As the world becomes more digital, differentiating your business from competitors is essential for continued growth. It helps to develop trust and allows customers to identify your brand, explore product and service offerings, and engage with your company.

Though there are several web application / website templates available, you may opt for customized solutions that offer unique solutions to the specific needs of your business. It also promotes higher security and can prevent the loss of sensitive information via malware attacks. Additionally, customized solutions have the flexibility and scalability to accommodate necessary changes as your organization grows. Last but not least, customized development provides a seamless customer experience, thereby increasing retention and attracting more potential customers.

Why is it tough to determine the exact cost?

When you consider developing a web application or website, you are most concerned with the amount of money you will spend. Estimating the exact figure is difficult as development companies do not offer a standardized price list. Several factors play a role, and these can be classified into three broad categories, which include:

  • Factors based on purpose and type
  • Factors based on phases
  • Necessary factors

Factors based on purpose and type

Starting with a clear goal in your mind helps develop a good design and fulfil your primary purpose – attracting the maximum number of potential clients. Different types of designs are as follows:

Multi-page development: It comprises multiple pages with different features on each page. These are suitable for eLearning sites, online marketplaces, and other similar platforms.

Single page: It is recommended for small organizations to talk about their business, provide contact details, and a call to action (CTA).

Corporate: These provide their business values to clients. Corporate sites are deeply connected to the marketing objectives and communicate the company’s goals and portfolio.

Ecommerce: These receive payments for sales of online products and services and are used by suppliers to sell via the Internet.

Web portal: These are informational sites that bring information from multiple online sources together and also offer search engines, forums, emails, and more.

Catalog: Such sites are used by people to search for details about specific products or services, such as hotels, properties, automobile rentals, jobs, and more.

Community-building sites include sites for sharing and forums, and they often have a central theme. 

Once you classify the type of web development for your business, you can determine the features and other technicalities of the site. The time taken to develop the web application also varies based on its type and complexity, which is an important factor in determining the total development cost.

Factors based on phases

Web development has multiple phases, and understanding them will also help in estimating the cost. These include:

User Interface and User Experience Design (UI/UX): This aspect is crucial for the web application’s success. The three stages in this process include research, wireframing, and UI/UX design. The time taken can be between one and two weeks, and the cost depends on the complexity of the development and its requirements.

Front-end development: It is the first visual impact for visitors and starts with designing and developing, followed by QA testing. The cost of this phase will depend on how complicated the animations are and how well the site works. The time taken to complete this development can vary from two to six weeks.

Back-end development: This comes into play when the visitors engage with the application via buttons or other ways. It is the server-side of the overall development and is critical to its smooth operation. Some factors during this phase that influence the development cost include data processing tasks, third-party integration, and the complexity of the queries. It may take three to eight weeks for the back-end development to be completed.

Content management system (CMS) development: You do not want to need help from the developer for editing, creating, or managing minor modifications. These tasks can be smoothly completed with a robust CMS. Though some systems like Drupal, WordPress, and Shopify can be used, these have limited functionality, and you may want to develop your own CMS. The time taken may be between three and eight weeks.

Other factors

Other necessary factors are important to provide a smooth and seamless experience to the visitors. Some of these factors that influence the web development cost include:

  • Type of web application
  • Technology used
  • Team composition
  • Scope of work
  • Engagement model
  • Location of the development team

What is the web development cost in different regions?

United States of America

The cost of web development in the United States of America is among the highest in the world. The cost may start at $2,000, with the maximum limit determined by your budget. A simple development may cost between $2000 and $23,000. The cost for a medium development may be between $26,000 and $52,000. A large, customized application’s development cost may range from $53,000 to over $1 million.

Europe

It is a much-diversified region, and the western part has very high web development costs while eastern Europe has more affordable pricing. A simple application can cost you anywhere from $1000 to $6500. The cost of medium-range web development can range from $9500 to $20000.The cost for a large, customized development can be between $25,000 and $1 million.

Asia

This is a popular region for outsourcing as the development rates are lower when compared to many other areas. The costs may be four times lower than in the USA and two times lower than in Europe. The average rates for a simple, medium, and large customized development vary between $500 and $3000, $4000 and $8000, and $10000 and over $1 million, respectively.

Generally, web development is associated only with the design, but there is more to this than just colors and placement. The cost of the design is only a small part of the total development cost. The category (small, medium, or large), purpose, complexity, customization, and several other factors determine the web development cost. Even though cheaper is good, pay attention to the quality. Your web app is the first thing that potential customers see, so you don’t want to skimp on quality.

Have a unique web app idea? Send us a message to find out more about the website development services we offer and the skills we have.