In a recent article, we discussed the costs of building a mobile app. Now it is time to address the “elephant in the room” – what does it cost to build a website? If you are just starting a business, or you are looking to rebuild your current setup, there are a few things to consider:
- Do you have designs or do you just want to use a template?
- What functionality will your new website have?
- Will you have a Web Shop, or is your new website purely promotional?
- What kind of data will you collect from your users?
- How much control over your content and UI will you need?
These are just a few of the most basic questions you should expect from any web agency or developer, as they all affect the price.
But don’t worry, in this article, we will discuss a few price ranges for 4 different website setups, based on complexity, functionality, and development time needed. So, by the end of this post, you should have a good grasp of what you should expect if you want to build a new website for your business.
Let’s jump right in!
I want to build a website – how much would it cost me?
A quick disclaimer – price ranges are not precise estimations and will not ensure that your website will cost an exact amount of money. In fact, depending on your expectations, your needs, and the number of changes you bring to the scope during development, the price can go up or down.
That said, the price ranges presented below are purely informational and should give you an idea of what you can expect.
1. CMS based websites – Price range DKK 20.000 – DKK 100.000
Content management systems like WordPress or Drupal are basically Lego sets for websites.
They come with predefined user interfaces and functionality that developers put together to build a website that meets your needs. Because the building blocks are already built, there is less development involved, therefore the costs are significantly lower.
For example, one of our partners, CEO Clarity, needed a simple promotional website so the main functions of the website are to present information, allow visitors to subscribe to a newsletter, and book a meeting or a call with CEO Clarity founder, Kim Schrøder.
The website was built in WordPress, which is free and uses Elementor as a page builder, which comes with both a free version as well as very affordable yearly fees.
Moreover, Kim also avoided quite a lot of costs involving building a set of designs from scratch as he opted for choosing a pre-built theme.
But, CMSs like WordPress are also a good option for more complex platforms as well, such as eCommerce websites, web apps using multiple languages, etc. And they can also accommodate custom designs and not just a template.
One such website that our team worked on is egn.com. In their case, EGN uses a WordPress feature called Multisite that basically allows them to create a network of sites controlled from one admin panel.
This gives EGN greater control over their brand image and a much easier way to add a new site to their network as they expand their internationalization.
EGN also wanted new designs created from scratch and extra functionality such as user login, an event management feature where they promote online and offline events users can sign up to, chat integration, and so on.
For content and layout management they too use Elementor, however, their requirements are more extensive than CEO Clarity, so EGN opted for the Expert plan.
As you can see from these two examples, CMS-based websites come in all shapes and sizes but are usually quite simple, and can take anything between two weeks to three months to set up and test.
And, depending on the development time and the amount of testing needed, this type of project can cost somewhere between DKK 20.000 – DKK 100.000.
2. Custom-developed MVP – Price Range DKK 100.000 – DKK 500.000
One example of a custom-developed MVP built by the Wiredelta team is Billy’s solution for automated annual reports. Billy wanted to simplify a rather tedious and stressful process for their users by reducing the input needed from them and use existing data to speed up things.
Custom-developed projects like this are usually built on more complex technologies than a simple CMS. In this example, we used Angular 4 and NodeJS. But the main point is that everything is built from the ground up.
And because it is all done from scratch, this type of custom-developed MVP usually takes somewhere between 3 to 6 months and costs something in between DKK 100.000 – DKK 500.000.
3. Custom-developed complex web apps – Price Range DKK 500.000 – DKK 1.500.000
Custom-developed complex web apps, as the rather long title suggests, are more than just simple MVPs. They require extensive functionality, their designs are custom and built from scratch, and involve a lot of testing.
For example, another EGN project our team worked on was the Members’ Universe, or EGN MU, which is a simplified version of Facebook, Quora, Eventbrite, and LinkedIn combined for executives. It uses NodeJS and Angular, and it provides a full admin panel, functionality to control groups, manage users, create events, create group admins, and more.
MU also integrates several microservices such as the Activity microservice that collect data about a user’s action log – when have they last been logged in, if they logged out, etc., – and also a media microservice that allows them to upload files from their devices.
Advanced web apps like this are basically the next step after your MVP took off and you are ready to build your dream platform and depending on their complexity, they can take anywhere between 6 months and a year. They are also more costly and could come with a price tag between DKK 500.000 and DKK 1.500.000.
4. Highly complex web apps – +1.500.000
Similar to Highly complex mobile apps, web apps in this category are extremely complex, most times they require both manual and automated tests, may include AI or machine learning within the functionality, and even the designs are not your ordinary static designs.
An example of such platforms can be an eCommerce platform like Amazon or Netflix, which includes several customer journey combinations, AI-powered recommendation algorithms, Machine learning algorithms that track user activity and personalized experiences for each user, complex user logins, and account management options, and more.
Needless to say, a web app like this is by far the most complex platform one can opt for, and as a result, they do not come cheap. Their prices can start at least DKK 1.500.000, and the development and testing time will exceed one year, based on each situation.
Summing up
Building a web app can be a simple task, or a true adventure, depending on your needs, your budget, your deadlines, and more importantly, your users’ expectations. If you only need a simple platform to promote your business, a CMS website (DKK 20.000 – DKK 100.000) might be the best solution for you.
But, if you are looking to so9lve a niche problem, like Billy did, and you lack the budget, the recommended option is to go with an MVP (DKK 100.000 – DKK 500.000) They are quick to build, they are the less risky option, and they won’t bankrupt you if they don’t succeed. And if your MVP does take off, you can easily build on top of them or start over and build an even better platform.
However, if you already built your MVP and it was a massive success and now want to turn your platform into a dream platform, as EGN did with MU, be prepared. It will take a bit of time to develop, and a complex custom-developed web app like that will cost you a fair bit (DKK 500.000 – DKK 1.500.000).
And if you are planning to take Netflix out of the market, you will need more than DKK 1.500.000 and start getting to know your developers, because you will work together for at least one year, so get comfy.
That said, the most accurate way to find out how much it would cost to build any web app is to discuss with different agencies and see your options. And remember to be forthcoming about your budget, deadlines, expectations, and requirements – the more transparent you are the easier it is for them to provide an accurate estimation.
And if you need more assistance or a second opinion, book a free consultation with us. Our expert team is ready to help you plan the most optimal solution for you and your business.
