DO YOUR RESEARCH:

• Before contacting any web site designers, you should have an idea of what you are looking for in a website. Do you need an informational design, online shopping design, response and contact us forms, interaction with your customers viewing the site, or maybe a family slideshow design ? It isn't good enough to have a nice-looking site; one must have an effective site, says Maria A. Ryan, President of a Maryland based web design firm.
• What styles do you like in a website ? Would you like photographs or illustrations ? What colors do you like, bright colors, patterns, background images ? Clients should pay attention to how a web site speaks to the target market, says Ryan.
• How large is your site ? A very basic design may have just a few informational pages (such as Homepage, About Us, Services Offered, and Contact Us). A more comprehensive site may have numerous pages describing individual products or ecommerce functions, as well as slide shows or blogs for readers to interact with you. Make a list of the things you like and dislike about other websites similiar to your design and category, this list will be very useful to your designer as they try to create a site to match your business and vision. leo blandit porta.

PREPARE FOR YOUR WEBSITE

• Once you have an idea of what you like or dislike in similiar websites, determine what information your website should contain. Make a list of the information you want to appear on your website, such as; About Us page, or Products pages. Write as much text information about your items or content to fill in your pages as possible. You can always modify it later if needed.
• Determine if you have a corporate image or brand logo already created, as well as standard fonts or colors used in printed materials or existing advertisements. If not, will creating this image or brand identity be a part of the project ? if so, be sure to discuss this with the designer before requesting an estimate. Logos, marketing, and stationary can be created at your request.
• Decide if you would like contact forms, polls, blogs, or whether you will be selling products online.
• Will the project involve password protected pages, or login accounts. Often prospective clients do not understand that the development of database-driven applications and features that show results or calculations from your website drive up the cost of the project, says Ryan.

SITE CREATION AND MANAGEMENT

• Be sure to know exactly what is included in the building of your website. Are their additional fees for image editing, who will make the updates to the website once created, who will host the site online, do you need a .com name or domain included ? Also how long will it take or explain the timeframe you need your website created and posted online ?
• Your website is your companys identity exposed to the world, and it's hardly something you want to take chances on, so take this very seriously and enjoy the creation process. So let's get your website underway !
• Based upon client surveys and online team's research, the website cost of design has had a significate decrease in the base cost over the last decade.
  1995 - 1997 expected cost was $7,500 to $12,000
  1998 - 2000 expected cost was $6,000 to $10,000
  2000 - 2004 expected cost was $2,500 to $4,500
  2004 - 2008 expected cost was $2,000 to $7,500
  There are substantially more competitors in the web design market today, estimated as much as ten times more than a decade ago. Also modern tools and software have made it easier for Web Designers to create great looking sites today.
• Hosting can range from $75 to 200 a year.
  Web design and graphics development time can be from 60 hours to 150 hours and up.
  Website maintenance costs for updates and changes range from $500 to $1250 a year.
• To completely answer the question "How much will my website cost" it is useful to review and have specific information about what you are looking to see in your project for complete details.