A basic chiropractic website could cost thousands of dollars. Some websites soar to tens of thousands of dollars, plus monthly fees, but these websites can have advanced functionality and superior marketing that make them stand out to potential patients. Take these factors into consideration as you plan a budget and start talking to chiropractic marketing companies.
What Factors Affect the Cost?
Domain Name
A domain name is the address that clients type into the URL bar to access your website. Some website builders offer free domains, but they usually have additional words or numbers that make your domain name harder to remember. Free domains can also look unprofessional because they’re tied to the website builder instead of standing on their own.
Domain names can cost anywhere from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars per year. The most basic domain names, such as pets.com, are practically inaccessible to individuals. Domain names become cheaper as they become more unique. For example, you might not be able to afford “chiropractor.com,” but you could buy a domain name like “welleschiropractic.com.”
Top-level domains that end with .com or .org are pricier than uncommon domains, such as .io or .biz. The newer domains are harder to remember, but many simple domain names haven’t been claimed yet. You could buy your chosen domain name for a fraction of the cost of a .com domain.
Website Hosting Company
A web hosting company provides online “real estate” for your website. When you buy a hosting plan, your website goes live on the Internet. Clients can access your website through search engines or by typing in the domain name. If your hosting plan lapses, your website appears to disappear until you renew your subscription.
Some website builders provide free hosting or require you to buy a subscription, which could be $10 or less. You can reach out to a separate hosting company if you build a website on your own. Prices can range from less than $5 for small websites to several hundred dollars for major businesses with high traffic.
SSL Certificate
An SSL certificate encrypts the information that clients send through your website, such as their addresses and credit card numbers, to keep it safe from third parties. Many clients won’t use your website without one because they won’t feel safe sharing their data. You can see if a website is secure by clicking the lock icon in the URL bar left of the domain name.
Some website builders provide a free SSL certificate with a paid subscription. If you buy one separately, an SSL certificate for one domain might cost less than $10 per year. Certificates for multiple domains with specific purposes can cost hundreds of dollars each year.
Design
Website builders offer free design templates, but they can limit your options, especially if you’ve never built a website before. Subscriptions can range from less than $10 to $50 or more per month. Typically, subscribers get more design options, however, premade templates might not have the functionality that you need.
Web design companies can charge anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $10,000 or more for your website. This is a larger up-front cost, but web designers tailor your website exactly to your needs. They’ll design the layout that you want so you don’t have to rely on templates.
Web designers can build multiple pages, such as an “About Us” page, contact sections, and add functionality to your website, too. This could include contact forms, online billing options, social media feeds, videos and live chats. Afterward, chiropractic marketing companies help you promote your new website to your clients.
Web Copy
Web copy is the text that greets the audience when they visit your site. Frontpage web copy often includes branding, contact information, and a short introduction. You’ll need text for virtually every page on your website so patients quickly find the information that they need.
Copywriters can charge anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars for web copy. They can write anything from short doctor biographies to technical data, such as your office hours and contact information. Custom content is clean, grammatically correct, and easy to read, making a strong first impression.
Some writers incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) keywords into their copy. They research common search keywords, such as “chiropractor near me,” then incorporate these keywords into the text to boost your website’s search engine rankings. This reaches more patients in your region.
Online Store
Many chiropractic websites allow patients to book appointments online. You could take it a step further by letting clients pay online or buy other products or services from your site. However, you’ll need a secure online store that patients can trust with their personal data and payment information.
Some website builders charge an extra fee or require you to buy a subscription to access the online store functionality. Web design companies could charge a few thousand or more for a store encoded into your website. A custom-built store is efficient, professional, and designed for your specific needs so patients can place orders within minutes.
Mobile Optimization
Thousands of people search for local chiropractors and book appointments through mobile devices each day. You could have a streamlined desktop website, but if you didn’t optimize your site for mobile use, visitors might have a slow, awkward browsing experience that makes them turn to one of your competitors. Clients don’t want to squint at tiny text and wait for the website to load– they want information in seconds.
Web design companies could charge a few thousand dollars or more for an optimized website. A mobile-friendly site has clean blocks of content that highlight the most important information. Large text and clear buttons make the site easy to navigate. Web designers maintain your business’s color scheme and branding so the mobile and desktop sites complement each other.
Talk to Chiropractic Marketing Companies
Chiropractic marketing companies help you promote your business so you can maximize your reach, earn five-star reviews, gain a loyal client base and market yourself to the right audience. Reach out to ViziSites today to talk about filling the holes in your marketing strategy.
