After dedicating your entire being to it, you are finally ready to share your writing with the world. You’ll need a website. A personal website is the primary platform for showcasing your work, engaging with readers, and creating your author’s identity. WordPress is a popular platform for author websites due to its versatility, ease of use, and numerous customization choices. However, how much does it cost to build a WordPress author website?
The good news is that starting does not require a large sum of money. WordPress offers a flexible and cost-effective platform for authors of all skill levels.
This article discusses the costs of building an author website with WordPress, allowing you to create an appealing and useful online presence without breaking the bank.
Here’s what we’ll discuss:
* The essentials are a domain name, hosting, and WordPress.
* Design and development of unique projects, plugins, and themes.
*Optional Extras: Email marketing and other marketing strategies are optional.
WordPress Author Website Costs
1. Essentials
▪️Domain name costs beginning at $0.99 annually.
Buying a domain name is the first step in creating a website because it will be used as the URL of the site. Domain names normally cost starting at $0.99 per year. Prices vary depending on your domain extension (.com,.net,.org) and the registrar you pick. Remember that some premium domains may cost extra.
Many hosting providers, such as Truehost, Bluehost, and SiteGround, often include a free domain for the first year when you sign up for their hosting services. After that, you’ll need to renew it annually.
▪️Web Hosting: $3 – $15/month
Web hosting is where your website files are stored and served to visitors. There are several hosting options available, but for most authors, shared hosting is sufficient, especially when starting.
🔹️Shared hosting
This is the most cost-effective option, typically costing between $3 and $15 per month. Truehost, Bluehost, SiteGround, and HostGator all provide low-cost shared hosting choices targeting beginners.
🔹️Managed WordPress Hosting:
For a more simplified experience with improved WordPress speed, security, and support, choose managed WordPress hosting, which normally costs between $15 and $30 per month. WP Engine and Kinsta are both managed hosting companies.
While shared hosting is less expensive, managed WordPress hosting includes more advantages such as faster performance, skilled support, and regular backups—all of which may be beneficial if you plan on expanding your website.
▪️WordPress.
WordPress.org
WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS), which implies that you can download and use the program for free.
Although the platform is free, there may be additional expenses related to its setup and customization. If you’re unfamiliar with website creation or don’t have the time to handle the technical parts, you may need to hire an expert to install, set up, and optimize your site.
Hiring a professional can be expensive depending on the project’s complexity, the developer’s expertise, and the specific services required. You may expect to pay $50 for a simple installation and $500 or more for a full setup.
WordPress.com
With the free plan, you can make a website. You have to sign up for one of WordPress’ paid plans before you can use a custom domain name to run a business website. The monthly price tiers for WordPress range from $5 to $63.
Pricing and features for starter, explorer, creator, and entrepreneur plans are shown in the WordPress.com pricing table.
Each premium package comes with a free domain name for one year and unlimited email support. The Explorer, Creator, and Entrepreneur subscriptions also include Google Analytics integration, premium themes, and live chat support.
WordPress.com supports a range of revenue strategies, each with its own set of downsides. Users, for example, can only display ads if they join WordAds, an advertising network that pays a percentage of ad revenue.
WordPress.com also governs other forms of revenue, such as affiliate links, memberships, and donations. In other words, WordPress.com customers do not have full control over their monetization options.
If you want endless monetization opportunities, as well as more independence and control over your site, you should create a WordPress website using WordPress.org.
2. Design and Development:
▪️WordPress Theme: Free to $100+. (One-time fee)
WordPress has dozens of free themes, and many authors use a free theme to keep costs down. Premium themes, on the other hand, include greater customization possibilities and professional designs, and often cost between $30 and $100 for a one-time purchase.
Here are a few popular premium themes for authors:
Astra is known for its lightweight design and flexible features.
Divi is a flexible theme with an included page builder.
Author Pro was created exclusively for authors, with features designed to highlight books and author portfolios.
If you choose a free theme, keep in mind that customization choices may be limited, and you may need to upgrade to a premium theme as your site expands.
▪️WordPress Plugins: $0 – $200 per year.
Plugins are little bits of software that improve the functionality of your WordPress website. While many plugins are free, some premium plugins can improve your site’s features and performance. Here are a few categories of plugins you might need:
🔹️SEO Plugins:
Plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math help optimize your website for search engines, improving visibility and ranking. Both include free and paid versions, with the paid versions often costing between $50 and $100 per year.
🔹️Security plugins:
Wordfence and Sucuri are two vital plugins for protecting your website from hacker attempts. While most security plugins are free, premium ones might cost $50 to $100 per year.
🔹️Backup Plugins:
Regular backups are critical for data security. Plugins like UpdraftPlus have free versions, but premium versions can cost more than $50 per year.
🔹️Email Marketing Plugins:
As an author, you must establish an email list. Plugins such as Mailchimp and ConvertKit can help you acquire email subscribers, with rates ranging from free to $100+ per month depending on the number of subscribers.
▪️Custom Development or Design: $500 – $5,000+ (One-time cost)
While many authors begin with a free or low-cost theme, you may eventually want a custom-designed website to stand out. Custom development and design might significantly increase your expenses, particularly if you hire a skilled designer or developer.
