A professional website might seem like a luxury for a new or growing business with a limited budget, but having one can help accelerate your sales. Website financing allows you to put your best foot forward without having to redirect funds from other areas of your business.
In this guide, we’ll cover the importance of website financing, what factors impact the price of a website, and what your financing options are. By the end, you’ll be ready to build a top tier website that launches your business to the next level.
Why Should You Finance a Website?
There’s no denying that investing in a customized website complete with modern design touches, the latest UX trends, and search engine optimization can position you leagues above the competition. A custom-designed site can help you grow brand awareness and creates an exceptional experience that turns first-time buyers into repeat customers.
An e-commerce business with limited funds might be torn between investing in a new site or paying for more inventory. Together, an optimized website and expanded inventory can help your business scale quickly and efficiently. That’s where website financing comes in.
With website financing, you can start building the best possible website now without putting inventory expansion or other projects on hold.
In some cases, this is all but necessary. For example, if you invest in stellar advertising but don’t have a site of at least equal quality, potential customers might become confused or uninterested in your products and never reach the check-out page. In this instance, not investing in a high-caliber website could actually cost you money.
Costs of Building an E-commerce Website
A custom-built website is no small investment. Depending on the size of your company, you can expect to spend anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $100,000 or more.
The final price of the site also depends on a variety of factors, from design needs to content creation.
Branding
Solid branding is a key ingredient for distinguishing your company from your competitors. A custom-built website doesn’t mean much if unremarkable branding bogs it down. If you haven’t previously developed your branding with the help of a consultant, be sure to add this to your budget during the website development process.
Design
Are you content with a site built on a generic template or do you want a customized layout? The cost will increase depending on the complexity of the design. Generally speaking, if you want the best return on your investment, consider a more personalized approach that highlights your branding.
Another reason to invest in design? A poorly-designed site can contribute to slow site speeds, which costs you customers.
Customized functionality
Branding and design aren’t the only elements that help your site stand out. A unique and optimized user experience highlights what your business provides that competitors don’t.
Add-ons
Plugins are third-party apps that can increase the functionality of your site but come with their own price tag. If you’re buying stock photos or need copywriting, this will also add to the cost of your site.
Integrations
Integrating your e-commerce website with your marketing software and customer relationship management tools is essential for measuring the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, delivering exceptional customer support, and retargeting existing customers. Making sure all these integrations work seamlessly often comes with an additional cost.
Data migration
Moving from an old website to a new one? Having the web development team move all that content for you will impact the cost of the project, especially as the amount of data you need to migrate grows.
Marketing and SEO
Your new site isn’t going to rise to the top of search engines on its own. An SEO and marketing strategy makes it possible. Unless you have an in-house marketing team, consider working with a design agency that also offers marketing and SEO services.
Top 4 Ways to Finance Your Website
Convinced that financing is the best option for building your website? There are a couple of options for making it happen. Best of all, there are options available for financing a website without paying a cent in interest.
#4: Short-term business loan
A short-term business loan can help you get your ideal website as soon as possible, but you’ll want to pay back the loan just as quickly. According to this guide, in 2019 some short-term business loans had interest rates as high as 99%.
Depending on the lender, you’ll also need a minimum credit score of between 500 and 680.
#3: SBA Loan
The US Small Business Administration guarantees loans from online lenders and commercial banks. These loans have lower interest rates and longer repayment times than the short-term business loans described above, but they also have a lengthier and more complex application process.
#2: PayPal Credit
Some credit companies offer cards with zero interest for a special introductory period. With PayPal Credit, any purchase of $99 or more is interest-free if paid in full within six months. This offer is valid forever for any purchase above $99. Just be sure to meet the deadline for repayment; the annual percentage rate (APR) is 25.99%.
#1: In-house financing
Consider negotiating a payment plan directly with your website designer. Some agencies now offer financing options with competitive interest rates that allow you to sidestep short-term lenders and save money.
Group 8A takes it a step further and offers three-year payment plans with zero interest and no conventional credit checks. This ensures that clients aren’t set back by hidden costs and can keep cashflow focused where you need it most.
Group 8A also offers customized monthly support plans that start as low as 4 hours per month. Unlike traditional site maintenance packages, Group 8A’s plans let you use only the hours you need and get refunded for the rest.
The best part about in-house financing with Group 8A? Instead of a lengthy application, credit check, and background check process, you can be approved and start building your new site in as little as a few days.
Start Building Your Dream E-commerce Website
You don’t have to wait to have the best website for your business. With all the financing options out there, it’s never been easier to do more with a limited budget. And given the impact a high-quality website can play in your advertising and marketing efforts, you can’t afford to skimp on your business’s digital home.
Put off by the interest rates from short-term business loans or the lengthy applications for SBA loans? Group 8A’s in-house website financing is the perfect alternative.
With Group 8A, you can pay down your balance over three years with zero interest, allowing you to reap all the rewards of having an upscale site with none of the risk or added costs. Plus, with a quick and easy approval process, you can start creating your site immediately. Get in touch with Group 8A for a quote today.