There are many aspects that are analyzed when starting a website development project. Typically, company leaders want flawless UX design and business-friendly architecture in order to deliver an exceptional user experience. But another essential aspect is the budget.
The company must be very clear about the kind of software it wants to develop, if it is possible to put together a project roadmap, to calculate what the budget is needed and how much the company is willing to pay.
4 keys to correctly calculate a website development budget
We will share with you several recommendations when calculating the budget for the development of your website:
Define project expectations
Before calculating budgets, it is essential to define the expectations and scope of the project. The more detailed the report, the better. You must specify the functionalities of the software, the type of architecture and design, the platform on which the website will be hosted, special characteristics and integrations that you want to do. The more details, the better.
In many cases, companies are not clear about what they want for their software, which is a serious problem since in the long term, it can mean loss of money and time in development. A software without a defined objective goes straight to failure.
Calculate specific costs per stage
Once the company and the software provider have defined the expectations of the project, it is recommended to translate the expectations into project stages and costs for each of the stages. In this way, the investment for each of the stages of the project will be clear and it will be easier to calculate the budget.
Check how many profiles you need
Software vendors generally offer teams of software developers tailored to the needs of the client. The following profiles and the hourly costs of each contract must be considered:
- Project manager
- Graphic designer
- UX/UI Designer
- QA Engineer
- Junior/Mid/Senior Software Developers
Assess possible risks
The planning of the development of a website is done based on the best of scenarios because, of course, every company expects the best. But it is wise to assess project and software development risks and incorporate them into planning, as possible scenarios.
“For example, your development team can identify junctures where their work can go well or not, depending on how difficult they are. In the same way, they can visualize an approach that they hope will work even though they recognize that it may not ”, they explained on the Upwork portal.
By having risks on the radar, the software team can be prepared with timely solutions to address any problem or eventuality.
Hidden costs in the development of a website
In addition to the obvious costs of developing a website, companies must take into account certain hidden costs that may arise as the project evolves.
- Software maintenance
Many think that once the project is finished, the development team can forget about the website they just created. It really isn't. The company must take into account the maintenance of the software and, for that, it must invest in a couple of developers who are available in a timely manner to make adjustments and any kind of improvement/maintenance of the software.
- Staff training
Once the new website is implemented, the company must start training its staff so that they can learn to use it and be supportive in maintenance tasks. This requires a moderate investment of both money and time.
- Software testing
Not only should a budget be allocated to the development of the website, but also to run the corresponding software tests before the website is launched to the public. This stage is necessary to verify that the entire platform works correctly, also to detect errors that can be adjusted before the final implementation.
- Backups
With the implementation of a new website, the corresponding backup copy must be made, to have backup of all the system data. Information security is one of the essential elements, which is why backups of the database can be made several times a day, to keep the data as up-to-date as possible.
All security measures are necessary to prevent hackers from entering the system and violating user information, which can range from personal data to bank data.
- Continuous update
The technology industry is very changeable: new tools, updates and new versions of already known technologies come out every day. Every company must keep in mind that it must allocate a budget to execute continuous updates to the website, to adjust to the needs of the market and the demands of the users.
When planning the development budget for your website, take these recommendations into account so that you have as few setbacks as possible.
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