How Much Does a Website Cost in 2024?

SO...What is the average cost of a website?

So, everything's gotten pricier in 2024, huh? And with technology evolving at the speed of light, it seems like artificial intelligence is doing all the heavy lifting for us. But when it comes down to the brass tacks of website development costs and the modern requirements for websites in 2024.

Short answer from 500 AUD to 500'000 AUD.

Yep, let's dive into the gritty details.

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First off, let me lay it on the line: the amount your agency or freelancer quotes you daily for a website is more about their audacity than their expertise. This is the bitter truth I encounter daily while monitoring service prices in Sydney, Australia—and it's not just the local web studios and agencies; it's freelancers from the Philippines, India, Indonesia, and beyond working through platforms like Abwork. Whether it's one person or a team of four (or even a hundred) building your site without any launch plans to make it work seamlessly without advertising, there's zero correlation between the professionalism of these individuals or teams and the prices they charge in Australia.

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Now, onto the cost spectrum: a corporate website, excluding e-commerce or any complex custom features, can set you back anywhere from a thousand to a hundred thousand dollars. When I talk about website development, I'm referring first and foremost to the design and structure. Some designers might opt for stock photos, but personally, I find that approach cheap—even if you're paying top dollar for those stock images. It's infinitely better to snap real photos in your office with your phone than to rely on generic, AI-generated images that, despite all the filters in the world, just scream "artificial." 

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Then, there's the development phase: coding the site, hosting it, testing it, and implementing essential analytics like Google Tag Manager, connecting Google Analytics, Search Console, and Google Ads if you're leaning towards ad usage, not to mention the bare minimum for SEO. Especially if you're revamping an existing site for a more modern structure to ensure your contact info isn't a needle in a haystack, neglecting SEO is akin to tanking your Google rankings—a surefire way to lose clients.

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A website must be multifaceted, offering unique designs for different devices, possibly even tailored to various audiences or services. This is a conversation you'll need to have with your strategist and designer. As for a ballpark figure, a site with interesting features like a blog, minimal animations (think subtle movements when you hover over elements), should start at around $12,000 in Australia if done correctly. And the right agency should wrap this up within 4 to 6 weeks; any longer, and you're either dealing with a complex project or an inefficient team.

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In the end, you should have a launch-ready site, with CRM and analytics integrated, plus a dashboard to monitor ad spends, website traffic, conversion rates, cost per lead, and other vital metrics. This initial phase, which demands further development and investment, is the bare minimum. Skimp on a quality website, and rest assured, your competitors will invest in poaching your clients. And convincing you otherwise? That's not on our agenda.

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