9 minutes. Reading
April 7, 2023

In the age of online business, web design has become increasingly vital for businesses of all types. Whether you're creating a new website for your newly established business or rebuilding an old one as part of a new brand, almost every business will need to consider the specifics of creating a website.
While there are tools to help the average person build a website on their own, these platforms can be restrictive and generic, unable to provide the necessary flexibility for a functional website. That's when working with a web designer is your best bet. But how much does it really cost to get your own website from a professional web designer, customized and complete with security features and all the other essentials?
Web designers typically charge around $75 an hour. A corporate website, even for small businesses, can cost between $5,000 and $10,000, with $6,760average costto create, design, build and create content for a main site on an ongoing basis. This value also includes maintenance and training for the customer. You should also note that a fully customized website will cost more, according toWebsite building specialist.
Whether you're looking to hire the right web designer for your business or you're a freelance web designer, understanding typical website costs is crucial.
In this article, we'll cover:
- How much do web designers charge?
- 4 Factors to Consider When Setting Web Designer Fees
- conclusion
- common questions
How much do web designers charge?
Web design pricing is either hourly or a flat fee per project. Some website builders will only do one or the other, while others will use both payment models, depending on the client and the scope of any given web design project.
hourly wages
Reasonably skilled freelance web designers make around $75 an hour. This number may vary, however, according toCSS tricks.
Website Builder Expert estimates that the cost to design a website is $30 to $80 per hour, while the cost to actually develop the site is $100 to $180 per hour.
Freelancers usually have a higher rate than in-house web designers because they don't receive health insurance and other benefits that employees do. Freelancers also have much less job security as they bounce from contract to contract rather than having a stable and reliable workflow from an employer. A higher percentage compensates them for the customers' lack of long-term commitment.
A number of factors determine whether aFreelancewill charge roughly $75 per hour:
- Pet Projects - A freelancer can offer a nonprofit, friend or family member a lower rate.
- Project duration – Long-term web design projects may be worth a slightly lower hourly rate in exchange for more hours of work.
- Project Difficulty – As a website builder, will you need help from a developer, programmer or graphic designer? If so, charge more to cover the price these professionals will charge you.
- Uniqueness – If the project is similar to one you've done before, you can reuse the bases of that project and complete it in less time. If you want to make a good impression on your customer, you can choose to charge less considering the time saved.
- Number of Pages – More pages to create means more work for the website builder. Also, like a blog or an e-commerce component, they can also increase the total.
- Level of Commitment – If you can only work a few hours here and there instead of committing to the project full time, consider lowering your price to make clients more likely to hire you.
- Client Relationship – Some web designers charge a new client less to get the project, although this could set a bad precedent for that client in the future. Alternatively, some website builders offer discounted rates to returning customers in hopes of getting more work from them in the future.
Flat rate
Clients love paying flat fees to web designers because they know exactly how much they'll be paying up front. Freelance web designers generally dislike flat fees because you can almost never be 100% sure how long a project will take, especially if the client requests endless changes, according to CSS-Tricks.
It's a good idea to question the client extensively before quoting to make sure you understand the budget and project requirements.
Here is a basic web design price list:
- Setup: $160
- Design and Build: $5,000
- Content creation: $500
- Customer Training: $600
- Maintenance: 500
- Total: $ 6.760
The average cost of basic website created by a freelancerweb designeris $6,760, according to Website Builder Expert. This cost only covers the first year.
That said, each cost can vary depending on many things, from the experience of the web developer to the current market for freelance web designers. Setup can cost as little as $50 and be as high as $200 depending on the cost of your website domain and other factors. A custom website design usually costs at least $5,000, but can go up to $10,000 for more complex projects.
Content creation ranges from $500 to $5,000 depending on how much content the client wants and how often they want it. Also, annual website maintenance costs around $500 to $1,000.
If you choose to charge your customers aflat ratefor a new site, it's best to divide the eventual total by the estimated hours the project will take. This gives you an approximate hourly rate, which will make it easier for you to decide if the site will be a worthwhile project.
4 Factors to Consider When Setting Web Designer Fees
Still trying to figure out where to set your prices? Whether you're a freelance web designer or part of the leadership of a full-service web design company, it's important to consider these four factors when deciding how much to charge.
SKILL level
How much skill and experience do you (and/or your team) have in the world of web design services? If you're only in your first year, you probably won't have much going for you by charging at the higher end of the pricing spectrum. However, if you have many years of experience with the corresponding skills (and have a portfolio of work to reflect this), you can easily charge more than the per-location average of $6,760
site type
Are you creating a simple, informational website for a small business or a complex website filled with pages, resources, embedded images/videos and other extras? Will the site have an option to create an account and log in (and therefore need additional security)? Find out as much as you can about standard rates for different types of sites before agreeing a price with your client.
Project Scope and Size
Some sites require a lot more work, time and effort than others. A one-page website that lists only basic information about a company can be done in less than a week. But more complex sites, especially multi-page sites with extra features like a blog or online store, can take much longer to design and implement. Always have a clear sense of the scope of the website design project before agreeing on a price.
current market rate
Finally, it's important to keep the market rate in mind when setting your rates. As a freelance web designer, you have the luxury of setting your own prices as you see fit. This means you can maintain control of the website design market and can raise and lower prices while remaining competitive. This ensures a smooth workflow and fair pay for each project.
conclusion
For freelance web designers, developers and website builders, understanding how much to charge is a critical part of starting your business. It takes thorough research into average rates, the current market, and an honest assessment of your skills and experience to come up with the ideal rate for web designers and clients.
Need help creating project proposals and quotes for your web development clients? FreshBooks can help. With our flexible and powerful estimating, quoting and proposal tools, you can easily create, send and manage estimates with all your clients from one easy platform.Click hereto try it out.
Frequently asked questions about how much web designers charge
How much should a Web Designer charge?
Freelance web designers set their hourly rate based on your expenses and skill level. However, it is also common for this percentage to change due to other factors, such as the complexity of a given project. Web designers with the necessary skills and experience should aim for at least $36 per hour.
How much do web designers charge per hour?
A freelance web designer needs to set a minimum hourly rate to cover all of their expenses, as well as ensure that they actually make a profit on each project. For web designers who choose to charge by the hour, it is common to find a price between $31 and $42 per hour, with an average of $36 per hour.
How much do web designers charge per site?
The fee per site can vary dramatically depending on the web designer and site in question. An entire business website can cost as little as $500 or even $5,000, depending on complexity, designer skills and experience, deadlines, and more.
How much do freelance web designers charge?
Freelance web designers tend to earn moregross profitby employees, as they have to pay all their own taxes and expenses. Depending on the specifics of the web development services and web design project, a designer will charge anywhere from $30 to $80 per hour.
How much does a one page website cost?
You could have an entire one-page website designed for you for as little as $500. While the price of a one-page website can vary depending on the details and the designer hired, they tend to be the much cheaper option when paying to create a new website.
Jason Ding, CPA
About the author
Jason Ding is a seasoned accountant with over 15 years of progressive finance and senior accounting experience across multiple industries. Jason holds a BBA from Simon Fraser University and is a designated CPA. Jason's company, Notion CPA, is a business-focused accounting firm. The firm specializes in individual and corporate tax preparation, while also providing fractional CFO work and leading the accounting and finance function for several small and medium-sized businesses. In his free time, you'll find Jason on the basketball court, traveling and spending quality time with his family.
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