How Much does It Cost to Build a Website?

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Many business owners shy away from going online, thinking that setting up a website for a small or medium business is expensive. However, creating a website has become more reachable than ever, with plenty of affordable choices out there.

Managing your budget effectively comes down to knowing what your business needs and making the most of what you have. This piece will detail the expenses involved in creating a Laravel website and offer advice on how to stretch your budget further.

With Laravel, the sky’s the limit for your website’s functionality.

Laravel for web development

Picking a platform can shape your budget, and here’s how. If you’re looking to tailor-make your site, the upfront costs might be higher. However, getting it just right for your business can pay off more as time goes by. Don’t forget to think about ongoing costs, how much you can grow with the platform, and the kind of help you can get from the platform’s community.

So, choosing the best platform for your site is extremely important. It impacts everything from building it to how it runs day-to-day. Need something custom with cool features like managing customer relationships or keeping track of product info? Laravel could be the way to go.

Laravel itself is a free, open-source framework used by almost 2 million websites worldwide. This means that you don’t need to pay to use it every month or year. However, the cost of an e-commerce website on this platform does involve some additional expenses like UI design, hosting, domain, apps, and extensions.

As you can see, our team highly appreciates the Laravel framework for custom website development. However, we understand that every business task demands a unique strategy.

If you’re in the process of deciding on the best approach for creating your custom website, this curated collection of articles will be invaluable to you:

How much does a website cost?

The cost of building a website can really vary. A basic, simple website will be much less expensive than one for a large global company or an online store with thousands of products.

The number of pages and how much writing the website needs all affect the price. Also, whether you need a content management system (CMS) or any other advanced functionality can impact the overall cost. Typically, the initial cost to create the website is higher than the ongoing costs to maintain it.

The expense of creating a website depends on various elements. We’ll delve into each to assist you in planning your website development costs effectively.

Hosting

Hosting is essentially the service that allows your website to be accessible on the internet. It’s the plot of land where your website lives. But just like real estate, the cost of hosting can vary widely, depending on what you require.

Picking the right hosting is all about balancing between what you can afford versus what your website needs. Cheap hosting might save money now but could make your website slow and less reliable, which might push visitors away. Spending more on better hosting can make your website faster and safer, giving visitors a great experience.

Selecting the right hosting may not be that straightforward. Our team at Alva Commerce is here to guide you through selecting the best Laravel-friendly hosting that suits your project’s needs, ensuring optimal load times, uptime, and scalability.

SSL Certificate Overview

In the latest years, website security has become critical for businesses of all sizes. As per Microsoft’s data, 30% of cyber attacks are aimed at websites. An SSL certificate is an essential digital credential that verifies the identity of a website and secures data through encryption. It’s crucial to use SSL certificates to protect online transactions and safeguard customer data.

Laravel itself does not include an SSL certificate. However many leading hosting services include SSL certificates for free within their hosting plans. The price varies significantly based on the security requirements of a website. On average, the cost of an SSL certificate falls between $8 and $200 annually.

Domain

Think of domain names like your website’s street address. They help everyone find you online and show off your digital identity.

Usually, getting a domain name costs between $10 and $20 a year. The price can change based on things like the ending of the domain (like .com or .org), where you’re buying it from, and if you’re adding any special features.

Here’s a brief overview of some well-known domain providers and their rates:

Namecheap starts super low, at $0.98 a year for some domain endings. But for fancier ones like .inc, it can go up to $998.98 a year. They’ve even got offers where you can get a free domain if you pick certain hosting plans.
GoDaddy has .com domains at €0.18 for the first year when you commit to three years. They provide a range of other domain extensions at varying prices, including .ca and .inc.
Bluehost sells domains from $1.99 for the first year for a .website extension, up to $27.99/year for .co domains.

Professional website development services

Creating a website with Laravel means you’re in for a custom-built site that can be shaped exactly how you want. But remember, Laravel doesn’t come with easy drag-and-drop features or pre-made templates. It’s all about building from the ground up, which is great for getting a site that fits your needs perfectly but does mean more work for your developers.

Since everything is built to your specs, the cost to create a website for a business can range a lot. If your project is on the simpler side, you might be looking at a starting cost of around $3,000. But for those who need a lot of complex features, the cost to create a website for a business may go up significantly.

The final cost comes down to what you want your site to do and who’s doing the building. Developer rates vary, especially based on where they are in the world, with hourly rates ranging from $20 to $100.

Dive deeper into how Laravel can revolutionize your web presence.

