There are many different types of websites and it is easy to get lost between showcase sites, e-commerce or online shops, e-learning sites, etc. This article aims to explain what a showcase site is, but also its utility, how to create one, its price, and what follows from that.
Definition of a Showcase Site
By definition, a showcase site is a website that showcases an entity. This can be a company, a service provider, an association, a coach, an artist, and many others. Whether presenting their services or their products, the purpose of a showcase site is not to sell directly from it but merely to present. Otherwise, it would be an e-commerce site. Its interest, as its name suggests, is to serve as a showcase for an activity while allowing one to be present on the web — which is indispensable today. Generally, a showcase site does not exceed 5 pages, but it is also possible that there is only one page. In that case it is called a one-page site.
Note: A blog can be a showcase site.
What Is a Showcase Site For?
A showcase site allows you to showcase an activity and be present on the web. When an internet user searches for something, they will do so via the internet. Whether on Google, a social network, or elsewhere — in any case the internet user is looking for a website. It is a commercial element that allows you to present and highlight why the entity is the best. This type of site also allows you to provide crucial information by quickly answering users’ questions and saves an enormous amount of time — all available 24/7.
However, a showcase site, even if it is beautiful, is never a solution in itself. The site needs to be visible afterwards, whether through a social media presence or by being optimised for SEO in order to be visible on Google (on the 1st page).
How to Create a Showcase Site?
Anyone with a computer and an internet connection can create their website themselves, even for free. There are online solutions for creating sites such as Wix or WordPress without touching a single line of code.
Here is how to do it:
- Select a CMS: The choice of a CMS will depend on your specific needs. Platforms like WordPress and Wix are ideal for beginners thanks to their user-friendly interface and their many templates. WordPress offers greater flexibility and is preferred by many professionals for creating a showcase site.
- Choose hosting: You will need web hosting to store your site’s files. Shared hosting is an economical option for showcase sites, but if you expect a large amount of traffic, a dedicated server or cloud hosting might be more appropriate. Companies like Bluehost, SiteGround, and Hostgator offer reliable hosting services.
- Design: Good design is essential for attracting and retaining visitors. This goes far beyond mere appearance, also including ergonomics, loading speed, mobile compatibility, etc.
- Search engine optimisation (optional): Good SEO ensures that your site is easily findable by users on search engines like Google. This is an ongoing process that includes keyword optimisation, backlink creation, site speed optimisation, etc.
Yes, having a website is quick and easy in itself — but will it work afterwards? 98% of sites are invisible on Google due to non-optimised SEO. Indeed, a website is something complex encompassing several professions (designer, SEO specialist, developer…) and this is not for nothing! A showcase site must also not be off-putting: when it is created by someone outside the field, it shows immediately. Do not forget that the first impression is the most important. Most people lose money because their sites cannot convert with their design — not to mention that they are impossible to find.
Tips for Creating a Showcase Site
- Do not skimp on the price: many small businesses with websites at €500 do not work and will never work. Unfortunately, if you do not have the budget, it would be better to dedicate it to something else or save up, as it would be money thrown away for nothing.
- Create a modern site (design, animation) to retain your visitors.
- Spend time on SEO: it is not and never will be automatic (even if you think otherwise)
Create a professional website.
Price of a Showcase Site
The price of a showcase site varies according to several criteria, but primarily according to the quality of the design. It is possible to find agencies for site creations at less than €1,000 as it is possible to find agencies creating 5-page showcase sites exceeding €50,000.
Since a showcase site is your own image, a showcase site must be beautiful and animated so that it can retain visitors.
The 2nd main criterion is related to SEO. A site optimised for Google is complex, requires a great deal of skills and time. The budget for highly optimised SEO in a very competitive field can exceed 6 figures, but generally you should budget around €3,500.
Obviously the price of a website will also depend on the experience of the person, whether they are alone or if a team is working on the site (web agency), as well as a multitude of various factors. In any case, bear in mind that the price, whatever it may be, depends solely on the time spent creating it. You are therefore the sole decision-maker of the price of your site: if the person works for €400/day and you give them 7 days, you get the price of your website (€2,800). Depending on the number of days you grant them, the person or persons will be able to perfect their creation across all the aspects that make up a good showcase site.
At createur2site, we offer showcase site creation from €1,499 — a fixed minimum price; it is obviously possible to perfect the design, animations, SEO, and much more depending on your budget.
Price of Domain Name, Hosting, and Maintenance
Unfortunately, the price of a website does not depend only on its creation and optimised SEO, but also on the domain name, hosting, and maintenance. For the domain name, there is not much to worry about — for .fr and .com extensions the price is around €10/year.
As for hosting, it depends on a multitude of factors that are too complex to detail, but we can nevertheless break it down into 3 main points: hosting speed, the type of site to host, and its daily number of visits. Site speed is not the subject of this article, but know that it contributes enormously to the conversion of a site and also to its SEO. The type of site concerns its function — if it is a showcase site it requires far less processing than an e-commerce site. For example, WordPress uses what are called PHP workers, which handle back-end processes executing PHP code. They are very important, and many more are needed for an e-commerce site to function, as opposed to a showcase site which requires very few background processes (cheaper). That said, a showcase site with “standard” hosting amounts to around €50/year but can exceed €300/year for very good hosting like . But if your site gets an enormous number of monthly visits, the price could easily triple.
As for maintenance, it is not quantifiable — it depends solely on your needs. If you have correctly prepared your project before calling on a site creator, generally no maintenance will be needed for years. As for updating plugins on CMSs, you can do it yourself by clicking 2 buttons, or ask the developer to make them automatic. If you want to modify text, you will normally have access to a back office allowing you to modify text yourself very simply. Only if you need new pages or extensive modifications will you then need to ask the developer how long it would take them, taking into account their daily rate.
Summary:
To summarise, the average price of a showcase site is: €1,500 + €300/year
That is what someone who does not think about SEO would say. The average price of a showcase site that is truly visible on Google is: €5,000 + €300/year.
At createur2site, the price of €1,299 minimum for a site already optimised for SEO during its creation. In fact, part of SEO does not require any particular additional time — it is intelligent site creation. Does this allow for SEO ranking? Probably not, except in a very uncompetitive field. Furthermore, you will also need to think about taking care of “off-site” SEO, which cannot be done through intelligent creation and is completely separate from site creation. You will therefore need to budget an additional average of €3,000. In any case, it is better to discuss it to determine the exact price depending on the competition. If you wish, you can send me a message on Twitter (@createur2site) and I will be able to give you a good estimate!