Corrie Haffly

I whip web sites into submission, but I'm nice to everyone else.

Beginner's Primer

Introduction & Costs

Want a web site, but don't know where to start? This series is designed to give you an overview so that you know what you're getting into and also points you to helpful tools and resources to help you get your site up.

In general, this is what you'll need if you're trying to get up a simple web site:

  • A domain name (such as www.corriehaffly.com)
  • A place to host your web site
  • A web designer or software that you can use to build a web site
  • If you want ecommerce, you will have to pay for third-party shopping cart systems or online payment services.

Here is a broad overview of the costs that you can anticipate:

  • Registering domain name - between $10-30/year. Sometimes hosting companies will include the cost of this in their package.
  • Hosting - Between $10-$25/month for low-level hosting. May include a $10-$50 setup fee.
  • Web designer - Between $500-$1500 for a basic site, depending on who you ask.
  • Web editor - If you want to build your web site or update it yourself.
    • Microsoft FrontPage - about $200
    • Macromedia Dreamweaver - about $400
    • Macromedia Contribute - about $150, limited functions for simple changes
    • TextPad - about $27, will need to learn HTML code
    • NotePad - free, will need to learn HTML code
  • Image editor - If you want to create or optimize images for the web yourself, like creating product images.
    • Photoshop Elements - about $100
    • Photoshop (full version) - about $650
    • Paint Shop Pro - about $100
  • Web template - $50-$100 for a good quality template. If you decide you don't want a custom design, you can start with a predesigned web site template and modify it yourself or hire a web designer to help you.
  • Stock photographs or illustrations (royalty-free) - from free to $75/image.
  • Ecommerce - If you want to have online sales, you have three options.
    • Using PayPal - free to set up, they take a percentage from each sale.
    • Using other third-party shopping cart services - There may be a monthly fee (between $20-$100) and/or a sales-based percentage fee.
    • Setting up your own merchant account - Application fee of $50-$300, monthly fees and transaction fees apply (may be between $30-$50/month). This may or may not include a gateway fee. You may also need to obtain a third-party shopping cart, which can be up to $200.

Next: Basic Decisions >>