Website Cost Guide: What Drives the Price of a Website

Why quotes vary so much

Two quotes for "a website" can describe very different projects. One might be a five-page template with your logo added; another might include custom design, written content, search foundations, integrations and training. Before comparing prices, compare what each quote actually includes.

The factors that drive cost

• Pages and templates: ten pages built from two layouts take less work than ten unique layouts.
• Design: adapting a theme is quicker than designing every screen from scratch.
• Content: whether you supply the text and photos, or need them written and sourced.
• Features: forms, booking, search, member areas, multiple languages and online payments each add work.
• Integrations: connecting a CRM, booking system, payment gateway or courier depends on what those tools allow.
• E-commerce: the number of products and variants, shipping rules and tax settings all affect the build.
• Search foundations: page structure, metadata, structured data and speed work done during the build.
• Ongoing care: hosting, maintenance, updates and backups after launch.

Website, online store or web app?

A business website mainly presents information and collects inquiries. An online store adds a catalogue, cart, checkout and order handling. A web app lets users sign in and manage their own data, such as bookings or accounts. Each step adds databases, permissions and testing, so it is worth being clear about which one you need before asking for prices.

Costs that are easy to forget

• Domain name and hosting renewals
• Premium themes, plugins or app subscriptions
• Payment gateway and transaction fees
• Ad spend, which is paid to Google or Meta separately from any management fee
• Content updates and maintenance after launch

How to get an accurate quote

The more specific your brief, the more accurate the quote. Before you ask for one, write down:

• What the site should achieve, such as inquiries, bookings or sales
• The pages you think you need, and a few sites you like
• Features and integrations you rely on today
• Who will supply the content and photos
• Your timeline, and a budget range, even a rough one

We do not publish fixed prices because scope varies so widely. Send us a brief through the quote form and we reply with a written scope and price, so you can see exactly what is included before anything starts.