More Irish business owners understand the importance of getting their businesses online, but many are unsure at how much it costs to have a website designed and the annual costs involved? It really can be difficult to gauge just how much you should spend and quotes from companies can vary wildly.

So, let’s take look at the basic costs of starting your very own website and what’s involved.

How much you spend is largely up to you. You could easily spend thousands of euro on ‘bells and whistles’ that you really don’t need. To ensure you’re not paying too much for your website try to first educate yourself about what you really need from your website provider. The following guide will help.

To get started, every website needs a domain name and a web host.

Register A Domain

A domain name (also known as ‘URL’ or ‘website address’) is simply the name you want to give your website. For example, MSN’s domain is msn.com. To get a domain name of your own you have to pay an annual fee to a registrar. This gives you the right to use that name for your website. Prices vary from one registrar to another and for different types of domain (.com, .eu, .co.uk, .ie etc.) but you can usually expect to pay between Euro10 and Euro30 for a domain.

Web Hosting

Now that you have your domain you need to host your website and point your domain toward it. Hosting servers are connected to the Internet making your website available for the world to see. Think of your web host as your landlord, but instead of renting an apartment you’re renting space on their server. This hosting space is where your website is housed and your domain is a signpost to direct people to your site.

Building Your Website

It’s Never Been A Better Time To Get Online

As far as actually building your site and adding content, there are plenty of options, from free website builders (provided with some hosting services) to building a site from scratch yourself to using the services of a professional web designer. Professional websites can be expensive; however there are companies in Ireland that provide excellent services a low cost, tailored in particular for small businesses.

Starter Websites a Kerry Web Design service and a leading low-cost website provider in Ireland. Each website has custom design features, is built to recognised industry standards and rigorously tested in multiple browsers to ensure it displays correctly. All Starter Websites come as a complete web package that includes a free .com domain for 12 months, free hosting for 6 months as well as other bonuses (such as SEO) and regular special offers.

What You Need To Do Now

It’s always a good idea to shop around before making your choice of web designer and finding a designer you are happy to work with is equally important. Getting your business online is made easy by website design providers like Starter Websites. All you need to do is provide text about your business, detail your services and provide contact information and the name you would like for your website. Starter Websites will typically have your new website live within 5 to 10 working days, usually for as little as Euro395.

Conclusion

The cost of getting a professional website need not break your promotion budget, and your website will add value to your business, enabling prospects to visit your site and learn about your services 365 days a year. So don’t put if off any longer, get you business online starting today.