How much does it cost to build a WordPress website?

Need to build a WordPress website but don’t know where to start?

One of the beauties of WordPress is that it allows anyone the ability to jump and create any website that they dream of doing. And thankfully, when it comes to building WordPress websites there are only two ways to go about it.

1. Do it your self

2. Outsource to a web developer.

The beauty of it is that there is no wrong choice. Whether you do it by yourself or get an experienced developer, you still can have a beautiful website. This article will provide you with guidelines and the breakdown of the cost it takes to start and finish your web development project. Do enjoy!

Get fast reliable hosting and register a domain.

First thing you need to do when starting your web development project is to choose a hosting company that will provide for all of your needs.

What is hosting and a domain?

You can think of hosting as the platform where your website will live, like the plot of land where your house will be built. For this, you will need to choose solid ground right from the start as this is the factor that will affect your website speed, security, and reliability the most going forward. There are three hosting companies that are recommended by WordPress. Two of which are EIG companies (you normally want to avoid these) and Siteground.

A domain is simply the registered address that you type into Google or any other search engine and find your site. It is like your address. Most hosting companies (like SiteGround) allow you to purchase a domain the same time you are purchasing your hosting plan.

Reasons I recommend SiteGround.

• Great 24/7 customer service
• Up to date Technology
• Cloudflare CDN integration
• Free website migration (EIG companies normally charge for this)
• 99.99% uptime
• Fast and reliable technical assistance
• Free SSL certificates (EIG companies normally charge for this)
• One click WordPress install
• Dedicated Speed technologies
• They officially power this blog
• #1 in 18 different facebook polls (just search SiteGround Poll)
• Unlimited Email accounts (EIG Companies normally charge for this)

Cost for hosting with SiteGround

StartUp – Special price $3.95/mo, renews at $11.95/mo + $15/year for domain name registration

GrowBig – Special price $5.95/mo, renews at $19.95/mo + $15/year for domain name registration

GoGeek – Special price $11.95/mo, renews at $34.95/mo + $15/year for domain name registration

Total cost per year.

StartUp = $47.4/year initially for up to 3 years then renews at $143.4/year + $15/year for domain name registration

GrowBig = $79.4/year initially for up to 3 years then renews at $239.4/year + $15/year for domain name registration

GoGeek = $143.4/year initially for up to 3 years then renews at $143.4/year + $15/year for domain name registration

Another optional feature that is recommended is Domain name privacy which retails initially for $12/year and renews for $24/year

Affiliate disclaimer

If you purchase using my affiliate link. You enjoy the same discounts and I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Feel free be kind and show some love by shopping with this link. If you do not want to use my affiliate link, you can purchase SiteGround’s awesome plans here using this none affiliate link.

What you need to know if you are doing it on your own.

Now that you’ve purchased your hosting and domain, you’re all good to start working on your website. If you’re not familiar with HTML or CSS don’t worry. All you need to do is follow our steps below or find useful guides like w3 schools and youtube that will teach you. WordPress resources and tutorials are endless.

Step 1. Log into your dashboard

Go to admin panel

– Your dashboard

Step 2. Choose a theme

Appearance>>Themes>>Add theme>>*insert theme name(oceanWP is lovely)>>Install>>Activate

– delete unnecessary themes and plugins

Step 3. Install essential plugins

– yoast for SEO, WordFence for firewall, WP total cache/WP Rocket, Elementor for front end editor

Yoast:
Free Plugin Available
Premium Cost: $89

WordFence:
Free Plugin Available
Premium Cost per license: $99.00

W3 Total cache:
Free Version available

WP Rocket:
No Free version available, however, these are only one time payments, no yearly subscription
$49 –1 year of support and updates for 1 website

Step 4. Tweak essential WordPress settings

Settings>>Permalinks>>Post name>>Save Changes
This organizes your posts to individual names used as IDs instead of numbers or organizing using the date.

Step 5. Edit your theme

For new pages navigate to [Pages>>New] then start editing pages, if you use Elementor then select “Edit With Elementor”

For new pages navigate to [Posts>>New] then start editing posts, if you use Elementor then select “Edit With Elementor”

For general appearances such as menu styling and colors navigate to [Appearance>>Customize] and select the options you wish to customize.

Doing it by yourself vs hiring a WordPress Developer

While there are advantages to building your website yourself it will cost you time and in some cases more money. Yes, you will be able to fix some problems but for recurring maintenance, this will add up and can take away from you focusing on your business. But chances are your website will have basic functionality but will lack the advanced features that integrate and help future-proof your website for the long run.

Hiring a developer is totally optional but can save you time and will ensure that a professional has you covered. Of course, there are hundreds of thousands of WordPress website developers out there and finding the right one is a matter of proper research.

Cost of Hiring a developer

The cost will vary depending on where you look, type of website you want and the skill of the hired developer.
You can find developers ranging from $20-$100 per hour on Upwork.

On Fiverr, you can find WordPress developers ranging from $300 to $1,000 for simple websites.

For complex websites, you can find professional services from $1,000 up to $5,000.

When to hire a WordPress developer and/or Site Care Manager

If you want to experiment and expand your knowledge then, by all means, do it yourself. However, if you want to save time and leave the heavy lifting to the experts then go ahead and hire a developer.

Advantages of hiring a developer/site care manager

• Advanced SEO
• Daily, weekly or monthly backups
• Access to premium plugins
• Unlimited edits
• Personalized support
• Updates
• Custom codes for complex projects
• Speed optimizations
• Advanced security availability

Your website will need constant maintenance month per month. This is because WordPress and the web are constantly changing. Therefore, in order to stay up to date, you need to dedicate your time and effort to manage your site effectively. Hence having a website manager like Sitepact allows you to focus on growing your business while we are making it more secure.

And if you need a website contact us so we can discuss what it takes.

Wrapping Up.

DIY is definitely an option for developing a website but hiring a professional is guaranteed to cut time and hiring a site care manager can actually save you money, time and resources it takes to keep your website operating. So do your research to find the best Site Care and WordPress professionals that suit your budget and needs. If you do decide to do it on your own make sure to check out the necessary resources outlined in this article.

Want to give feedback?
Leave a comment down below the rating tab and all the best to your website development experience!