In today’s digital age, it is increasingly important for businesses to have their own website, and there are multiple ways you can get one of your own. However, there are multiple options to choose from. Overall these will come down to pay monthly or a traditional website. This article highlights the differences between these two website types to help you decide which is the right option for you.

So, what’s the difference?  

The difference is simple – pay once or pay-per-month. Pay monthly websites are paid on a fixed monthly basis. To mention a few, these packages usually include dedicated designers, secure hosting and unlimited support. On the other hand, traditional websites are paid up-front and offer you more control in areas such as personal customisation.

When choosing between the two there are a few things you need to know. There are pros and cons to each option, but this will differ depending on a variety of areas such as your budget, business needs and size. For example, Traditional websites are a far more realistic option for larger businesses to choose.

As of late, pay monthly plans have gained a lot of popularity, this is unsurprising considering the range of benefits monthly paid websites present. That is not to say that Traditional websites are not an option, but when it comes to up-front costs a traditional website’s price will be higher. To help decide which of the two options is a better fit for you we have compiled a list of pros and cons to help you make a decision.

Costs / payments  

With Pay monthly websites there are either no up-front costs or they are low, this may differ depending on your website agency, but typically you won’t have to worry. On the other hand, with traditional websites up-front costs can be high, and this will increase even more for bespoke designs. So, when taking into consideration that the upfront cost of a small business website can range to over £1000 it is understandable why so many people are choosing monthly payment plans.

For small businesses and/ or start-ups, paying monthly can be a more welcome option to get them set up and running with a website rather than finding the funds to pay a large up-front cost for a traditional website.

For a longer established business, that want a more custom solution or more control over what their website can do, paying for a traditional website may be more beneficial. We recommend you consider your budget and what type of design, and website you need before you make your decision.

Support 

If you are thinking about getting a website it is important to consider that you will need help regardless of which route you go down, this is where monthly paid websites are beneficial.

Many pay monthly websites include website support within your payment package, so you don’t have to concern yourself with trying to find external help. This means that a team of professionals will be there to assist you with any issues regarding functionality or general questions you have.

Alternatively, with a traditional website, this option of support will need to be an additional consideration. The website CMS will need to be updated to the latest secure version, any plugins the website will need to be kept up to date to keep the website secure and if you want any changes made that can’t be done via the website CMS, this is going to cost extra. Traditional websites will often require additional costs on top of the price of getting the website designed and built.

Hosting

When you choose to pay monthly, you will likely choose from a range of payment packages from your chosen agency. These packages may differ in what they offer such as the number of pages or available consultancy, but they should offer secure hosting. Hosting is needed for your website to be able to be on the web and be seen. At Procredible, our websites are CMS secure and our staff are readily available to help with any issues regarding hosting.

Traditional websites will need to find secure hosting, this cost can vary depending on the size of the website, the number of visitors, concurrent users as well as other considerations. This is also an area that you don’t want to skimp on as it can mean a slow loading website, which is bad for business.

Ownership

The final consideration for traditional vs pay monthly websites is the ownership of the website. When paying for a traditional website, once it’s completed and paid for, you own the website and are free to do what you wish with it. It’s similar to buying a house, once you’ve paid for it, you are free to make changes, adjust and change as you see fit, but that also means that any upkeep is on you as well.

When getting a pay monthly website, this only exists as long as the website is paid for, if you were to no longer want to pay for it, the website would come down and there would be nothing left. It’s similar to renting a flat/apartment, as long as you pay, you can stay, once you stop you no longer have a right to live there, but all of the upkeep of the building is done by the landlord.

So which option is the one for you? 

Choosing how to pay for your website can be difficult, especially considering the multiple areas needed to take into account. As has been demonstrated, there are pros and cons to each option but it ultimately comes down to what you can afford. All things considered, for small businesses who don’t have the budget for a traditional website,  a Pay Monthly model can be ideal for the following reasons: affordability, security, support and peace of mind.

If you are considering a new and affordable website, take a look at our range of website packages.