Your website needs an overhaul. You're ready to add it to your budget. But you have no idea what it will cost. You are not alone.

We hear "just give me a ballpark figure" all the time!

Hey...we are not a fast food restaurant. Without more information about your specific needs, we simply cannot give you a specific dollar amount.

Consider another analogy. You need a new car. What will it cost? Looking for leather upholstery or something the dog won't destroy? Fuel efficient or urban assault? Soccer transport or midlife crisis muscle car? Like cars, websites come in compact, midsize and luxury models--and pricing them also depends on functionality and design expectations.

Yes, your car comes with wheels.

Website development is measured in hours. How long will it take for highly skilled designers and programmers to deliver a quality product that meets your--and more importantly, your customers'--specific needs?

Every website project we undertake, regardless of complexity, includes:

• a strategy session
• original design
• custom programming
• browser testing
• website management training for your team

Each website has the following baseline attributes. First is content. Content can be easily managed with an integrated content management system (CMS)--we use WordPress--and, when content is fresh, your site is optimized for search engines to find you. Next, we program websites to be responsive. This means our sites can be viewed on any screen width without annoying quirks. We also make sure Google Analytics is integrated, and social media icons are included. And all of our websites are developed with the highest regard for clients' brand standards.

So, you need all-wheel drive.

Want to add features? A calendar of events? Animations? Blog? Store? Does your site need to be integrated with any third-party business systems? Need a portal to a secure area?

The point is that every custom feature and functionality means not only additional programming but also design which will impact your total cost.

Remember we're partners in this website adventure. We want--no, we need--your involvement. And your level of involvement might have a financial impact. For example, we encourage you to undertake the migration of content from your old site to the new site. Why? It's a great opportunity to revisit your content and make sure your messaging is still in-line with your brand positioning. Don't have time for that? We're here to help, but we'll need to add content migration to our scope of work which increases the cost to you.

Let's briefly talk basic branding. We design custom sites; therefore, we need to ask, "Do you have strong brand standards?" If you do, we'll follow those standards. If not, we can help establish your organization's "look and feel" so that it can be carried through from the website to print collateral, digital ads, and the like. While it's a lot of fun to start from ground zero, it does require some more design time which will also impact your cost.

Do you qualify for our special financing offer?

Your final website cost is also impacted by your answers to the following questions:

• Are you a registered 501(c)(3) and eligible for our not-for-profit rates?
• Are you a VASCUPP member or affiliate and eligible for exclusive rates?

If you answered "yes" to either question, then your website cost will be lower.

It's time to trade in your old car...er, site.

Just so you don't think we're entirely dodging the question, here are some ballpark ranges for websites. Keep in mind these are generalizations, but we just couldn't leave you hanging.

A "ballpark figure" is NOT good enough for budgeting purposes.

Custom microsites and less complex websites are generally in the $15K-$20K range.

Mid-range websites, such as those for libraries and community colleges,  might be in the $25K-$45K range.

Complex custom websites with advanced functionality, e.g., e-commerce could be $30K-$60K.

Need an uber-complex, enterprise level site? Let's talk.

The bottom line is that we strongly recommend that you reach out to professional web developers--like us!--to discuss your website needs and request a formal quote, making sure you fully understand the scope of work included in the final figure.