If you have asked several companies for a website quote, you have probably seen prices that vary widely. That is not always because one company is cheap and another expensive. Usually, each is quoting for a different website. These are the factors that make the difference.
1. Number and type of pages
A five-page brochure site (home, about, services, gallery, contact) is very different from a site with a separate page for every service, location and product. More pages mean more design, content and testing. Separate service pages also help SEO, because each one can rank for its own searches.
2. Custom design or a ready-made theme
Ready-made themes are quicker to set up, but your site will look like many others and often carries code you don't need, which slows it down. A custom design is planned around your business and customers, and is usually lighter and faster.
3. Features
Every feature beyond basic pages adds work: online booking, quote calculators, customer logins, multiple languages, integrations with your CRM or accounting software. List the features you need now and the ones that can wait for a later phase.
4. E-commerce
An online store needs product pages, a cart, checkout, payment gateway, shipping rules, taxes and order emails, all tested end to end. The number of products and variations, and whether someone needs to load them for you, also affects the price.
5. Content: text, photos and video
Content is often the biggest delay in a website project. Decide early who will write the text and provide the photos. Professional copywriting and photography cost more up front, but they make the biggest difference to how the site performs.
6. SEO setup
A site that is built to be found has proper page titles and descriptions, structured data, fast loading, a sitemap, and is connected to Google Search Console. Some quotes include this; others treat it as an extra. Ask.
7. Hosting, domain and email
Hosting, domain renewals and business email are yearly costs. Cheap hosting can be slow and unreliable, which hurts both visitors and rankings. Check what is included and what you will pay each year.
8. