How Much Does an Author Website Cost in 2023?
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I recently researched the cost of a "typical" author website and was startled by the range of estimates I found, and the quality of the resulting site.
Some best-selling, well known authors understandably have sophisticated websites created with custom coding, and these don't come cheap. My clients generally want a professional quality website, that they can look after themselves.
I also saw plenty of nice websites that have been designed on a modest budget. Lastly, and sadly, there is the category of author website that is so old, or so amateurish, it’s damaging your book sales, not helping.
In most cases with author website design, you get what you pay for. And “pay” means both time and money.
If you’re willing to keep your new author website simple, there are great options available now at varying price points.
In order to make the most of your budget, think carefully about what you need your website to do for you. Know yourself and be honest about whether your skills and design expertise lend themselves to creating your own website. My free Starter Kit can help with this.
(For most authors, your zone of genius is in writing, not learning the multitude of skills that I’ve spent 20+ years picking up!)
Your main options then are:
Create a DIY website from scratch
Use a templated or “fast-turnaround” service, often provided by an overseas worker
Hire a professional like me for a custom design. If you decide on this, do ask smart questions.
Different website costs you need to consider
Many website plans have ongoing costs as well as the first year investment you'll make. And the cost of switching, once you're committed to a platform, will be high in both time and money. So watch out for:
Cost to register a domain name (such as authorname.com), not only in the first year but for renewals, too. At the moment, Google charges $12 per year for most domains, while Squarespace costs about $20. (2023 update: Squarespace has done a deal to acquire Google domains - here’s what you need to know.)
Cost of hosting. Think of this as the online storage space for the files which make up your author website. With many providers, like Squarespace, this is bundled in with the subscription for your site as a whole. If you choose WordPress, you’ll need to pay for hosting.
Professional expertise to create your new author website design. This could be the fee you pay someone like me, or the cost of purchasing a "theme" or template to give your website an attractive look that works for your needs. On platforms like WordPress, you also need to budget for extras, often known as "plugins," to deliver functionality that doesn't come as standard.
Photos. The cost of these will vary with individual preference, not with the platform you choose, so I'm not including them in my analysis here. I warmly encourage you to budget for professional author photos: they make a big difference in how good your website looks.
Custom design work, like a logo, for example. Again, not included here, and in fact, many authors can get away with a simple, text-based version of your name.
Maintenance cost. What will be necessary to keep your website up-to-date and secure? Will you be able to handle it yourself? Remember how some printer companies sell you a cheap printer, but then replacement ink costs a fortune? This is similar, so be careful. WordPress absolutely needs ongoing maintenance (either by you or somebody else); other providers take care of updates for you.
Important: If you buy a cheap website package from a company that advertises online, watch out for significant monthly and annual costs, after your initial purchase.Time and stress. If you plan to look after your website yourself, know that you will still pay in terms of time, and possibly stress. The "cost" if, for example, your site gets hacked, will be significant.
How much does a website cost? The big players:
Time for some numbers! Don't rule out "free" plans, especially if you're just getting started, but you'll need another round of research to understand exactly what you get, and how much of their own branding they'll add to your author website.
If you’re interested in how to create an author website for free, here's why I like Carrd’s free plan.
However, for this scenario, I'm assuming:
You'd like to use your own domain name. This is a step up from the free packages offered by providers such as Wix, Weebly and Carrd. You might still see their branding visible, though, so check that, if it's important to you.
You want to remove advertising. Please don’t place ads on your website. It makes you look horribly cheap, and for the pennies you’ll make, creates a nasty experience for your visitors.
You'll want some professional help in planning, designing and building your website.
You don't need a sophisticated shopping cart, but instead will point visitors to Amazon and other stores where your books are available.
