Frequently Asked Questions: Pricing
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- How much will it cost to register a domain name?
- How much does it cost to maintain a webhosting account?
- Why isn't there a guaranteed, up-front fixed price for website packages?
- What are the things that make one website project more or less expensive than another?
- Are there hidden costs involved with my project estimate?
- Do you accept credit cards?
- How much do you need to get started?
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Answers
- How much will it cost to register a domain name?
Registering a domain name is seldom costly, and is less expensive if you pay ahead for several years instead of just one or two years. The more years you buy, the cheaper it is per year.
Right now, domain names can be registered at costs ranging from less than $10 per year to almost $35 per year. If you don't have a name registered already, Grand Design can assist you in selecting one at the right price.
For an excellent and easy-to-understand resource on registering domain names, check the ICANN Frequently Asked Questions page on their website.
»Back to Top - How much does it cost to maintain a webhosting account?
The level of webhosting services you need determines how much you pay per monthly billing cycle. For a simple website that needs only a minimum of storage, doesn't require programming functions, and won't be asked to handle a large load of visitors every day, the cost can be very reasonable, usually less than $10 per month.
For more sophisticated sites, e-commerce sites, sites using lots of storage, and sites with a high volume of visitors, you might be expected to pay close to $30 per month or more.
Secure server webhosting packages are the most expensive, since they act to protect the financial transactions of your customers during the online purchasing process.
»Back to Top - Why isn't there a guaranteed, up-front fixed price for website packages?
It's impossible to assign an "upfront" fixed-price for a custom designed site and that's what Grand Design is all about— custom designs. However, once a contract or agreement is reached, and before any work begins, you will know what fixed price your website will cost you.
All final prices are based on an estimate of how many hours a project will take multiplied by the hourly rate charged. The hourly rates are found on the pricing page, as are the site models we supply you with for examples.
Fixed prices are hard to identify, primarily because so very often during the design process the client discovers that something else needs to be included, and a "change order" request is put in. Change orders will alter the final price of a website. But there is no penalty for change orders in most cases, so you should always feel free to be flexible with your design plans.
You don't want a "cookie-cutter" feel to your website. You want to identify your target audience and build the site to create a relationship with your visitor. Only a customized site that reflects who you are can achieve that kind of result.
»Back to Top - What are the things that make one website project more or less expensive than another?
Simple sites with a low overall page count and little need for visitor interaction are the least expensive kinds of projects. As page count, visitor load, and interactivity increases, so does cost.
But this is not all. There are costs "behind the scenes" of your actual website. Some site owners are completely prepared with materials and content for their future site. They arrive with clear ideas, photographs, business logos, and are able to supply the designer with digitized documents for quick integration into the website project.
Others are much less prepared and require photography, scanning of hard copy materials, a great deal of content writing at our end, and cannot supply content materials in digital format.
When working with Grand Design, a client is not required to be computer literate, or even very well prepared. All one needs is the desire to have a website, and the time and patience to see it come to life.
However, it wouldn't be fair to gloss over the fact that the less prepared you are, the more money it will cost you!
»Back to Top - Are there hidden costs involved with my project estimate?
No. Preliminary third-party fees such as domain name registration and webhosting accounts are pretty cut-and-dried. From there, the projected cost of your site is determined through consultation, and provides the basis for the final cost.
After a thorough discussion of your needs and capabilities, you will be provided with an estimate for the project. Once an agreement has been reached and a contract signed, the price for your website project will be fixed. Should you decide to alter the project at some point before it is complete, it will probably increase your final price, but it wouldn't be "hidden."
»Back to Top - Do you accept credit cards?
Not at this time. This eliminates the extra 2% merchant fee and associated costs of processing credit card orders, which would otherwise be passed on to you, the customer.
If, in the future, it becomes something that Grand Design customers would like, we will make the changes. But for now, most customers are happy with our present system: cashier's checks, cash, and money orders.
»Back to Top - How much do you need to get started??
Half of the agreed-upon price is due before work begins.
As the project progresses, you will have access to Grand Design's private webspace where website design projects grow and expand, allowing you access for purposes of review and feedback.
When the site is complete and you sign off on the project, the remainder of the final price is due. Once this second payment has been received and is cleared, the site will be transferred to your host's server under your registered domain name, and it will be "live." Congratulations!
»Back to Top