In recent years, gaming websites are in the trend. Therefore, it is important to know the cost of building a custom gaming website using WordPress.
Though, WordPress is open-source software that is free and open to use for everyone. Now, the question arises, if it is free, then where is the term cost coming from? Technically it sounds “free”, truly it is not.
If you want to make your gaming site with a fully-functional and secure, then you can hire an expert freelancer or wordpress development company. They also affect your overall development cost and budget because they offer different services.
To build a gaming website you require some extra stuff that costs your site. And, these extra costs are divided into the following categories –
- Domain name
- Design and themes
- Web hosting
- Plugins/extensions
- Developers cost
So, in this topic, we will cover these factors that affect the cost of building a custom gaming website using WordPress.
Domain Name
Choosing a domain name will affect your gaming website, so make sure it supports your website niche. Registering for a domain name means you are purchasing a site URL or address by which users can find the contents of your web pages.
Based on the requirements, the cost of a domain name ranges from free to more than $1,000. Moreover, it is important to choose a memorable name that will help you to promote your business later on.
There are lots of places to purchase a domain name, but two affordable options are Namecheap and GoDaddy. It will cost you probably $10 to $30 every year.
Gaming Design and Themes
WordPress themes come in multiple shapes and specialties. So, if you have chosen the site’s domain name, it will be better to choose a WordPress theme. There are several themes available in WordPress for all users. Among them, some are free, and some are upwards of $200.
To give a test drive you can opt for a free version of a theme. Here we are presenting some of the cost-effective gaming themes –
- Blackfyre
This gaming theme has everything that you need to create an online gaming community. Its key features are –
- CSS3 styling, parallax blocks, and animation
- There is BuddyPress and bbPress support.
- Clan war, clan creation, and management system.
- It has pre-designed WordPress gaming templates.
The actual cost of Blackfyre for a regular license is $64.
- PlayerX
It is a high-powered and eSports-based gaming theme. It is easy to use the admin interface of PlayerX. Moreover, it offers a wide collection of home and inner pages. Its key features are –
- Video and image backgrounds.
- Video button shortcode.
- Video and image backgrounds
The actual cost of PlayerX for a regular license is $69.
- YouPlay
It is the best WordPress gaming theme that includes an entire package of impressive designs and website management tools that will help you to create an amazing gaming site.
Its key features are –
- It has unlimited layouts and color options.
- Google font integration.
- Retina ready design.
The actual cost of YouPlay for a regular license is $59.
- Gameleon
This gaming theme is best for online games and arcade games. It features HTML5 games full-screen compatibility for mobile devices. It fully supports the MyArcadePlugin.
Its key features are –
- Versatile designs and layouts.
- Fully widgetized homepage.
- Review system and sticky sidebar.
- It includes Game screenshots tabs and Gameplay trailer tabs.
The actual cost of Gameleon for a regular license is $69.
- Game Addict
It is another best gaming theme that is perfect for clans and gaming. It lets you manage and create clan wars including various teams, games, and maps.
Moreover, this theme is entirely responsive and looks great on every screen.
Its key features are –
- It includes CSS3 styling and animation.
- It has advanced typography.
- It includes widgets and a rating system.
The actual cost of Gameleon for a regular license is $64.
Web Hosting
It is a web hosting account where your files will be stored to make your website accessible on the internet. It is always required for every website on the internet. Getting your hosting and domain name from the same place will surely save your time and space. Some websites provide both of them such as dreamhost.com and others. During reviewing the options for web hosting, essential criteria should be in mind that is –
- Provided security
- Available support
- Scheduled backups
- Included software
Deciding on a web host to invest in is one of the most important choices you will make while creating a WordPress site. If you take the WordPress hosting services from kinsta, it will range from $30 per month to $900 per month.
SSL
SSL certificate allows the visitors to trust the information (such as payment information) they are sharing is going through a secure connection.
In addition to hosting and domain, a gaming website also requires an SSL certificate that average cost is around $69.99/year. Though, it can range from $5/year to $1000/year. You can use Bluehost which provides you a free domain and SSL certificate along with a discount on hosting.
Gaming/Plugin Extensions
Now, it’s time to use WordPress gaming plugins to add more functionality to your website. Plugins can enhance your gaming WordPress site features. There are over 59,000+ free plugins for WordPress.
There are some suitable examples of catchy plugins to use are –
- CTL Arcade – This single plugin allows you to turn the WordPress site into a complete arcade gaming platform.CTL Arcade is compatible with over 200 arcade games.
- WP Shuffle Puzzle – It is full of simplicity that makes it one of the most unique plugins for any gaming website. It simply breaks the images of websites into small pieces and shuffles them around by missing a single piece. Some prefer timers to make the video game challenging or exciting.
The average cost for a regular license of these plugins is $20.
Development Cost
The cost for the custom website mainly depends upon your requirements, budgets, and the developer’s rate you hire. Hiring a developer is one of the ways to create a custom WordPress site for its unique design and specific features.
In addition to your domain name and hosting, you will also have to pay the web developer who is building your website, it might cost over $1000.
Conclusion
The information shared in the article is all that you require to set up an attractive, user-friendly, and customized gaming site on WordPress. We hope the article will help you to make a gaming site with WordPress.