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If you just started planning your website, the prices and options can sometimes be confusing. In this article, we listed different budget options for small business owners and what they can expect to receive for the money they pay.

There are many web design companies that offer a wide variety of options for small business owners. Choices range from very simple, do-it-yourself websites with limited options to full e-commerce powered, professional websites that include shopping carts, streaming videos and more. The right choice for you is largely dependent on the type of business you run and the amount of the budget you have. However, it is a good idea to explore all of the options and price ranges available for web design. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you always want to provide the most professional website possible. After all, your website is often the first impression your customers have of you. A good impression may bring in more business, but a bad one will turn your customers away before they even make the contact.

Budget Range from $0 to $200:

Small business owners who choose to have a very simplistic website with a minimum of features may choose to purchase or download a software package to create their own website.

A few good options for do-it-yourself web design are:

Google Page Creator (free)
Mozilla SeaMonkey (free)
Microsoft LiveOffice (free when you sign up for Office Live Small Business)

This type of web design for small business is best when the website is only needed to provide basic information, such as store location and hours. The free software provides you a template that lets you change the color and choose the layout. The upsides are that it is free or low-cost, relatively easy to use if you have some experience and you are in total control over your website design and maintenance. The downside is, unless you have the skills to write the code yourself and have an artistic eye for layout and design, your choices of designs are limited and you are likely to end up with a generic, amateur-looking website.

Bottom line: If you don’t have a budget or your budget is very limited and you have the skills and training to create your own website for your business, you may find this option very useful and cost effective.  However, be aware that you will need to spend several hours, possibly days or weeks, in setting up your website.

A different approach: WordPress
Wordpress is a blogging website that allows you update the content frequently and easily. The blog setup is easy and simple. WordPress itself is free, and there are a handful of themes and layouts you can customize to make your website. For those small business owners who want to set up a website but do not yet have a budget or the skills to build one, WordPress is a good way to get your feet wet. However, this is really a temporary solution. As your business grow, you should consider spend a little bit more money to have your website look more professional.

Budget Range $200-$500 – Template Based Design
Hiring a website developer can cost as little as $200. This is generally offered by an internet firm that offers affordable web design for small businesses by customizing existing templates. The beauty of this is that you don’t need to do the dirty job yourself. However, because of the fact that they are using templates, these people are probably not qualified graphic designers. They are doing nothing more than changing the graphics, adding pictures or modifying the banners. You will have a website that looks much like any other small business’s website on the internet. If that does not bother you, these types of companies can be found by searching Craigslist and other job boards. This type of company may or may not have knowledge of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to make your website discoverable through search engines.

Bottom line: if you don’t have the time or skills needed to set up your website and you have a small budget, this may be a good option for you.

Budget Range: $500-$1000 – Complete Custom Design
If your budget is in this category, expect the website to be completely custom designed by a qualified web designer. These designers will add custom graphics, make navigation buttons, and add your logo and other little niceties that will give your business a professional image. E-commerce and content management integration are typically not included in this budget range. However, some companies will try to squeeze them in by sacrificing the design time or using templates. However, this practice is not recommended by most website professionals, because the result is often a site that looks like a template-made, half done e-commerce site. Web design in this budget level should include basic SEO and submission to search engines.

Bottom line: Most small business owners choose this because they are able to purchase a well-designed website that is personalized for their company. This type of design is especially appropriate for service-oriented businesses or those who only sell a small number of products. A full e-commerce powered website is often overkill, but a professional, original design is always appropriate.

Budget range: $1000+ — Complete Custom Design with Bells and Whistles
Web design in this budget level should expect some advanced features such as flash pages and interactive shopping carts. A content management system should be included for frequent content updates. The designers who charge this much are usually very knowledgeable about SEO and can give you options for obtaining high Google ratings. Often, for an additional charge, these web design firms have a maintenance program that will take care of any updates for you.

Bottom line: this budget range is for those businesses that need sophisticated options on their websites and have the money to invest in them.

Final Thoughts
The budget ranges discussed here are only estimates. This gives you a good idea of what you can expect to spend; however, remember that the real world is never that cut and dry. For example, a $999 and a $1001 website may fall into two different categories in this discussion, but that does not mean the extra two dollars will bring you the full power of an e-commerce site. Some companies are able to offer more website for less money than the competition, for example, the standard web design package from EQlink Web Design is $499. Although it falls into the template price range, it actually is a complete custom site designed by qualified designers.

Something to bear in mind is that the more options you want on your website, the more you will need to factor into the web design cost. Try to have an idea of what your business really need before you seek out a web designer. This will also help you determine what type of company you want to hire to create your web design. For small business owners, the thought and care that go into the creation of your website can be critical to your success.