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Author
Merit Ronald

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How much does a website cost in Uganda? I frequently receive inquiries like this from people who want to run websites in Uganda. Knowing the steps and costs involved in the entire process is important before considering building a website for your business. I'll give you a detailed breakdown of how much it costs to design, develop, and host a website in Uganda in this article.

My own experience as a Ugandan web designer with more than 5 years of experience in the field, as well as my interactions with esteemed members of the Ugandan web design community, have influenced the breakdown I'm providing here.

According to data on the website of Uganda's Ministry of ICT, there are 4.2 billion internet users worldwide, with 16 million of them using the service in Uganda. It is imperative that any business you own, no matter how big or small, go online because businesses that are not online don't generate sales.

What exactly is a website?

A websites is a collection of connected web pages that can be accessed online. A web page is a document that includes text, images, videos, and other multimedia content in addition to information. Websites are kept on servers that are linked to the Internet and accessible via web browser from any location in the world.

Websites can be utilized for a wide range of activities, including information sharing, the sale of goods and services, the provision of entertainment, and the bringing together of individuals with similar interests. Websites may be static, with content that is fixed and updated infrequently, or dynamic, with content that is generated as needed in response to user interactions or other factors.

Variation in websites and how it comes about.

Websites are built using programming languages such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and JavaScript. While CSS controls the layout and presentation of the page, and JavaScript adds functionality and interactivity, HTML provides the page's fundamental structure and content.

There are two types of websites: dynamic and static. Dynamic websites are built on the fly based on user interactions or other data sources, whereas static websites are made up of fixed content that is shown to all users. Dynamic websites typically use server-side scripting languages such as PHP, ASP.NET, or Ruby on Rails to generate content dynamically.

Websites are typically hosted on web servers, which are specialized computers designed to deliver web pages to users via the internet. Web servers can be hosted by a variety of companies, including web hosting companies, internet service providers, and individual businesses or individuals.

In order for users to access a website, it must be published online and registered with a domain name system (DNS) provider. A domain name, such as www.dantty.com, is a human-readable name that is used to identify a website. A user can access a website by typing the domain name into their web browser or by clicking on a link that takes them there.

Web application vs. website.

You might be curious as to what distinguishes websites from web applications. There might appear to be no difference at all at one point. The definitions are debatable, and they occasionally overlap. Both websites and web applications use the same programming languages for their front end and back end, run in browsers, and require internet access. Additionally, they both have qualities like integration, authentication, and interactivity.

However, when looking for an online solution for your business, it is crucial to comprehend clearly.

Choose a website if you primarily want your web page to display information. Choose web applications if you require user interaction, extra functionality, like the ability to conduct transactions online, or if you want to actively benefit from system integration with additional systems and high security protection levels.

What Draws People to Websites?

There are many factors that draw people to websites. Here are some of the most common ones:

1. Many visitors are drawn in by high-quality and engaging content. People are often drawn to websites that provide something of value, whether it's informative articles, entertaining videos, or useful tools.
2. Design: The design of a website can also play an important role in attracting visitors. A well-designed, easy-to-navigate, visually appealing website can make a strong first impression and encourage visitors to stay and explore.
3. User experience: Visitors who have a positive user experience are more likely to return to a website. This includes quick load times, responsiveness on mobile devices, and simple navigation.
4. Websites that are relevant to a visitor's interests or needs are more likely to capture and hold their attention. This can be accomplished through personalized recommendations, targeted marketing, or SEO optimization.
5. Positive reviews, ratings, and testimonials from other users can also attract visitors to a website. Social proof can help build trust and credibility, making visitors more likely to interact with the content or offerings of a website.

Types of websites

There are many different types of websites, and they can be used in many different ways. A website can be for a person, for the government, for business, for a nonprofit, or for a company (small business, medium-sized business, large business).

Websites are typically devoted to specific subjects or purposes. This can involve everything from social networking to providing breaking news to entertainment and education. The World Wide Web (WWW) is made up of all publicly accessible websites, whereas private websites, such as an intranet for a university's students' e-learning system, are not publicly accessible.

Here is a list of popular website categories in Uganda.

• Individual websites
• online stores
• Websites for Sharing Photos
• Sites that Build Communities
• Websites for Authors and Writers
• Mobile-friendly websites
• Business catalogs and brochures online
• Websites that provide information
• Directory Websites
• Blogs

How Much Does It Cost To Design And Develop A Website In Uganda?

