Next, you should consider the cost of developing the website; this can be accomplished in one of two ways.

Option 1: Do it yourself.
Option 2: Hire a web design company or developer to create and manage your website.

DIY Website Development

If you are already a web developer or have sufficient experience of building website or blogs then this is the cheapest, easiest option. However, if you don’t have any knowledge of web development, this could be the most expensive and time-consuming option. You will have to purchase all the development and design software, learn to use it, and then be able to produce a e-commerce-quality website that will stand comparison with your competitors – a hard thing to accomplish! I admit that this is exactly what I did when I first got into e-commerce but back then the standard of development was not as high as it is now, and there were far fewer competitors in every niche. Your choice.

Outsourcing

Obviously, the fees for development will vary depending on the size and skills of the company or developer you hire.

Expect to pay at least $750 for a simple 5 page website if you use a local company. As a way to estimate, figure on a $100 per page. This is an average price. Some companies end up paying more, depending on the complexity of their website.

For example, a website designed to display photographs and text is relatively simple to create, while a website that includes archiving capabilities, live databases, e-commerce capabilities and other interactive tools can be quite time-consuming to create and will cost more money.

Outsourcing your development work offshore is becoming much more of a reasonable and practical option. Using outsourcing services, such as Elance (www.elance.com), can considerably reduce your development and maintenance costs.

The other option involves creating a website on your own, using design software programs. With such software, it takes only basic computer literacy skills to create a website from scratch. It is really a matter of learning the program you have chosen.

You may also choose to use a template website, typically found in some hosting packages. With such a website, you can choose your website design from a collection of website templates.
WWW.ELANCE.COM

There are a few initial start-up costs associated with creating a new website, but in most cases, the entire website will cost less than $175 to create and maintain for the first year. After the website is developed, yearly maintenance costs average less than $75 per year, although that will depend on the amount of content updating etc. required.

Another benefit from opting to create a website on your own, apart from the lower cost, is the ability to create the website exactly the way you want it to be. When working with a designer, your vision can get lost or misinterpreted.

I’d like to hear what you’ve got to say about business website development. Please leave a comment…