Click below to learn more about Laravel Development at Alva Commerce.

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Website design

Since Laravel is a framework that leans heavily towards custom development, it doesn’t include website builders or ready-made themes. This means that every aspect of the website design needs to be crafted from scratch, and tailored to your specific requirements. 0

At Alva Commerce, we create designs that look great and work even better. Our team focuses on the latest UX/UI best practices to make sure your website or app isn’t just nice to look at but also easy and enjoyable to use. We keep up with all the newest trends in design to create experiences that really connect with your users and help your business grow.

E-commerce extras

For online shops, things like handling payments, working well on phones, and having interactive elements can add to the cost. Starting an online shop is like starting any business. It’s more complicated than just having a single page. Features that make your site special, like email help, chat options, AI personalization, or a search that fits what you’re selling, will cost more.

If keeping track of stock is important, connecting your site to your stock system might cost extra. But, it can save money in the long run. Spending on things that make your site better for users and easier to run is usually worth it. It often brings good returns.

Packages for boosting your website’s capabilities

Imagine you have a smartphone. By itself, it’s pretty powerful, but what makes it invaluable are the apps you download, right? The same goes for your website. Laravel packages are the basic tools needed for creating a website. They add new features and functionality that can transform a simple site into a dynamic platform tailored to your specific needs.

Adding apps and integrations can impact your website budget in a few ways:

Paid packages	Integration costs	Developer time
Many of these come with a cost, either as a one-time purchase or a recurring subscription fee. The price can vary widely depending on the package’s complexity and capabilities.	Even if a package is free, integrating it with your website might require professional help, especially if customizations or unique functionality are involved.	Customizing packages to fit your website perfectly and ensure they work seamlessly with your design and other tools requires skilled developers. This customization time can add to the overall cost.

Laravel development at Alva Commerce

At Alva Commerce, our approach to Laravel development is all about providing comprehensive support throughout every stage of your project. From conception to launch and beyond, we’re here to ensure your web development journey is smooth, efficient, and successful. Here’s how we do it:

Custom design

Our design team works closely with you to create a custom website design that not only looks stunning but also provides an exceptional user experience. We leverage Laravel’s flexibility to craft unique designs that perfectly align with your brand and user expectations.

Functionality development

Laravel’s extensive set of features allows us to develop highly customized functionality for your website. Whether you need a straightforward content management system, complex e-commerce solutions, or anything in between, we’ve got the expertise to build it on Laravel. Furthermore, our expert team ensures that your website always keeps up with the latest web development best practices.

How Alva Commerce can help you

Working with Alva Commerce brings several key benefits, designed to make your e-commerce journey both successful and hassle-free. Here’s what sets us apart:

E-commerce expertise: With our focus on e-commerce, we bring specialized knowledge that addresses the unique needs of online selling, ensuring your platform is optimized for sales and customer satisfaction.
End-to-end support: We support you from the start, including hosting selection, security measures, custom design, and functional development, ensuring a seamless journey from concept to launch.
Tailored Laravel solutions: Our use of Laravel allows for custom, standout web solutions, ensuring your site is high-performing and unique in the marketplace.
Security and stability: Security and website reliability are paramount, with our strategies designed to keep your site safe and running smoothly for an optimal customer shopping experience.
Personalized service: We tailor our services to meet your specific business goals, ensuring solutions that are in perfect alignment with your strategic vision.
Continuous support: Our engagement doesn’t end at launch. We offer ongoing support and maintenance to adapt your site to changing technologies and market conditions, ensuring long-term success.

Choosing Alva Commerce means partnering with a team that is as committed to your success as you are. With our expertise, personalized approach, and comprehensive support, we’re here to help you navigate the complexities of e-commerce and achieve lasting online success.

Your custom-tailored Laravel site is just a consultation away.

Reach out now for a free consultation on how we can help your business thrive.

To wrap it up

Creating a website with Laravel isn’t as costly as some might think. While Laravel is free, there are costs for design, hosting, and domains. Yet, its capacity for tailored solutions means your investment molds perfectly to your business’s unique needs.

So, going with Laravel is a bit like choosing to build a custom home instead of buying a pre-built one. It’s going to fit you perfectly, but it requires a bigger investment upfront, both in time and money. The average cost to build a website with Laravel starts somewhere around $3000 and increases based on the functionality you need.

At Alva Commerce, we guide you from start to finish, ensuring every step — from choosing hosting to final touches — aligns with best practices and your goals. Partnering with us opens doors to deep e-commerce expertise, aimed at making your online venture fruitful.