How much does a web site cost?
You get what you pay for...
There are companies out on the street offering to build web sites for ridiculously low prices. Others are at the other end of the financial spectrum. Why the disparity?
It's not like buying a car...
A web site, or web page, is a collection of information that is digitized and uploaded to a web server where the information it contains is published for the world to see.
When you purchase a web site, you're contracting with a firm to create the content as well as to digitize it and post it online.
Content development accounts for most of the cost of a web site. And content development never ends. Mary retires and you hire Bob. You'll need to update your site, disposing of poor Mary and replacing her with smiling Bob. Products change, business models change, locations change...and your web site will have to change, too. That's why a web site is so valuable...it's like a company brochure that you don't have to reprint every year. And that's why it isn't like buying a car - you don't just sign your check and drive off into the sunset in your new web site. Building a web site is the beginning of a relationship that is likely to last for years.
E-commerce and database driven sites are horses of a different color and involve a combination of high-tech programming and low tech dogma. These kinds of sites can be pricey, but they can also make a company a lot of money, save it a lot of time, or both.