I began creating professional websites five years ago, and at my previous job, I was directly or indirectly involved in the creation of over 200 websites. But as of right now, I am unable to respond to this. Actually, the answer to this question isn't simple or black-and-white.

Anyone with knowledge of web programming can design or create a website, but how much does it cost to create a website that is useful to you and will support your online business growth?

I frequently get a ton of calls and messages from people asking me how much it would cost to design and develop a website in Uganda. Before giving me the details of what they want on their website, many of them already ask me this question.

One thing I've always told them is that there isn't a set cost for website design. The price of web design varies depending on a number of variables. Any professional web developer will not tell you the cost of a web design before understanding your full requirements.

When it comes to paying for intangible services like web development, many Ugandans are always cautious.They struggle to pay for something that they can't actually hold in their hands. They are left wondering how much can really a website be worth?

Making a quality website is not an easy task. One of the most challenging and difficult tasks for any web developer is this one. It requires a lot of work. To make a simple web page, you have to write thousands of lines of code.

A website's development is a multi-stage process that takes a lot of time and work because it calls for different strategies, tools, and team setups.

The price of designing and developing a website depends on the number of requirements you need in a website, their complexity, the resources required, and the time and effort required to complete the development of your website without sacrificing its quality.

What do web developers consider when designing a personal website ?

In Uganda, personal websites are by far the most affordable in terms of design. Prices for these websites vary depending on the various elements I've listed below and their individual costs.

Personal blogs with websites can cost as little as 250k for a freelance designer and 500k for experienced tech firms.

Static individual websites can cost as little as 300k, depending on the freelance web designer, and as much as 700k, depending on the corporate tech firm.

Other elements to take into account when figuring out how much it will cost to design a website in Uganda include analytical tools for monitoring your site, SEO services, hosting fees, maintenance costs, integration, and many more.

In Uganda, how much does it actually cost to design a company website?

Business websites, in contrast to the latter, can be more difficult to design and may require a little more time and money. Therefore, I'm going to break down some of the reasons why business websites cost more than personal or individual websites in this section.

The cost of a business website can range from 600K to 1.5M depending on the type of company or freelancer and the type of work to be done. Business websites can be for hotels, agencies, restaurants, schools, companies, NGOs, and many other types of websites.

When creating business websites in Uganda, web designers take the following factors into account:

• Page count for the website
• Features of a specific website
• Maintenance and support over a given period of time
• Type of design appearance
• Search Engine Optimization
• Hosting cost
• and many others
• Major website development stages
• There are basically three main stages involved in building a website, and they are as follows:
• Buying a domain name for your website
• Designing and development
• Buying a Web Hosting Server

What Is A Domain Name?

How will you name your website should be the first thought that comes to mind when you consider owning one. And what address ought to be on it? What is referred to as a domain name is the location of your website.

A domain name can actually be simply understood as the online or virtual address of your website. The "location" that internet users can travel to on their internet browser to find a specific website is made up of the distinct combination of numbers and letters followed by a domain extension, for example ".com". Of course, "www.dantty.com" is a well-known example of a domain name.

Once you've registered it, no one else can use the same domain name for your website. It is tailored to you and is more like your digital fingerprint. Even though the domains of other websites might be somewhat similar to yours, they can never be an exact match. Extensions can always be used to distinguish them. For instance, even though I own the domain name dantty.com, dantty.net and dantty.org are owned by different people.

You must register and renew your domain each year if you want to receive exclusive rights to it, though. The cost to renew a domain usually equals the cost to purchase it. For instance, if you purchased a domain name for $12, you may be able to renew it for the same price or a little more, depending on the domain registrant company. This is now included in the price of maintaining websites.

Your domain name is extremely crucial. It creates an online identity for your website and establishes your business with your website visitors and potential clients while helping you grow your brand.

Your domain name will follow you if you ever switch hosting companies. Your domain naDue to the increased opportunities for online advertising, your domain name is equally crucial. advertising has become one of the best ways to attract traffic on websites.

The Cost of A domain Name In Uganda

Depending on the domain extension you want to register, a domain can cost more or less money. Prices for popular domain extensions like.com,.net, org,.biz, and.co range from UGX 60,000 to UGX 100,000. Country-specific domains for Uganda, such as.ug,.co.ug,.com.org.ug,.com.ug, etc., range in price from UGX 100,000 to UGX 200,000.

