StatusFocus Digital Marketing Academy

Digital Marketing Cost Calculator

How to Use the Digital Marketing Cost Calculator to Estimate Cost of Starting a Website and Optimizing Digital Marketing Strategies

How to Use the Digital Marketing Cost Calculator to Estimate Cost of Starting a Website and Optimizing Digital Marketing Strategies

Digital marketing products and services can be challenging for businesses to navigate as there are often too many options. From the plethora of free tools to enterprise marketing technology stacks, how do you decide what’s best for your current business needs, if the choices you make today are scalable for future growth, and what fits within your budget?

To answer these questions, let’s first look at the following statistics on today’s digital marketing technologies.

Digital Marketing Tool Statistics

  • As of 2022, there are 9,932 marketing technology tools on the market. (Cheifmartec.com, 2022)
  • In 2021, 26.6% of the marketing budget is allocated to growing the marketing technology stack from a survey of CMOs (Chief Marketing Officers). (Gartner, 2021)

Benefits of the Digital Marketing Cost Calculator

Here is a free and straightforward digital marketing cost calculator to help you estimate the cost of starting a website and how to grow your online business in the long run.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, a content creator, or a business marketer, the digital marketing cost calculator will help you choose the best set of tools to start a website and accelerate your marketing as well as lead generation goals.

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* Disclaimer: Annual cost is an estimate of the total cost of digital marketing tools and subscriptions. Individual results and pricing promotions may vary.

How to Use the Digital Marketing Cost Calculator

Cost of Website Domain Name

Most businesses will only need to purchase one domain name. As your brand grows, consider adding a second or third domain to expand to other keywords representing your business.

For example, if your domain name contains word or words with different singular and plural forms, consider purchasing a secondary domain name to ensure your brand has the rights to both the singular and plural forms of your website domain name. 

Each “.com” domain name sold by Google Domain costs around $12 annually, or $1 per month. The domain service also includes free privacy protection from Whois.icann.org. This extra investment in your business could protect your brand as its popularity grows.

Cost of Fully Managed Web Hosting for WordPress

We recommend WPEngine as the best overall fully managed hosting provider if you are just getting started and building a website from WordPress CMS (Content Management System). The cost of WPEngine is built into three simple tiers based on the volume of website traffic and the number of domains.

WPEngine Managed Hosting Service Tiers

  • WPEngine Startup: Host 1 website with up to 25,000 visits per month at the cost of $12 per month ($240 annually)
  • WPEngine Professional: Host up to 3 websites with 75,000 visits per month at the cost of $39 per month ($468 annually)
  • WPEngine Growth: Host up to 10 websites with 100,000 visits per month at the cost of $77 per month ($924 annually)

Cost of Pre-Built WordPress Website Templates

Purchasing a pre-built WordPress template removes the headache of custom building a WordPress website which can be expensive and time-consuming. This option is great for businesses and content creators who want to keep costs down while accelerating the launch time of the website. We recommend Elegant Themes for pre-built WordPress templates as they have hundreds of ready-made website templates with responsive web designs suitable for a wide variety of business needs.

Elegant Themes Website Template Packaged Tiers

  • Elegant Themes Annual Access: $89 per year
  • Elegant Themes Lifetime Access: $249 for lifetime access

Cost of SEO and SEM Marketing Tools

To assist with driving organic and paid advertising search engine traffic to your website, we recommend Semrush as a starting digital marketing tool best for SEO and SEM marketing. Semrush has three simple plans based on the volume of keywords to track for search engine optimization and search engine marketing campaigns.

Semrush SEO and SEM Marketing Package Tiers

  • Semrush Pro: Up to 5 projects and 500 keywords for $99 per month ($1,199 annually)
  • Semrush Guru: Up to 15 projects and 1,500 keywords for $191 per month ($2,299 annually)
  • Semrush Business: Up to 40 projects and 5,000 keywords for $374 per month ($4,499 annually)

Cost of Social Media Marketing Tool

To increase your business’s social media brand awareness and followers, we recommend Hootsuite as the marketing tool that manages all social media profiles on one platform with powerful backend analytics. Hootsuite has three simple plans that scale with the number of users and social media accounts.

Hootsuite Social Media Marketing Tool Package Tiers

  • Hootsuite Professional: 1 user and up to 10 social accounts for $49 per month ($588 annually)
  • Hootsuite Team: 3 users and up to 20 social accounts for $179 per month ($2,148 annually)
  • Hootsuite Business: 5 users and up to 35 social accounts for $739 per month ($8,868 annually)

Cost of Website Visual and Graphic Design Tool

To help with website graphic design, photography, and video editing needs, we recommend Adobe Creative Cloud apps to assist with designing website visual elements and creating marketing campaigns.

Adobe Create Cloud single app starts at $9.99 per month for individuals and $35.99 for businesses. If you use multiple Adobe apps, consider the Adobe Cloud All Apps bundle, which gives access to 20+ Creative Cloud apps for industry-standard web design, photography, video, visual design, and user experience tools.

Adobe Creative Cloud Application Bundles

  • Creative Cloud All Apps for Individuals: $54.99 per month per license (599.88 annually)
  • Creative Cloud All Apps for Businesses: $84.99 per month per license ($1,019.88 annually)

Total Cost to Start a Website and Digital Marketing Tool Stacks

For startups, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and content creators, we recommend going with the basic digital marketing tool subscriptions when starting a website and launching digital marketing campaigns, then slowly scale up as your business grows.

Before purchasing a website and signing up for digital marketing tools, create an actionable marketing strategy to drive traffic and convert leads. Remember, tools are only worth the investment when you use them effectively to execute digital marketing strategies that bring in positive results.

FAQs

You can start a website and get the basic services at a low cost. (Refer to our estimated cost breakdown below in How Much Does It Cost to Start a Website.) We recommend owning your domain name and using a managed hosting service to build a website. You can have complete ownership and control of your digital assets to scale your online presence without limitation.

The average cost to start a website is approximately a minimum of $300 per year. This estimated cost includes an average of $15 per year for owning a domain name and other add-on features. Plus, a starting cost of about $300 per year for a website hosting service based on website traffic volume.

Free or one-size-fits-all website hosting solutions usually do not grant you ownership of your online assets, such as the domain name, or could pose limitations on website traffic, digital marketing scalability, and overall online marketing strategy. Some one-size-fits-all website hosting solutions may offer basic digital marketing services but may not provide tailored, scalable solutions that grow with your business long term.

Absolutely, yes. A website is the best platform for businesses and content creators to drive lead generation, build brand awareness, nurture existing customers, and outreach to new target markets. A website allows you to grow an online presence for your products and services while converting prospects to ready-to-buy customers.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the strategy of gaining “organic” or natural rankings for search queries related to a website in search engines like Google and Bing. When SEO is done correctly, webpage ranking increases in search results, which drives more potential demand to a website over time. Best of all, SEO brings free traffic to a website, so it works effectively even with a limited budget.

Properly implemented SEO or search engine optimization strategy brings free traffic to a website. More importantly, SEO marketing improves search visibility and keyword ranking related to a product or service, significantly lowering the cost of customer acquisition in the long run. Over time, a website can consistently receive organic traffic through a broad category of keywords and drive more online demand.

Here are two examples of how different businesses can successfully implement SEO marketing through SEO keyword research strategy. Example 1: B2C (Business-to-Consumer) SEO Marketing Strategy For B2C product-selling businesses, focus SEO marketing on winning keywords that describe the product well and highlight its value. Incorporate these keywords when creating messaging on the product page to rank for targeted product-related keywords that increase the probability of a sale. Example 2: B2B (Business-to-Business) SEO Marketing Strategy For B2B or service-related businesses, focus SEO marketing efforts on ranking keywords related to service features, competitive advantages, and benefits to drive call-to-actions from visitors. The goal is to have potential prospects take the next step by filling out a contact or demo form to create qualified leads.

SEO marketing is a long-term digital marketing strategy. SEO content marketing, keyword research, and link building are three critical components of successful SEO marketing. A great place to start is to create insightful content that answers a frequently asked question or solves a common problem pertaining to your specific business niche. Then make the content discoverable by strategically implementing relevant keywords to the content and building proper internal and external backlinks.

SEM stands for search engine marketing. SEM is an effective digital marketing strategy of keyword bidding for paid advertising spaces on search result pages. Relevant keywords and prime advertising real estate can quickly drive traffic to a website. Search engine marketing provides businesses with opportunities to gain exposure to be in front of ideal customers and capture more addressable markets.

SEM, or search engine marketing, works by displaying paid ads on search result pages that target a curated group of audience. Depending on the industry, the cost or pay-per-click of keyword bidding can vary for the ad. Create SEM marketing ads that have a benefit and clear call-to-action to increase engagement and drive visitors back to the website.

SEM, or search engine marketing, is one of the fastest ways to get businesses found online within an allotted marketing budget. For example, if a startup wants to create awareness around a new product, SEM can increase search traffic quickly. Search engine marketing fast-tracks a new business’s online exposure by strategically displaying ads to the relevant target audience.

Businesses can gain more brand awareness amongst their customers and generate public interest through social media marketing. With strategic social media marketing, companies can improve their brand image, share their mission and value with the targeted audience while marketing their products and services. To summarize, here are the top benefits of social media marketing. Top 3 Benefits of Social Media Marketing 1. Build emotional connections. 2. Share content that fires up a common passion. 3. Strengthen the brand value.

Social media marketing is critical to capturing and engaging new and returning website traffic by enabling direct interactions between brands and their audience. Social media platforms offer valuable opportunities for brands to communicate and receive customer feedback that improves digital marketing strategies in the long run.

Social media marketing strategy is integral to the overarching digital marketing strategy that drives more online demand and increases brand awareness. Social media marketing strategy requires a goal-oriented game plan outlining practical steps to create visibility and drive awareness online.

While it is easy to claim a social media presence, result-driven social media marketing is not a short-term game plan. Effective social media strategy takes time to see positive results and requires consistent effort. Social media has become a critical channel of marketing outreach for businesses to build brand awareness. So, it is imperative to have proper planning, strategies, and tools in place to acquire new prospects while nurturing existing customers in a cost-effective way through social media marketing.

What StatusFocus Digital Marketing Academy Can Help You Achieve

Welcome to StatusFocus, the most comprehensive digital marketing learning platform that guides businesses and content creators to successfully drive lead generation and build brand awareness for your website through strategic SEO (Search Engine Optimization), SEM (Search Engine Marketing), and Social Media Marketing. Our practical, step-by-step methods will help you master digital marketing strategies that align with your business model and budget.

StatusFocus Digital Marketing Academy offers a curriculum with easy-to-follow courses specifically designed to be beginner-friendly. Work at your own pace to learn the fundamentals of how to market products or services online and create demand for your website, even with limited resources.

Is the StatusFocus Digital Marketing Academy Right for You?

  • Are you a small business looking to create online demand for your products or service?
  • Do you want to drive sustainable organic visitors to your e-commerce store, business website, or content blog?
  • Are you starting an online business and are looking to build brand awareness?
  • Do you need to create more quality leads and attract potential customers through search engines like Google?

If any of the above applies, you are at the right place. Continue the learning journey with StatusFocus Digital Marketing Academy.

No Experience Needed to Start StatusFocus Digital Marketing Academy

  • StatusFocus Digital Marketing Academy is completely beginner-friendly for businesses and content creators, so no digital marketing experience is required to start learning
  • Following the classes in their numerical order is recommended for the best learning experience

Start Learning for Free

To begin the course, start by clicking on Start Course or jump right into each lesson by selecting the curriculum tab next the Description.