Web Strategy
How Much Does a Website Really Cost?
6 min read
Introduction
In the digital era we live in today, having an online presence is not just a luxury but a necessity for businesses and organizations. A website acts as a digital storefront—a portal where customers can discover, explore, and interact with your brand. It is often through the website that the first impression is made, and in many cases, where customer decisions are formed. That’s why it’s absolutely crucial that your website is appealing, functional, and represents your business in the best possible way.
When it comes to the cost of creating a website, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The price can vary significantly depending on several factors: design complexity, functionality, customization, and especially the technology used to build it. There is no standard price for a website, just as there is no standard business or organization. Every project is unique and requires a tailored solution.
The purpose of this blog post is to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of what a website can cost, with a particular focus on modern web technologies like Next.js and Strapi. Next.js is a popular React framework that enables the building of fast and efficient websites, while Strapi is a flexible headless CMS that allows you to easily create and manage your content. The combination of these technologies offers powerful capabilities for building dynamic, interactive, and customized web experiences.
Throughout this article, we will explore various aspects that affect the cost of a website, from design and development to maintenance and updates. Our goal is to equip you with the information you need to understand what you’re investing in when deciding to create or upgrade your website, and how to get the most value from your investment. Welcome to a world where your digital presence is the key to success!
What Is a Website?
A website is a collection of publicly accessible, interconnected web pages that share a single domain name. Websites can be created and maintained by individuals, groups, companies, or organizations to serve a wide range of purposes. Together, these pages form a globally accessible information resource.
There are several types of websites, each with its unique functions and goals. E-commerce websites like Amazon and Zalando are designed to sell products online. Informational websites, like Wikipedia, provide knowledge on a broad or specific topic. Personal blogs allow individuals to express their thoughts, share experiences, and interact with readers.
Core Components of a Website
Every website consists of several fundamental components that work together to deliver a smooth user experience and proper functionality.
Domain Name and Hosting
The domain name is the address where your website lives (e.g., www.example.com), and it’s a key part of your online identity. Web hosting, on the other hand, is the service that provides the network space and resources that make your website accessible on the internet. Think of hosting as the land where your house (website) is built.
Web Design and Development
Website design is about how it looks and how users interact with it, while development focuses on building the functionality using various programming languages. A good website design should be visually appealing, user-friendly, and optimized for mobile devices.
Content Management Systems (CMS)
A CMS, like WordPress or Strapi, is a tool that helps you create, manage, and modify content on your website without needing advanced coding skills. It makes it easy to maintain and update your site with fresh content, which is essential for keeping your website relevant and engaging.
This section lays the foundation for understanding the basic aspects of a website and its key components. A solid understanding of these elements is essential for appreciating the complexity and cost of creating and maintaining a website.
Technologies Used in Web Development
Introduction to Next.js
Next.js is a user-friendly framework that enhances React, a popular tool for building websites. Next.js is especially valuable because it handles much of the heavy lifting on the server, making your site faster and more efficient for users. This results in quicker load times and a better user experience, while also simplifying SEO optimization since the site's content is directly accessible to search engines.
A practical feature of Next.js is that it automatically loads only what is needed for each page. This makes your website faster and more efficient, offering a better experience for users. Its flexibility and ability to create both static sites and server-rendered applications make it a versatile tool for modern web development.
Hosting on Vercel
Vercel is a service that makes it easy to publish and maintain your website online. It's especially well-suited for sites built with Next.js, as it automatically adjusts to handle high traffic smoothly. Vercel also supports features like automatic builds and preview environments for each pull request, which is a major advantage during development.
Vercel's pricing structure is designed to be accessible for both small projects and large-scale applications. They offer a free plan that's ideal for small projects and personal use, while their paid plans provide access to more resources and advanced features required for larger commercial applications.
Understanding Strapi
Strapi is a tool used to manage the content of your website behind the scenes. It’s flexible and makes it easier for you to update and modify your website, even if you're not an expert in coding. As a "headless" CMS, Strapi separates content management from the user interface, giving developers the freedom to use any frontend framework or technology they prefer.
Using Strapi for content management offers a high degree of customization and easy integration with other services and APIs. It’s especially beneficial for projects that require a tailored user experience and extensive content control.