Why do.ug domains cost more than other extensions?

.com and.net domains, which are nearly three times less expensive than.ug domains, start at just $12. Charles Musisi, the owner of the .ug domain registrant company called Infinity Computers & Communications Company Ltd (i3C), says .ug domains are very expensive because global registrars of Top Level Domains (TLDs) such as .net benefit from economies of scale due to their bigger customer base unlike small country-specific domain registrars like his.

List or categories of .ug domain extensions

• co.ug – Suitable for business or commercial entities
• com.ug, org.ug – Suitable for Not for profit or Non-Government Organisations (NGOs).
• ac.ug – Recommended for Higher Institutes of Learning e.g Universities and Institutes.
• sc.ug – This Category is set aside for lower Educational Institutions from Secondary School level and below
• go.ug – This category is reserved for government agencies such as Ministries, Automatous Agencies and Authorities
• ne.ug, net.ug – This is suitable for Network Infrastructure services such as Internet Exchange Points, wholesalers of Internet bandwidth etc

Cost Of Designing And Development [In Uganda]

The complexity and labor intensity of the project determine the cost of designing a website, as I previously stated; the more features a website has and the more challenging it is to implement, the more expensive the website will be to build. I'll assume for the time being that you want a typical dynamic website with fundamental features. I'm assuming the following elements will be present on your website:

Home, Services, Products, Blog, About, and Contact are among the six [6] dynamic webpages.

• unique design
• Contact forms and other forms
• Custom Logo
• Gallery
• Search Facility
• Content Management System
• Cross-device responsive website
• Graphics design
• Social Media integration
• Search engine optimization basics

Depending on the company you hire, design and development for a standard CMS dynamic with the aforementioned features will run you between UGX 1,500,000 and UGX 2,000,000. A domain and hosting fee may or may not be included in this charge. Your initial agreement with the developer will determine everything.

A highly customized, database-driven website will undoubtedly cost you significantly more. A very powerful Content Management System [CMS] is required, for instance, if you plan to create a music streaming website. With a CMS, you can manage users, artists, songs, videos, comments, etc. If you were to hire a reputable Ugandan web development company to create a highly customized website for you, they wouldn't charge you anything less than UGX 10,000,000/-. Yes, I mean 10M+.

Cost of Hosting a Website In Uganda

Web Hosting is a service that makes it possible for internet users to access your website on the internet. You must upload your website on a powerful computer known as a server after it has been designed and developed in order for it to be accessible to the general public on the internet. Website hosting is the act of storing a website's [website files] on a server.

You can also turn your personal computer into a web host (web server), but doing so will be expensive to keep up since you'll need to keep the server constantly connected to the internet. This implies that you will always need to be connected to the internet and have power.

Your website won't be reachable online if your server goes offline or the power goes out. Especially if you have set it up exclusively for personal use, the costs of maintaining a home server are just too great to handle. On the Instructables website, you can learn how to set up your very own webserver.

The speed at which your website pages load, the level of technical support you receive, and the ability of your website to grow in the future are all impacted by the caliber of your hosting server. The functionality of your website is significantly influenced by your web host. The technical support you get from free hosting services won't be as good as it is from premium or paid hosting services.

How much content your website contains and how much traffic it receives over a given period of time determine the cost of hosting a website in Uganda. Web hosting costs range between UGX 200,000/- to UGX 1,000,000/- for shared hosting, where your website will sit on the same server with other people’s websites.

So how much does it really cost to have a complete functioning website in Uganda?

The client I recently worked with wanted a dynamic website for his business, and this is how I billed him:

• Domain name fee: UGX 100,000/-
• Design and Development fee: UGX 1,500,000/-
• Hosting fee: UGX 200,000/-
• Costs in total: UGX 1,800,000

You can see from the information above that a typical dynamic website in Uganda costs between UGX 1,800,000 and UGX 2,000,000 to design.

The price range for static websites is UGX 800,000 to UGX 1,200,000. However, static websites lack content management systems [CMS] and dynamic features like forms. As a result, if you are not technically inclined, you cannot update your websites.

Depending on the quantity and complexity of requirements, creating a custom website from scratch can cost up to UGX 30,000,000. The New Vision and Bukedde were reportedly developed for Uganda's Vision Group by an Indian software company called 4CPlus for UGX 100 million and UGX 70 million, respectively. Since Vision Group is a state-owned corporation, it is possible that these costs were inflated due to corruption if you compare the subpar quality of the New Vision and Bukedde websites. But regardless of whether these costs were exaggerated or not, that is the highest price a website can command!

