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What's it Cost?

What's it Cost?

Website development costs vary widely across the industry.  Our specialty is customized website development with average projects that start in the low to mid 5-figure range. 

Obviously, there are exceptions to this and every project is different but it can be helpful to provide a sense of what the investment level would be with a firm such as ours - to make sure we are in the same ballpark.

Flexible Plans and Options

Throughout the years, we have responded to the budgeting and investment needs of our clients in a variety of ways. The most common include:

  • Not-to-Exceed Bid

If you have a specific plan for what you need, Imaginary will provide a not-to-exceed bid. This one-price option provides a predictable investment and can be paid in installments. 

  • License Agreements

This model is most appropriate for existing website technology, such as Imaginary’s hospital, association and ecommerce practice areas; however, it is also available for individual tools such as iScraper. This results in lower up-front costs with investment spread over time.  

  • T&M, Including Blocks

If you need sporadic support or assistance formulating a plan, hourly might be best. At its most expensive, our hourly rate is $195 but it goes down from there based on a number of factors, including pre-purchased blocks of hours.

  • Service Agreements

If your needs are more ongoing, a service agreement provides for a deeply discounted bank of hours each month.

  • Maintenance Agreements

Maintenance services focus on maintaining the health of your infrastructure. This includes software updates and 24/7 emergency response for a fixed monthly amount.

Mix and Match

Many of our clients utilize multiple options.  Perhaps a service agreement combined with a block of hours. Each situation is different and we tailor a plan to ensure you receive the best value.

Preserving Existing Investment

Perhaps there are parts of your website that are working just fine.  There is no need to reinvent the wheel, even though some will say different.  Yes, it can be complicated to mix technologies or to take ownership of another’s codebase, but that’s exactly what we do.

  • Take Over Existing Codebase

Chances are, you’ve invested a lot of time and effort in your current website.  We specialize in taking over existing websites and codebases, making use of what works, fixing what doesn’t and creating what’s missing.

  • Support Existing Technologies

We’ve implemented and supported so many technologies over the years that we are familiar with all manner of configurations.  We are squarely of the mindset, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and readily adopt the technology that’s already working.

  • Parallel Development

The web development industry has exploded with interactivity and interchangeability.  No matter what the underlying technology, we can develop new functionality in parallel and seamlessly integrate it. 

Budgeting Assistance

  • Estimating Annual Work

Approaching the end of a fiscal year, clients will often provide a website “wish list” to us.  We then produce an annual investment estimate which can be used to assist with the budgetary process.  

  • Operating vs. Capital Expenditures

Much of the work we do can be considered software development.  Working with our clients on differentiating maintenance and support from development can often open up access to capital budgets.

  • Bridging the Gap Between Fiscal Years

Blocks of hours and deferred invoicing can help bridge the gap between one fiscal year and the next.  Working in partnership with our clients, we provide flexibility to suit any budget.
 

What's Next?

We'd love to hear from you.

Ask a question and we'll answer it, no obligation whatsoever. Reach out and we'll reply right away and do our very best to determine if we might be of assistance.  

Need more structure? Visit our RFP Submission Form.

Not ready yet? No problem.

Imaginary's understanding of our online strategy and their ability to customize our websites to our exact specifications has been invaluable to OSF’s digital transformation.

- Michael Vujovich, OSF HealthCare Director of Digital Marketing