When it comes to hosting Strapi on a DigitalOcean VPS (Virtual Private Server), the cost depends on the specific configuration and resources needed. DigitalOcean offers flexible pricing plans that can scale with the project's requirements, making it a cost-effective option for both small and large projects. For a basic website that doesn’t need to handle high traffic, the price can be as low as 50 SEK per month.
In this section, we’ve explored some of the core technologies used in modern web development, with a focus on Next.js, Vercel, and Strapi. Understanding these tools is essential for evaluating the scope and cost of your project.
Cost Factors for a Website
Domain and Hosting Costs
Domain Name Costs
The price of a domain name varies depending on the top-level domain (.com, .se, .net, etc.) and where you purchase it. Generally, a domain costs between 100 and 300 SEK per year. .se domains typically cost 50 to 200 SEK.
Hosting Prices
The cost of web hosting depends on the service you choose. Vercel, for instance, offers a range of pricing plans from a free basic tier to more comprehensive plans for larger websites, making it flexible and adaptable to your needs. DigitalOcean is another hosting provider offering custom solutions based on your website’s requirements, such as memory and storage. This means you only pay for what you need. For a simple site, the cost can be as low as 50 SEK per month. Loopia, a popular Swedish web host, offers a business plan that costs 39 SEK/month for the first year and 99–199 SEK/month thereafter.
Cost Example
When it comes to hosting a website built with Next.js and Strapi, several cost factors should be considered. At Developly, we currently use DigitalOcean’s VPS (Virtual Private Server) to host Strapi, which costs us $5 per month. This is an affordable and scalable solution, especially for smaller projects or idea testing. DigitalOcean offers various plans, making it easy to upgrade as your needs grow.
For our Next.js frontend, we use Vercel, which is the ideal platform for Next.js applications due to its simple deployment and integration. We currently use Vercel’s free plan, but depending on traffic and resource demands, an upgrade to a paid plan might be necessary. We manage our domain through Loopia, where we configure the DNS to point to Vercel’s IP. While it's convenient to keep domain registration and DNS hosting under one provider, it's not required. Many cloud services, including DigitalOcean, offer DNS hosting—sometimes even for free.
Although a service like Loopia isn't strictly necessary for DNS hosting, the convenience and support they provide can justify the cost. With Loopia, we can create unlimited email addresses connected to our domain name, which is a significant advantage for business communication and brand identity. This flexibility is especially valuable for companies wanting dedicated emails for different departments or services.
If we were to move away from Loopia, we would need to find an alternative email hosting solution. There are several services, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, that offer business email with custom domains, but these often come with additional per-user costs. It’s therefore important to weigh the benefits of an integrated solution like Loopia against the cost and complexity of managing email separately. Choosing the right service depends on your company’s specific needs, size, and budget.
The total cost of running Developly.se is: 189 SEK per year for the domain, 54 SEK per month for Strapi (content management), and 99 SEK per month for hosting on Loopia—around 170 SEK per month. A small fee for a business with turnover.
Conclusion
In this article, we have explored the many factors that influence the cost of creating a website. We've looked at everything from basic expenses like domain names and hosting, to more complex aspects of web design and development using modern technologies like Next.js and Strapi.
Investing in a well-developed website isn’t just a financial decision—it’s an investment in your company’s digital future. A good website can serve as a powerful marketing platform, improve customer experience, and play a crucial role in building your brand. The right website can generate significant returns through increased visibility, customer engagement, and sales.
We understand that every business has unique needs, which is why we offer personalized consulting to help you navigate the decision-making and development process. Whether you’re looking for a custom solution, a template-based site, or simply advice on the best technologies and strategies for your digital presence, our team is here to support you.
We invite you to contact us for a consultation or more personalized information. Let us help you create a website that not only meets your current needs but is also adaptable for the future. Your website is a vital part of your business identity and success, and we’re here to ensure you get the most value from your investment.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. We look forward to helping you realize your vision for a successful digital presence!
About the Author
I’m one of the founders of Developly and work as a software engineer with a focus on JavaScript. With 8 years of experience in both front-end and back-end development, I’m passionate about building smart, modern web solutions. I stay closely involved in our projects and combine technical craftsmanship with an eye for what truly creates value for the customer.