Recurrent Charges

A domain and hosting are yearly renewals, so keep that in mind. Every 365 days, you will need to renew both for the same price as when you first bought them. For instance, if you paid UGX 200,000 for hosting, you will need to pay the same amount to renew it after a year.

How much should you spend?

The price of website design has slightly decreased as of 2023. For a fully functional dynamic template website, you should be prepared to pay between UGX1.5M and UGX3M, and between UGX5M and UGX15M for a custom-built website. If your website is simpler to use and has fewer pages, you might pay a little less than this. You may pay slightly less than this if your website has fewer pages and less complex functionality.

Unless you have extremely unique and specific requirements, I generally believe you shouldn't spend more than UGX 2,000,000/- on a basic template website design.

Typically, the type of website you want will determine how much money you actually spend. A website may cost UGX 20M and still be regarded as inexpensive, while another may cost UGX 2M and be regarded as extremely expensive. In essence, this is in accordance with the tools employed to complete the task.

Inconsistencies in Uganda's web design prices

A client questioned why some web development companies charge a lot while others charge little about a month ago. Well, it is a fact that costs in the web development sector vary wildly. Some are affordable, while others are actually pricey. I recently visited a website for Ugandan freelancers. A client was looking for an experienced business to carry out a custom web project that had been posted. On his project, we made a UGX 5,000,000/- bid, while another party made a UGX 600,000/- bid. The client questioned why I was more expensive than the other bidder for his project, who was only willing to work for 600k.

He asked me how I could compare web development to a consulting firm. The level of service you receive is based on your budget. A website made for UGX 10M won't have the same quality as one made for UGX 2M with the same specifications.

In the end, what matters most is getting satisfying results. Spend more to receive higher quality. Pay less and receive inferior goods. Personally, I believe you should choose the business that performs the best. A good budget is a necessity if you want the best quality, among other things.

We take great pride in billing our clients fairly and correctly at Boomnet Technologies, a young web development company that I co-own. In addition, we give our clients excellent support and technical know-how. The adage "Quality doesn't cost... It pays" is demonstrated by the fact that even some clients who terminated our working relationships due to our "High Pricing" have always returned.

The web development industry is one where you get what you pay for, just like many other industries. Don't just waste your time and money on subpar services, despite the general consensus that cheap is expensive.

Other costs that may be involved;

You will need to spend more money than just a domain, hosting, and web design fee to have a fully functional website. If you want a professional website, you should also spend money on the following:

1. Content creation

What does creation cost in Uganda?

You shouldn't overlook the purpose for building your website before you consider the actual design. This enables you to figure out what you would like to share with the world. You should not expect a web designer to tell your story since you are the best person to do so.

Even if you have a deep understanding of your industry, you might not be able to handle everything on your own. Your website may or may not need content, which could be in the form of text, graphics, video, or audio, just like any other website.

You will need to hire a specialist to create this content for you if you lack the necessary skills. You will need to hire a copywriter if your website contains any text content. In Uganda, copywriters start charging as little as UGX 10,000 for each write-up.

On this blog, I personally provide freelance writing services and charge UGX 10,000 for every 100 words I write. Some copywriters charge as high as $50 for a single blog article.

Similar to this, you might need to make a website promotion video. A promotional video is a crucial step toward your online growth, despite the fact that many people ignore this. Just so you know, 4.46 billion web pages were indexed in 2018 alone, according to Worldwidesize. There are 4.2 billion internet users in the world, and all of these pages are competing for their attention.

To market your website, you must allot a specific budget for it and use online tools like social media and search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

Please be aware that the majority of web designers in Uganda include the cost of content creation in their quotes for web design. Ask your web developer if the cost of creating the content has been included or not when he provides you with a quote.

2. brand awareness

What does branding cost in Uganda?

Making your company stand out from the competition in the minds of your target customers is what branding is all about. You will require a qualified logo for your website if you want it to stand out from the competition. Branding goes beyond just logo, but for today we shall just focus on the logo.

In Uganda, logo design is still reasonably priced. For a simple logo, the majority of Uganda's professional graphic designers charge as little as UGX 150,000. In Uganda, the price of a premium logo starts at UGX 1,000,000.

If your company already has a logo, there are no additional fees for logo design required.