Freelancers: The cost of a custom-designed WordPress site can range from $500 to $3,000 if you engage a freelance web designer or developer.
Larger organizations that provide full-service design and development often charge $3,000 to $5,000 or more, depending on the website’s complexity and features.
3. Optional Extras:
▪️Ongoing Maintenance: $50 – $200/year
Once your website is up and working, it must be updated regularly. This may include updating the WordPress core, themes, and plugins, as well as ensuring website security and backups.
▪️DIY Maintenance:
If you’re familiar with basic website activities, you can do the maintenance yourself, lowering expenditures. Most hosting companies provide automatic updates for WordPress, plugins, and themes.
▪️Hiring a Professional:
If you choose to outsource maintenance, various freelancers or companies provide website maintenance services for between $50 and $200 per year, depending on the level of service.
Additional Costs (Optional)
▪️E-commerce Functionality:
If you wish to sell books directly through your website, you may need to install an e-commerce plugin, such as WooCommerce. Although the plugin is free, you may be charged for additional functionality or payment processing fees (2.9% + 30 cents for each transaction).
▪️Marketing and advertising:
To promote your books and website, consider investing in online advertising such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, or influencer relationships. Marketing costs vary widely, but new authors typically start with a low budget of $50 to $100 each month.
▪️Email Marketing:
Creating a complete and active mailing list is an important component of author promotion since it allows you to directly educate your audience about changes, deals, and new publications. Many email marketing platforms, like Mailchimp, provide free plans that may accommodate a modest to medium-sized mailing list, but often with restrictions on the number of subscribers or emails you may send.
However, as your list grows and your email marketing needs become more advanced—such as the inclusion of automation, analytics, or higher sending limits—you may need to upgrade to a paid plan. These paid options generally range from $10 to $50+ per month, depending on the number of subscribers, the volume of emails sent, and the additional features you require. While free plans are a great way to start, upgrading to a payment plan will allow you to grow your marketing efforts and gain access to more powerful tools for customer interaction and campaign optimization.
▪️SEO Services:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a critical component of raising your exposure on search engines such as Google, which can generate more visitors to your website and boost book sales. Hiring a specialist in SEO may be advantageous for authors looking to improve their website’s ranks for relevant search terms. These specialists will help you improve your website’s content, structure, and keywords to ensure they comply with search engine requirements and best practices. SEO services can be quite advantageous, but they can also be an expensive investment.
Professional SEO services typically cost between $500 and $1,000+ a month, depending on the extent of work and the specialist’s experience. This pricing often includes continuing optimization efforts, keyword research, content recommendations, and performance tracking to guarantee that your website’s rankings remain stable or improve over time. Competitive niches may incur even higher costs due to the need for advanced techniques to obtain major advantages.
▪️Stock Photos and Content:
If you don’t have access to your images, purchasing stock photos for your website or employing a photographer to create unique images may incur additional fees. Stock photos can range in price from $1 to $50 per image, depending on the provider.
Total Estimated Cost of an Author Website on WordPress
Basic Setup (DIY): $100 to $300 a year (domain, hosting, free theme, and required plugins).
Intermediate Setup (with some unique features): $300 to $800 a year (domain, hosting, premium theme, and some premium plugins).
Custom or Professional Setup: $1,000 to $5,000+ (custom design, development, and ongoing maintenance).
How to Save Money:
✔DIY:
If you have some technical skills or are willing to learn, you can save money by handling many aspects of website creation on your own. This could include installing WordPress, choosing a theme, customizing it, and installing any necessary plugins. Because of the availability of online guides, you may create a professional-looking website without the need for a specialist.
✔Use Free Resources:
WordPress has a wide variety of free themes and plugins, which can significantly decrease expenses. Many of these free tools provide basic functionality and design options that are more than sufficient for a starting website. As your needs evolve, you can always upgrade to paid options later.
✔Start Small:
Instead of launching a fully featured website all at once, focus on the essential elements first. Give focus to a simple, well-organized design that includes all of the important components, such as a blog or landing page, a contact form, and simple navigation. As your audience and budget grow, you can then slowly add new features like e-commerce, advanced analytics, and custom integrations.
✔Use Free Trials:
Many paid services, such as email marketing platforms, SEO tools, and paid themes, provide free trials. Use these samples to test out services before committing to a paid plan, ensuring you are only paying for what you require.
✔Use Community Support:
WordPress has a large, active user and developer community that routinely shares free advice, ideas, and resources. Forums, Facebook groups, and YouTube channels can be quite useful for troubleshooting or learning new skills, saving you the cost of engaging an expert for each question or problem.
✔Annual Plans:
Many services, such as hosting and email marketing platforms, provide significant savings when purchased annually rather than monthly. If you’re committed to long-term growth, paying upfront for the entire year can save you a significant amount of money.
Conclusion
It is not necessary to spend a lot of money to create an author website using WordPress. You may keep your startup expenditures low by starting with economical hosting and a free or low-cost theme. As your author brand expands, you may want to consider investing in custom design, premium plugins, and professional services to improve the functionality and aesthetics of your website.
Ultimately, the cost of a WordPress author website is determined by your exact requirements and how involved you want to be in the website development process. Whether you want to handle everything yourself or employ specialists, WordPress has a variety of alternatives to fit any budget.