How much does it really cost to run a WordPress Site

Posted on August 19th, 2024

In this digital world, many startups are looking for an effective way to build reliable websites that can meet their business goals. The pricing of a website depends on its features, functionality, and design.

Well, WordPress is the most popular content management open-source platform for all users who want to make a creative website. Whether it is for affiliate or e-commerce, WordPress makes it possible. According to Tech Jury, approximately 445 million websites are using WordPress. All website owners use this due to its ease of modification and variety of SEO features.

This blog will explain where and why you should spend money. You will get a complete idea of how a website should be made for any business.

What are the Crucial Components for Creating a WordPress Website?

Although WordPress is a free platform, why can’t a website be made at no cost? Note that we are not talking about WordPress.com here. It is a hosted version or WordPress.org, which is the system we are talking about in this article.

Here’s the reason: Every WordPress website requires two important components: a domain and a hosting. Without domain and hosting, It is not possible to create a website using WordPress.

A domain is essential for all websites regardless of which CMS is used to create a web site. Users can easily find your website by typing the domain name into the browser, such as interserver.net. The cost of the domain is usually $10 per year for .com domain. The cost can vary based on the TLD you are selecting to use for your website.

Hosting is a crucial component of a website because it involves storing all of the website’s files on a server. A hosting provider offers this storage service, charging a monthly or annual subscription fee for renting space on their servers to host your website’s files.

After setting up the domain and hosting, You can choose from wide variety of WordPress themes as your website design. WordPress has tons of free themes that can be used to meet your business needs. If you want a premium and customized design, It will cost you a bit more based on the theme you are selecting.

We personally recommend you use plugins to add functionality to your WordPress site. Plugins are like apps and features for your website. They are used to create contact forms and can also optimise your site for Google rankings.

These are the fixed costs if you want to build a simple and elegant website for your business using WordPress. Finding the actual cost can be challenging because there’s so much to customize. Let’s see three major types of websites and How much it usually costs.

Calculating the True Expenses of Creating a WordPress Website

Firstly, determine the purpose of the website. There are several types of websites, and each type has different costs to make it, whether it is for a small business or e-commerce. The cost of a website can vary from $100 to $10000 depending on your requirements.

But don’t worry, we will tell you where you can save money and where you should spend it.

Now, we will understand the main categories of the website:

Cost to Make a Small Budget Business Website using WordPress

If you have a small business and are looking for a budget-friendly website, WordPress can help you build a reliable one very quickly. You can have a free theme from WordPress’s repository. The domain and hosting  will cost you approximately $9.99 and $10/month respectively. If you are buying web hosting from Interserver, You get the domain for free.

WordPress has tons of free plugins, so use them to reduce your overall cost.

Use the following free plugins to optimize and secure your website:

• Contact Form 7: A viral and flexible contact form plugin.
• AddToAny: A versatile social sharing plugin that supports a wide range of social networks.
• Beaver Builder: A flexible page builder with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
• Yoast SEO (Free version): A popular SEO plugin with many features that are available for free.
• ExactMetrics (Free version): A user-friendly Google Analytics plugin with a free version.
• Wordfence Security (Free version): A free malware scanner and other security features are included.
• WPvivid Backup Plugin (Free version): A versatile backup plugin with a free version.

Cost to Make an Ecommerce WordPress Website

E-commerce websites are a great way to interact with your customers directly. Customers can easily buy things from the website, but it should be really attractive, and then only the customer will stay and buy your items.

To build a high-performing, attractive site, first, you need to buy a domain that suits your brand name. After buying the domain, you’ll need good hosting, which can handle complex queries at good speed. The hosting will cost you around $8 to $100 per month considering you are going to host it on a VPS (recommended). Contact us if you are looking for a reliable hosting provider for an Ecommerce website.

After setting up the domain and hosting, you’ll need a premium theme for your website. The theme will cost you around $40 to $100, depending on your business requirements. You’ll also need an SSL certificate to start the E-Commerce website. It will protect your customers’ contact and banking details so no one can corrupt their personal information. SSL certificates are now available for free from Let’s encrypt. However, If you want to purchase a premium SSL certificate, It might cost you $40-$100 additional per year.

Now, Here are some plugins that can improve the performance and security of your ecommerce website:

• Ninja Forms: Flexible drag-and-drop form builder.
• Elementor: Popular drag-and-drop page builder with diverse design options.
• Easy WP SMTP: Enhances email deliverability using an SMTP server.
• AutomatorWP: Connects plugins and automates tasks.
• WooFunnels: Builds high-converting sales funnels for WooCommerce.
• Thrive Leads: A lead generation plugin for building your mailing list.
• Mailchimp: A popular email marketing service with extensive integrations.
• Rank Math: An advanced SEO plugin for WordPress with built-in suggestions.
• Salesforce for WordPress: Integrates Salesforce CRM with your WordPress site.
• BackWPup: Another robust solution for automatic backups and cloud storage.
• Wordfence: A security plugin that includes a firewall and malware scanning.

Overall, If you want to build an E-commerce website using WordPress, It might cost you somewhere between $300-$600 per year.

Cost to Make a Custom WordPress Website

Large companies usually make customized WordPress websites because of the custom requirements. They usually employee WordPress developers to build the custom functionalities.

Depending on your system’s traffic and the complexity of a custom WordPress site, the hosting will cost you between $8-$500 per month. There is a huge gap considering the custom functionalities.

You will have a premium design according to your brand because you can customize your website and build it according to what your brand speaks to attract more visitors. This will cost you a bit, but it will give you good results.

A customized WordPress website costs approximately from $4,999 to $14,999 because you also have to pay the web developer to create it.

How to Stop Overpaying and Reduce Expenses?

To stop overpaying and reduce expenses for building a WordPress website, follow these steps:

• Choose the Right Hosting: Opt for an affordable, reliable hosting provider like Interserver, avoiding costly managed hosting unless necessary.
• Use Free Themes and Plugins: Utilize free themes from the WordPress repository and only purchase premium ones if essential. Free plugins often meet most needs.
• Limit Paid Services: Avoid unnecessary subscriptions and services. Evaluate the cost-effectiveness of each expense.
• DIY Approach: Learn basic WordPress skills to reduce dependency on paid developers for minor tasks.
• Negotiate and Compare Prices: Always compare prices for themes, plugins, and services. Negotiate with providers for better deals.
• Utilize Community Support: Leverage forums and online communities for free assistance and advice.

Conclusion

We hope this blog provides valuable insights into the costs associated with building a WordPress website for your business. By understanding the various factors that contribute to the overall expense, you can make informed decisions and plan effectively for your website development and maintenance needs.