3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

When your websites is finished, you'll need to put in extra work to make sure search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing can find it. Search engine optimization, also known as SEO, makes it possible to achieve this. A website that is not search engine optimized is useless because no one will find it through a search engine unless they type the URL directly into their browser.

How much does search engine optimization in Kampala, Uganda, cost?

In Uganda, search engine optimization services start at UGX 300,000. Keep in mind that SEO is a process, and results may not appear for up to six months.

Note: If additional features and services are provided that were not initially specified in the web design agreement, you might be charged extra for them. These cost factors are not intended to frighten you in any way. If you have a tight budget, you can skip some things like a promotional video. Spending money on each of them is not required. You can manage some tasks on your own if you are starting a small business and possess some of these skills. You don't have to completely ignore them, though.

Watch out for fake web developers and designers in Uganda.

Most dishonest and inept web developers in Uganda will conceal themselves behind the idea of affordable web design pricing, and the majority of the time they mislead gullible clients who waste thousands of shillings in the name of saving. Many customers are defrauded, while others receive inferior websites that are frequently incomplete.

You will come across some unskilled developers who will offer to complete quality work for you for a very low price, even as low as UGX 300,000 for a full package, but quality is ultimately what counts. As a general rule, remember that you will receive higher-quality work if you spend more money. A poor website can damage the reputation of your business.

Avoid stupid idiots with just enough knowledge to be very dangerous. When I had little to no experience with web development in 2011, I hired a man who called himself the best programmer in Uganda to create a custom website for me. The fact that he lacked knowledge soon became apparent a few months later. He did a good job of persuading me to pay a 50% deposit up front, which I stupidly did, but he was unable to deliver. He was fired, and I tallied my losses. I realize it's getting harder and harder to spot these fake developers, but do your best to thoroughly check out any developer or designer before hiring them to work on your website project.

When looking for the best web design company in Uganda, find a company that understands what they do. If you are looking for a full-service web development company that can do all the above, then I recommend that you contact Dantty Technologies. Please note that part of the web development at Boomnet Technologies.

The main determinants of web design and hosting costs for typical websites in Uganda have been covered in this blog post; as a result, individuals and small- to medium-sized businesses looking to build websites for their companies should find this information to be sufficient. The costs will be higher for large businesses that require complex web apps (websiteIt is suggested that you get in touch with several web design companies in Uganda, request their quotes, and then compare them.son.

Frequently asked questions

This section addresses frequent inquiries from online Ugandan users regarding web design prices and hosting in Uganda.

How much time does it take to build a website?

A number of variables affect how long it takes to create a fully functional website. Depending on its complexity and the number of revisions required, creating a custom website from scratch can take anywhere between 2-4 months. It will take 30-45 days to complete a simple website (a website template). Because they always have other people's projects on the go, keep in mind that the majority of web developers won't work on your project full time every day. The majority of developers will work on all of their projects at once, allocating a specific number of hours per day to each one.

What kind of technology is used in designing and developing a website?

The major technologies used in designing a website include HTML/CSS, JavaScript and Ajax for frontend while PHP, Python, .ASP, .NET, C/C++ and Ruby are commonly used for backend programming.

What platform are websites built on?

Most quality websites in Uganda are built on open-source Content Management Systems (CMS) such as Joomla, Drupal and WordPress. WordPress is the most popular CMS platform in the world hosting over 30% of the world’s websites.

I hope this article will also answer those who have been searching common queries such as;

Cost of website design Uganda

Website hosting in Uganda

Cost of an E-commerce website in Uganda Like Dantty, Jumia, Kikuu

Cost of setting up a blog in Uganda e.g Dantty Blog, Dignited, Techjaja, Ugtechmag, PC Tech Mag etc

Professional website designers in Uganda

Cost of website redesign in Uganda

Reseller hosting in Uganda e.g Dantty Hosting, Hostalite, Lwegatech, Hataricloud

Software development companies in Uganda e.g Dantty, Webstar, Tera Tech, Javanet Systems, Webvator, Kweli Designs, Killasites, Vinaj Websites

Conclusion

Without full knowledge of the project scope, it is simply impossible for a developer to accurately estimate the cost of web design and development for you. In Uganda, there aren't any generally recognized pricing packages for web design.

To contact us with any inquiries you may have regarding the cost of creating, developing, and hosting a website in Uganda, please use the Dantty contact page.