The honest answer is that it depends on what the site has to do, and we will give you a fixed price, free and in writing, before you commit to anything. A well-built brochure site and a larger build with online sales are very different jobs. Below is what decides the cost, what is included as standard, what it costs to run afterwards, and what you own when it is finished.
What decides what a website costs?
Six things, mainly:
- Number of pages. A ten-page site and a fifty-page site are different jobs.
- Custom design. We build bespoke sites, not templates. Every page is designed for your business, and the more distinct page types you need, the more design there is.
- E-commerce. Online sales add products, payments, shipping and a lot of testing.
- Copywriting. If we write the words as well as design the pages, that is costed in.
- Photography. Original photography lifts a site; stock imagery is cheaper but everyone can tell.
- Animation and motion. Video headers, animated elements and interactive features take time to build well.
Every site we build includes a WordPress platform, a fully mobile-responsive design, on-page SEO set-up, contact forms, training on how to update it yourself and advice on hosting. Those are not extras. See our website design and build service for more.
How long does a website take, and what holds it up?
A typical site takes four to six weeks from signed proposal to launch. The one thing that delays almost every project is content from the client: copy, images, staff photos, product details. If you want to keep to the timeline, gather your content before we start, or ask us to produce it.
Starting with the brand helps too. Many of our websites are the second job after a logo or identity, and when the brand is already defined the build is faster and the result more coherent. A website should start with your brand, not a template.
What does a website cost to run each year?
Hosting and maintenance (plugin updates, security, backups and small changes) are quoted separately, and maintenance can be billed yearly or monthly to suit your budget. Whichever you choose, we are a phone call or an email away, seven days a week, if something needs fixing.
And once the site is paid for, it is yours. The domain, the hosting account and the full WordPress login belong to you. You are never locked in.
Who have we built for?
Recent work includes MKF Property Services, iCare Housing and Peter McVerry Trust: organisations with very different audiences, each with a site designed from their brand outward.
Where to start
If you are planning a new site or replacing one that is not working hard enough, send us your current web address and we will give you an honest opinion, with no obligation. Fill in the quote form, email info@designminds.ie or ring +353 (0)1 96 100 34.
Design Minds is an award-winning branding and design agency based in Dublin, with over 35 years’ experience in logo design, brand identity, brochure design and website design and build for Irish businesses.
