Cost of website ownership

Someone from your clinic will need to spend time getting a website up and then keeping it updated each month (tp be effective). Who will this be and what is this time worth? Are they qualified or experienced?

You will need to interview and hire someone who understands your business, and have the experience to deliver what you need. How long will this take?

You will need to select a suitable domain name, ensure that it is not already taken by someone else and then register it in your name. How long will this take?

You need to understand what options are available to you, and whether they will actually help your business. This usually involves doing your research on technologies like blogs, Content Management Systems and newsletter mailouts. You would then discuss options and costs with your developer. How long will this take?

You may need to go through several iterations of design and maybe get input from several people before you are happy. You would also need to look into the future and see how new features and functions can be accommodated. How long will this take?

A website with 4 pages of content won't help with credibility. To gain and hold interest of your visitors, you really need to think about a content strategy. This could mean that you need to preprae several dozen pages of well-written content. How long will this take?

After all this, it is time to build your website. This could take weeks or months, and hopefully against a fixed-price quote. It could range from $1,000 to $5,000 just for the basics. Expect to pay considerably more to add a blog, social media, newsletters, memberships, galleries, maps and other features. How much do you think you'll end up paying for the finished website?

It may be simple things like updating your business hours, or harder tasks like adding a whole new section of content.. To keep your website fresh and useful (and attractive to search engines), you will need to update its content regularly. It will help to study your visitors' behaviour to plan for this. Also consider how you will go about making the updates. How long will this take and what resources will you need?

You need to understand how search engines work, and then hope that your website and content is "search engine friendly". Who will help you along the way and will this help cost you more? How much will you need to learn about search engines? How long will this take to do each month?

Newsletters are great for promotions and gaining mindshare of your visitors. However they need to be prepared and sent like clockwork each month. Who will be responsible for this? How will you ensure your mail-outs are sent successfully? How well can you comply with spam laws? How long will these take each month?

The Web is always chaning and you need to keep up to ensure you use it to maximum benefit. Maybe consider starting a blog or try social media advertising. You will need to research and implement ideas to see what works, or your website will become stagnant and ineffective. Who will research new trends and explain their benefits to you? How easily will you implement them into your website? How long will this take?

You will undoubtedly need support, from setting up new email accounts to uploading new photos of your staff and clinic. How much time could you be wasting with support requests and waiting for a response? Will your developer always be available in the future? How much support will you need?

Hosting is usually an external ongoing expense. It can range between $20-$30 per month for a decent service with good support. Note: PhysioPulse websites include hosting.