How much does a website cost and what does that price really depend on

This is the first question I get in ninety percent of calls. And it is a completely fair question — there just is no answer to it until I know what we are building. Let me at least explain what makes up the price, so you can read the quote that lands in your inbox.

Why nobody gives you a number straight away

“Website” is a word that covers a five-page presentation for a tradesman as well as an e-shop with fifteen thousand products wired into a warehouse system. The difference in work between those two is like the difference between painting a room and building an extension.

If someone gives you a price before asking about the scope, one of two things is happening. Either they have a finished template they will push you into regardless of what you need. Or they guessed the number and will make it back during the project through extras. Neither is what you want.

What actually makes up the price

Roughly ordered by how much it moves the final number.

1. The number of unique templates, not the number of pages. A site with thirty product pages that all look the same is less work than a site with six pages where each one looks different. Ask about templates, not pages.
2. Whether the design is being created or already exists. If you have a finished design in Figma, the price drops considerably. If it has to be designed, that is a separate phase of the project.
3. Features that are not a “page”. A booking system, a calculator, multiple languages, a link to invoicing software, an e-shop. Each of these is a small project in its own right.
4. Content. Who writes the copy, who sources the photos, who edits them. This is the most commonly underestimated item and the most common reason projects drag on.
5. Migration from the old site. Redirects, moving the content, keeping search positions. On a redesign this is a substantial part of the work, and one you often do not see in quotes because it was forgotten.

Fixed price versus hourly rate

We work with a fixed price for the whole project. The reason is simple: with an hourly rate the client carries the risk, with a fixed price we carry it. You need to know what it will cost so you can plan for it.

A fixed price has one condition — it has to be clear what is in it. That is what the initial call is for. If the scope changes during the project (and it does happen), we agree on that separately and you know about it up front, not at the end on the invoice.

How to compare three quotes that look incomparable

When you have three quotes on the table with a threefold spread, it usually is not because two of the three are lying. It is because each of them costed something different. Go through these points:

• Is design included in the price, or will a bought template be used?
• How many rounds of feedback are included?
• Who supplies the copy and the photographs?
• Are redirects from the old site included in the price?
• Is the measurement setup included — Analytics, Search Console?
• What happens after handover? Is there any warranty? How much does maintenance cost?
• Do you get the access details and ownership, or are you “renting” the site?

That last point matters more than it seems. There are models where you pay monthly and the site is never yours. That is not a scam in itself, but you have to know about it up front.

Where you can save and where you cannot

You can save on scope. A site does not have to have everything at launch — start with what you actually need and add to it in six months, once you know what people are looking for.

You can also save on content if you write the copy yourself. You can usually say more about your own business than anyone external — it just needs organising.

You will not save on structure and on measurement. Those are the things nobody sees, which is why they get cut first. A site without a thought-out structure will not get into search, and a site without measurement will never tell you whether it works. Over three years that will cost you more than you saved.

What to do next

If you have a project and want a specific number: start with the calculator and send us the scope you put together. After an hour-long call you will get the scope, the timeline and a fixed price. If it turns out that working with us does not make sense, we will tell you straight.