How much is a single-page website?

We wrote articles back in 2019 and 2020 about the joys of one-page websites and the pros & cons of one-page vs multi-page sites, but with the ongoing popularity of single-page website solutions, we felt that we should address how we cost these projects in an open and transparent way.

The need for this has arisen due to the common misconception that ‘single-page’ equates to simple, which means cheap. This is not always the case. In fact, several single-page websites that we’ve built over the past year have been quite complex.

There are three main factors that contribute to the cost of a single-page website.

1. The length of the page
2. The required functionality
3. API integrations

Let’s look at each of these in more detail…

How long is a single-page website?

When quoting for websites, we usually base our costs on the number of unique page templates. This would include a home page and contact page, plus a selection of others, such as:

• About Us
• Services (Overview)
• Service (specific)
• Product Category
• Product
• FAQ
• News (overview)
• News Post
• Privacy Statements, etc

If we imagine for example that it takes £1,000 to design & build one single page template (responsively for desktop & mobile devices), then a website that contains five templates would cost £5,000 (not including project management and other consultancy services).

But if you took those five templates and stacked them on top of one another to form one long single-page website, how much would it cost? £1,000 or £5,000?

We’re only using simple round fingers here, but you can probably see what we’re getting at.

Quite simply, the length of a web page will impact the amount of time it takes a designer to visualise and a developer to build. So, the longer the page, the higher the cost.

If you can keep your single-page website short & sweet, you’ll be helping to keep your costs low.

Website functionality

The second key factor in costing websites of any description is the functionality required to bring the site to life.

Website functions can include items as simple as image/button rollovers and pop-up forms, through to more complex animations and eCommerce functionality.

All functions need to be documented ahead of the design & build process. This helps the team quote accurately for the work required.

Each function takes time for our web developers to code and thoroughly test. So, the more functions you require, the longer the site will take to build and the higher the cost will be.

API integrations

The third and final key factor to consider alongside website functionality is API integrations.

Some form of integration is usually required when a website needs to talk to a 3rd-party system, such as a CRM (Customer Relationship Management platform) or a fulfilment warehouse for eCommerce sales.

Integrations are performed with the use of an API (Application Programming Interface). Web developer uses these APIs to send data from the website to off-site platforms and visa-versa.

API integrations can be quite straightforward or extremely complex depending upon the documentation available. If no documentation exists, then a bespoke API may need to be written, which would be a costly exercise.

CRM integration

Many businesses use a CRM to manage customer data, including names, email addresses and product preferences. CRM tools include platforms such as Mailchimp, Salesforce and Hubspot.

The CRM will often be used to send a company newsletter, but may also be used for more complex marketing needs.

We’ve managed simple mailing list integrations for the likes of Friends of Friendless Churches and Minj-Engineers, plus much more complex integrations for Peach Properties (managing property listings). These have taken anything from a few hours to a few days to set up and test.

So, at the very least, if your website includes a form or questionnaire that’s being used to collect customer data for marketing purposes, then you’ll need some form of CRM integration.

 

eCommerce integrations

We couldn’t finish this section without mentioning eCommerce integrations.

The demand for eCommerce websites has increased exponentially since the pandemic, with companies scrambling to make sure their products are available online. Thereby relieving the reliance on a physical bricks-and-mortar store.

If you’d like to add eCommerce functionality to your website, then you’ll be requiring some form of API integration.

Popular eCommerce website integrations include but are not limited to the following:

• WMS – Warehouse Management System for order fulfilment.
• POS – Point of Sale for stock level control and customer data management (great for loyalty schemes).
• Marketing Automation APIs – Great for automating the segmentation of customers into groups for targeted marketing.
• Customer Reviews – From the likes of Trustpilot and FeeFo.
• Payment Gateways – Including Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay and more.

Again, some of these integrations can be quite simple and others more challenging. So it’s always important for your web developer to know in advance any specific eCommerce integration requirements.

Single-page website templates

There are plenty of off-the-shelf single-page website templates available for you to use with platforms such as WordPress, but we design & build our websites bespoke to the client’s exact needs.

This approach helps us deliver a website that is fast and secure, which should be a top priority for any business looking to launch a product or brand online.

We only use the best quality plugins that are well-vetted and supported with regular updates. In fact, we often write our own if we feel that the site will benefit in some way, either via increased page-load speed or improved security.

Building bespoke will always be more expensive than using an off-the-shelf template, but what you are paying for is peace of mind. A web development agency that takes pride in its work, is fully responsible for the code that they write and offers great after-sales support.

Bespoke single-page website design & development

If you are looking to have a website created for your brand and have a tight budget to work to, then a single-page website could be the ideal solution for you.

We often refer to a single-page website as an MVP (Minimal Viable Product). It’s the minimum web presence that a company needs to instil confidence in the target customer.

Content should be minimal and the intention of the site should be sharply focused. Give the user just the right amount of information to make an informed decision and then perform the desired action (make an enquiry, purchase, download a document, etc). Don’t overload your single-page website with too many sections and make sure that each one is lightweight when it comes to text.

Resist the urge to over-complicate the site with too many functions and integrations. Only use what you really need to perform the tasks that are essential to your business. You can always add more functionality when you have extra funds to invest in the project.

Single-page websites: Additional Reading

If you liked what you learned in this post, you may like these companion articles:

1. How long does it take to build a website?
2. The joys of one-page websites
3. The pros & cons of one-page vs multi-page sites

If you’d like to talk to us about having a single-page website designed & built for your brand, then feel free to get in touch. We’ll be happy to discuss your requirements and suggest a great solution.