How much does a business website cost? What actually decides the price
Why two "five-page websites" can be priced very differently, the costs that sit outside a developer’s quote, and how to compare quotes fairly.
"How much is a website?" is the first question most business owners ask, and the honest answer is that it depends on what the website has to do. This guide explains what moves the price, so that when you compare quotes you are comparing the same thing.
What moves the price of a website?
Number and type of pages
A page is not a fixed unit of work. A contact page takes far less effort than a services page that has to explain what you do, answer objections and persuade someone to call. Ask any developer what each page will actually contain.
Who writes the content
Content is the part most often missing from a quote. If you supply finished text and photos, the job is smaller. If the developer has to write it, that is real work — and usually the work that decides whether the site brings in enquiries.
Custom design or a template
A template is quicker and cheaper; a custom design fits your brand and your customers more closely. Both can work. What matters is that the site is fast, clear and easy to update.
Features
Booking, online payments, a product catalogue, multiple languages or a customer login each add work. If you sell online, you are really asking about e-commerce store development, which is priced differently from a brochure site.
Costs that are not in a developer’s quote
- Domain name — renewed every year, paid to a registrar.
- Hosting — monthly or yearly, paid to a hosting provider.
- Paid themes, plugins or licences — where the site uses them.
- Maintenance — updates, backups and security after launch, either done by you or through a website care plan.
Make sure the domain and hosting are registered in your name. A cheap website whose domain belongs to the developer can become very expensive the day you want to move.
How to compare website quotes fairly
- Ask for a written list of pages and features in each quote.
- Check who writes the content and how many revision rounds are included.
- Ask who will own the domain, hosting, design and code.
- Ask what happens after launch — and what it costs.
A quote that answers all four is worth more than a lower figure that answers none of them.
Is a cheap website worth it?
Sometimes. If you need a simple online presence quickly, a small, well-built site is better than nothing. What is rarely worth it is a site that is slow, hard to update, or held in someone else’s accounts — because you end up paying again to replace it.
Getting a fixed price
We quote every business website against a written scope, so the figure you agree is the figure you pay. You can read how a project runs on our how we work page, or tell us about your project for a free quote.