Skyway Consulting  

What It Really Costs To Run a Website

Design is only part of the equation. Putting your website out in the world requires the following, each of which has a cost:

A domain name such as "skywayconsulting.com." You can do your own research at provider sites (look up "getting a domain name"). This usually is an annual fee and can range from quite low special offers to perhaps $35 per year.

Arranging for website hosting on a server (look up "website hosting"). Hosting is what makes it possible for someone to actually see "http://www.yourdomainname.com" over the Internet. The files have to be held somewhere (a server) that can make them available to the public. Estimate about $30 per month for this.

Providing content. This is the material that your customers can read on your site. You can create it yourself or have us create it for you, for a fee.

A design that presents your content in an agreeable, user-friendly package. This is what Skyway Consulting does.

Maintaining your website. This includes those content updates you don't want to or are not technically set up to do yourself. Skyway Consulting can perform website maintenance in accord with a signed maintenance agreement.

In addition, if you want to participate in e-commerce, other charges arise:

Shopping cart technology (look up—wait for it—"shopping cart technology"). This is what displays the items from your online store so that users can order. Your shopping cart also collects the user's information on payment and shipping.

A merchant account. This is an account with a bank or other financial institution that makes it possible for you to accept credit card payments.

A payment gateway and virtual terminal. This is the connection between your shopping cart and your merchant account. It's like an electronic cash register and records keeper in one, and is what lets you view transactions, manage orders, and issue refunds.

A secure site certificate. Having a secure site means that the information moving between your customer's computer and your website is encrypted, and secure from theft.

In either case you may want professional placement and search engine optimization (SEO) to bring your website to the attention of people doing searches for certain keywords. If this is of interest to you, look up "search engine marketing."

Many of these services come in combinations. You have to decide what's right for you. You may also be able to locate "mall" sites that will "rent" you their e-commerce technology of upi place your website with them. In this case, charges vary by mall. Such sites may also require you to use the automated website design features that they provide.