How much does a new website cost and how long will it take?

The following information does not guarantee cost and timing but rather provides benchmarks to help you better navigate your website journey. The information is based on my years of experience working with and speaking with dozens of high-quality early-stage startups, designers, and developers.

Hi Founders! The following post is the second of a 3-part series that will unpack the two most common questions I hear from startups when it comes to working with designers and developers on a project-bases: “How much will it cost?” and “How long will it take?”

In Part 1 we talked about brand development - namely what it is, ~how much it costs, and ~how long the process can take depending on your stage and your scope of work (SOW).

In Part 2 (this post), we’ll take the same approach; however, we’ll dive into the question I get asked regularly: “How much does a new website cost and how long will it take?”

And again, my TL;DR answer is: It depends…

I’ll condense my learnings as much as possible. You are busy people, and you need answers.

Note: Due to client confidentiality, I will not disclose the time or money companies spent on their website design and development projects using Sunflower’s services.

Before you get started

Do a quick inventory check: Have you developed a solid brand visual identity for your company? If not, please read Part 1 on Brand Development first. It’s less effective to dive into building a new website when you haven’t first fleshed out your company’s visual identity – at least at a high level. This is important so your website doesn’t feel piece-mealed together with designs and elements that simply don’t work or don’t make sense for your company.

When do you need a new website?

Inquiries from companies about needing a new or improved website typically come at one of three important times for an early-stage company:

1. Fundraising. You’re getting ready to raise your first or another round and want to communicate yourself more effectively and professionally to investors

2. Hiring. You’re getting ready to do a big hiring push and want to get candidates excited to join your team

3. Acquiring customers. You’re doing a big push to acquire more customers and need to be prepared for the traffic after a PR push, big social campaign, etc.

Or possibly all of the above are relevant for you. Regardless of your reason, it’s important you approach a website project strategically and thoughtfully to be smart about your precious resources – most importantly, your time.

First, define what a “new website” means

A one-size website does not fit all. Before you begin a new website project, there are a number of important questions you’ll need to ask yourself so you don’t waste your time or money on solutions that aren’t a fit for what you need.

Here are some guiding questions I ask companies using Sunflower’s services so we can narrow in on why they actually mean by “new website”:

1. What’s the objective of this website project?

2. What would success look like at the end of this project?

3. What kind of website do I need?

4. What kinds of functionality does my website require?

5. Will I be providing all of the content for my website, or do I need help with that as well?

6. What platform do I use for my website?

7. What are the most important factors to help me determine which platform I use?

8. Do I need just design, or do I also need development?

9. Will I be updating my website regularly?

10. How many pages will my website be, and are all of those pages actually necessary?

Don’t have all of the answers? Don’t worry - asking the right questions is step 1! Ask your fellow Founder friends and networks, Google around, reach out to me, and read this blog post :)

The main factors that affect website cost and timing

The cost and timing of a new website depend primarily on the following factors:

• How much content and how many pages?

• Do you need copywriting and new assets?

• What type of functionality do you need?

• How much customization do you need?

• Do you need just design, or do you need design and development?

• By when do you need to launch the site?

Let’s break this down:

Content and pages. The more content and more pages you have, the higher the cost. I’ve seen more companies head in the direction of having a one, long-scrolling page for their website where they have a menu at the top, and the menu jumps down to the section on that page rather than redirecting you to additional pages (Susa Ventures does a nice job of maximizing the one-page user experience).

Copywriting and assets. Will you be providing the designer with all of the website copy? What about any assets (product mockups, photography, etc.)? I recommend hiring a professional copywriter for your website at the Seed stage and beyond. It’s important to get an outsider’s perspective to help identify any blind spots and call you out on any overly used jargon.

Functionality. Are you needing a purely informational/marketing website that captures who your company is and what it does? Or are you needing more complex functionality, like single-sign-on (SSO)?

Customization. This is a big piece of the SOW, and typically answers the question “which platform should I use?”. If your objective is to easily update your website on a regular basis, a custom Squarespace site may be a good fit for you. If your objective is to have a highly customized informational website with epic animations to grab the users’ attention, a custom-coded website built on another platform would be a much better option for you.

Design and/or development. This is also a huge factor in cost! Do you need design-only because you have development talent in-house or sourced elsewhere? Or do you need end-to-end design and development? Some studios can do both, but if you’re working with freelancers, sometimes you’ll need to find two different people to fill these roles.

Launch date. Are you approaching this project with a 4-month plan, or has this need crept up on you and you’re needing it launched ASAP? I’ve seen some studios do an excellent job of launching websites quickly without sacrificing quality, but it will definitely impact the overall cost.

How much does a new website cost, and how long will it take?

Now let’s break this down by company stage assuming you are needing only an informational website.

**Keep in mind the following numbers do not include the cost of brand visual identity, which is important before creating a website. The following numbers are also estimates and do not guarantee actual cost or timing.

→ For Pre-Seed stage companies:

• ~Cost: <$200*-$20K+

• ~Timing: <1 week-4 weeks+

It’s possible for you to create a beautiful landing page on Squarespace in less than one week or a more custom, yet simple, website designed and developed on Webflow in as little as 4 weeks. 

*Amount depends on the cost of chosen platform’s set up fees

→ For Seed stage companies:

• ~Cost: <$20K-$40K+

• ~Timing: 4 weeks-6 weeks

The Seed stage cost and timing depend significantly on your objectives, your resources on hand, and if you’d prefer to work with a small <10 person studio or a larger agency.  

→ For Series A companies:

• ~Cost: <$40K-$100K+

• ~Timing: 4 weeks-8 weeks+

I left the cost open-ended as Series A is typically a big growth stage for a company. The company growing its team, likely has more PR, more product features, etc., so at the A round, it’s very possible to have a much larger SOW due to increased content volume, more pages, additional functionality, etc. I also left it open-ended in the case at this stage you bring on a designer and a developer in-house, which means this project-based website turns into a salaried employee.

Again, the above quotes are to give you a sense of ballpark ranges to play in. Refer back to the factors we discussed to better understand and identify if you are underbudgeting or overpaying for the website that you need.

Remember: both brand and website are dynamic and should evolve and grow as you do.

I’m ready to get started, how do I move forward?

If you’re getting ready to embark on the website journey for the first time, or if you’re due for a refresh, let’s chat! I would love to continue sharing what I know and have learned in past experiences. Email me at sydney [at] picksunflowers.com and check out Sunflower’s website to learn more.

→ P.S. Stay tuned for Part 3 where we’ll focus on Product UX/UI design and development.

→ P.P.S. Another helpful tip: begin capturing website design inspiration now! It’s never too early to document inspiration (you’ll be grateful you have it to refer to!).