I had to make assumptions and estimates here, so please treat these numbers as a guide, not a hard and fast amount. I researched them in summer 2022:
| Domain name, per year | Hosting, per year | Initial expertise | Ongoing maintenance | Your Stress | SEO options | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress (self-hosted) | $12 from Google domains | $90-$120 | $800-$4000 | $90-$150 per hour*, or DIY | high | great |
| Wix | Free for first year, then $14.95 | $168 | $500-$2000 | $50 per hour, or DIY | medium | limited |
| Weebly | Free for first year, then $19.95 | $144 | $500-$1200 | $50 per hour, or DIY | medium | limited |
| Carrd | $12 from Google domains | $19 | $1000-$3000 | $80 per hour, or DIY | low | very limited |
| Strikingly | Free for first year, then $24.95 | $192 | $850 | DIY | low | ? |
| Squarespace - custom | Free for first year, then $20 | $192** | $900-$5000 | $90-$180 per hour, or DIY | low | great |
| Squarespace - DIY with template | Free for first year, then $20 | $192** | $200-$300 | DIY | low | great |
Table notes:
* For WordPress, monthly retainer packages are popular, but expensive
** Save 20% off your first year with Squarespace, when you work with me. Or, if you build your Squarespace site yourself, save 10% with code PAULINE10 .
My recommendations
If you can keep your website very simple and don't need a blog or much SEO: Carrd is worth considering, especially if you’re tempted to build your website yourself.
If you love playing with technology, want lots of features, and lots of control: WordPress might be worth the inevitable time you'll put in. Note: you must plan for you or someone else to keep WordPress up to date with security patches.
If you want a professional author website with room to grow: I now create almost all of my custom websites using Squarespace. See lots of examples here. This is my first choice for an author website that allows for plenty of features, is secure, supported, and doesn’t break the bank. See my custom design service here.
Related:
Migrating from WordPress to Squarespace: What to know
How to keep author website costs reasonable
To keep your costs reasonable, don't assume you should design your website entirely from scratch, yourself. Like many authors, web design probably isn't your best skill. You'll likely find yourself floundering in a seemingly impossible project that you never finish, or your website will end up looking amateurish. Much like book covers, if you really want to be taken seriously, you should invest in author website design.
To keep your costs under control:
Screen out larger firms, design agencies and "branding specialists". There is wonderful work done in this sector, but it will come at a much higher price.
Look for solo web designers. Those —like me— who work primarily with authors have streamlined their process accordingly, which saves their time and your money, especially in the discovery phase of deciding what you want and need. They'll ask you better questions about your project, too.
Use sites like Upwork, 99designs and Fiverr with caution. In order to make a living from their work, most designers on these platforms are forced to work at breakneck speed. They'll either churn your website out in the minimum possible time, repeat a recent design done for someone else, or your low initial price will escalate fast. What's more, it's often impossible for you to verify they haven't infringed copyright in the work they present. If you investigate these marketplaces, please do your research thoroughly. Know that they simply can’t take a holistic view of your book marketing or provide valuable strategic advice when you pay such low rates; by necessity, your project is a short-term pay check and nothing more.
Go for fewer features, not more. Unless you’re a world-famous author, most readers will visit your website as an informational stop, not for lengthy engagement. Unless your strategy includes selling products directly from your own website, you don't need a shopping cart, either. Point people to your preferred book retailer, instead.
You don't need a highly sophisticated design for the website to feel special and personalized. As long as you can control fonts, colors and images, you don't need custom animations sweeping across the screen. But, you’ll still need to apply good design sense, great images, and careful spacing.
Don’t make separate websites for your different creative interests, if you can avoid it.
Ask lots of questions about what you'll get, and what's involved in the design process. Here are some good example questions to ask when talking to a professional.
Remember to ask about ongoing costs and support, if you suspect you won't want to handle updates yourself. Even if you'd like to try, you should know what the position will be, if you get stuck. And I definitely advise against a website purchase where you are required to pay your website designer for every small change you need. Most of my clients are able to make small text edits themselves on Squarespace, but for a new book release, new website pages, or other site structure change, they generally choose to get me involved.
Be intentional in your preparations. You’ll waste both time and money if you hire a website expertise before you’ve done some strategic thinking. Here’s how to know, are you ready to work with a website designer?
If your author website cost is still unclear, remember that, if you're just getting started, it's better to aim for a simple website and get it up and running, than to delay indefinitely hoping for sophisticated brilliance. Today's technology is cheaper and easier than ever before: I truly believe a beautiful, affordable website is within reach for every writer and author.
Would you like me to design and build your author website?
As a professional specializing in Squarespace websites for authors and experts, I’m an expert in planning and implementing a site that generates results for your book(s) and your business. If you’d like strategic expertise, top quality design, book marketing tips, and all of the implementation taken care of, consider hiring me.
After careful preparation together, I’ll design, build and launch your site in usually just 2 weeks. Learn more, and then schedule our free and friendly conversation.
