By Patty Brick

As an Internet consultant, the first question I'm usually asked when meeting with clients new to the Internet is "How much does it cost to set up a web site?" I have found that question difficult to answer because there are many variables to consider when putting up a site. I usually go through an interview process with the client to clarify their goals and needs and also to determine if it makes good business sense. Then, I explain the costs involved, as well as how and what needs to be done by the client and what needs to be done by me. Finally, we put an agreement together that summarizes our conversations.

The costs of building a web site are varied because it depends on what your goals are and what your budget will allow - just like you would do when placing an ad in a major publication. When an ad is placed in a publication, there are varying rates. Placing an ad in the classifieds is a lot less expensive than placing a full-page ad in the business section. With a classified ad, all you do is call the publication and tell them what you want advertised. When a full-page ad is developed in a major publication, typically, a professional advertising agency is hired who not only creates the ad (creative design), but also places the ad (ad buy). When getting a web site designed by a professional web graphic artist, you will probably want to budget the same amount of money that you budget for the creative in your ad for a major publication.

When you have hired your web developer, it would be helpful to bring the following:

1. Have the Purpose of Your Web Site Defined - What you want the web site to do for your firm? Who is your target market?

2. Bring a list of Domain Names that you might want to use, along with e-mail addresses. Keep the firm's name in the domain name, if possible. Create a naming convention for your e-mail addresses, such as initials@domainname.com.

3. Content - what you want on your web site - preferably in digital format.

4. Photos and Graphics

5. An organizational chart for the Site - this would be an overall view of how the content is arranged in the site.

6. A decision on whether you will find a hosting service (where your web site lives) or allow the web developer to find one. (I personally recommend allowing the web developer to use the one with which he/she is most comfortable).

7. A Decision on how your site will be maintained and updated.

8. A marketing plan for your web site.

By having the above information to give to your web developer, it will be easier to give an estimate on the cost of the site and the amount of time it will take to produce the site.

In addition to the investment of the creative design of your web site, there are five other fees you need to be aware of when developing a web site: Web Hosting, Set Up Fees, Maintenance Fees and Online Marketing Fees.

1) Hosting Fees: This is where your web site lives. A good analogy is if you are setting up an office, you usually

sub-lease space from a real estate company. When you open a virtual office, an office of the web, you need to sub-lease your space on a company from an Internet Service Provider who has a direct link to the Internet. This is, by far, the least expensive way to go. (The other way would be to buy your own computer and Internet connection.)

Cost Range: $18.95/month - $2600.00/month.

2) Set up Fees: There are numerous charges that you need to be aware of:

Domain Name ($70 Internic Fee)

Domain Name Setup Fees ($50-$250)

Credit Card Set up (Merchant Accounts, Secure Server transaction capabilities, Secure Certificates) $250-$2000

Cookie Set up ($4500)

Software Set up ($50-$100.hr)

3) Web Design Charges: These fees can include graphic design, layout, HTML coding, database programming, java programming, cgi-programming, streaming video, streaming audio, form creation...much of this is labor-intensive by highly-skilled people.

Cost Range: $10/hr - $150/hr

4) Web Marketing Charges: These fees can include search engine listing, banner advertisements, link exchanges, e-mail campaigns, newsgroup postings, and press releases.

Cost Range: Free to $150/hr

5) Web Maintenance Charges: These fees are usually separate from the hosting charges. The maintenance fees include updates and changes to your site, i.e., new specials of the month, new staff, new product that you are selling. You can either make the changes yourself (time) or hire someone to do them (money). A maintenance/retainer agreement is one way to go. Usually, if you put a company on retainer, they lower their fees for the "guaranteed income" over a year. Negotiate with your provider.

6) Cost Range: Free to $150/hr

Creating a custom web site takes time, as well as money. From start ("I want a web site!") to finish ("It's live!") give yourself about six weeks for a "small" (10 pages) web site to be completed. For larger projects, give yourself three to six months.

Remember that your web site reflects your firm - just as your brochures and collateral material do. Plan carefully and thoroughly. The more time and planning you put into your web site, the easier it will be to develop your web site.

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Patty Brick is President/Owner of BrickBuilt, Inc. She is the Exclusive Internet Consultant for the South Florida Business Report, a Channel 5 (WPTV-NBC) television news program that appears on Sunday mornings at 10:30. She has also written for the Palm Beach Post. Patty gives seminars on Internet Marketing, E-Business, and How to Surf the Web.