact:
  • Pages

    The number of pages & amount of content (including images or videos) you want to show in each.
  • Design vs. Templates

    Is each individual page designed, or are you given a template and then the developers interpret this for the rest of the site? The benefit to having each page designed is that the purpose of each page is different, as is the copy. So having a design specifically to achieve that purpose makes each page far more effective. The benefit to having a template design approach is purely cost-saving.
  • Functionality

    If you have an eCommerce site, you’ll need a lot of extra functionality on the page such as dynamic content, loading prices, multiple images, discounts, coupon codes, checkout, etc, etc! Even if it’s not eCommerce, interactive maps, live chat, or integrations with other systems all increase the complexity of the site and thus the price.
  • Phases of Development

    Sometimes to cut costs, wireframing and design are not included. I would strongly advise you don’t cut costs here, as it will greatly reduce the amount of business your site generates over the next three years.
  • Quality

    Achieving quality requires a lot of testing and attention to detail and a lot of bug fixing. This takes time and money.
  • Content

    Consider the text, images and videos that will go into the site. Who will create them? Yourself, a third party, or your agency? Either way, I would recommend that you involve your agency in the process because they can advise you on things like how to word the copy (and what length it should be), what size and ratio images need to be, and how long the videos should last.

What to Expect

Now you understand your budget, let’s look at what you should expect for your money:

Approximate Budget (GBP)

2,000 5,000 10,000 25,000 40,000 80,000+
Type of Website Company Presence Company Presence Average Website Performance Website Budget eCommerce Performance eCommerce
Who to Approach Junior freelancers
Indian subcontinent
Freelancers
Start-up Agencies
Mid-range agencies High-Level Agencies Mid-range agencies High-Level Agencies
What to Expect Embarrassing website. Drives potential customers away. Bare minimum necessary Average website, supports existing sales but doesn’t generate new sales. Optimised website that generates 30% of annual revenue. eCommerce website which supports offline retail business Can support 100% online eCommerce business. Conversion optimised
Car Equivalent 2nd Hand Nissan Micra Nissan Micra (New) Mazda / Hyundai Ferrari Mazda / Hyundai Audi

Considerations

           
User Experience       X   X
Wireframing       X   X
Design     X X    
Custom Development     X X   X
Custom Features     X (Limited) X Plugins X
Mobile Friendly     Cookie-cutter X X X
Conversion Rate Optimisation       X   X

ROI

Negative Neutral Moderate
High


Moderate

High

Once you've decided on your budget, you then need to figure out who's going to build it for you. Read this article on what to look for and how to choose the right people for the job.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Pardoe

CEO
Starting his first business at age eight, James Pardoe has been building, marketing and growing businesses ever since. He has helped hundreds of businesses double their annual revenue within a few short years.

James holds a unique combination of skills spanning business, psychology, design, development and data science. He has shaped Grow’s approach to encompass all of these disciplines, to build an ecosystem that plugs into businesses and builds sustainable long-term growth.

James is also a father of three, a consultant for Google, and a partner in a branding agency.
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