How to Create a Website on a Budget

Do you want to create a website but aren’t sure about the cost? You don’t need to worry, because you can create a website on any budget.

 

While you may need to make some sacrifices, it’s possible to make a website for less than a hundred bucks. You just have to understand what will cost money and how you can save.

Speaking of saving, I have an affiliate link so you can save on your website. If you click on it and set up a site, I’ll get a commission at no extra cost to you. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

How Much Does It Cost to Create a Website?

There’s no single number you’ll have to pay to create a website. Depending on the type of website you create and what you add to it, it can be cheap or expensive.

You can use a free website template and create a website yourself, or you can pay a web designer for a custom design. However, no matter which route you go, you’ll have to pay for a few things.

Still, don’t let the cost of a website keep you from creating one.

Domain name

The domain name is the name you type into your browser to go to a website. For example, the domain for this blog is hannahbflute.com.

Every website has a domain name, and there are two types. There are regular domain names and subdomain names.

A domain name is where you choose what goes before that .com in the browser. While you may see a few subdomains, such as example.wordpress.com, try to avoid that for your site.

Subdomains aren’t professional, and they can be a sign that you don’t care very much about your website. Luckily, domains start at $5 to $10 per year.

Hosting

You also have to think about where your website will live, or where you will host it. Unless you have the technological skills to set up your own server, you’ll need to pay for another company to host your website on their server.

I use and love Siteground, which starts at $3.95/month for the first year. Other common web hosts include InMotion, SquareSpace, and Wix.

The hosting you choose will depend on what program you want to use for your website. WordPress is what I use, and it’s the most popular website creation tool.

However, SquareSpace and Wix have their own platforms that you can use to create a website.

Design

You may also have to pay to design your website. If you want to create a website on a budget, you should consider designing it yourself.

You can use a free template that you just customize with your website colors and text. Or you can invest in a web designer.

The cost for designing a website can vary from nothing to thousands of dollars.

How to Create a Website on a Budget

Now that you know what you need to create a website, it’s time to do it. However, unless you have a ton of money, you need to consider the costs.

Specifically, you need to reduce those costs as much as you can.

Shop around

The first thing you can do is look at a few options for where to buy a domain name. Not all domain registrars charge the same amount.

Also, some include domain protection, while others charge extra. Domain protection is ESSENTIAL if you want to protect your information like your address, email, and phone number.

You should also consider a few web hosts. Look at the features like ease of use, percentage of time that sites go down, and customer support.

Sure, you might save money on hosting, but that won’t be worth it if you have to waste hours trying to contact support when you have an issue. It also won’t be worth it if your site constantly goes down.

Choose a free design

While it can help to have a professional design your website, you don’t need to spend money at the start. If you want to create a website on a budget, look for free or cheap options.

For example, WordPress has a ton of free themes (templates) available. You can select a theme and add the colors and text for your site.

If you like designing, you can also try your hand at designing your own template. However, that can take a lot of time.

You can also use a free tool, like Canva, to design the graphics and images to add to your website.

Do it yourself

To keep costs low when you create a website, you should do as much as you can yourself. While it will take time away from other tasks, it can be worth it in some cases.

You can design your own website, logo, and other images. Then, you can have more control over the look, and you can easily change everything if you want.

So…

Do you want to create a website? What else do you want to know about saving money when designing your site? Share your thoughts in the comments!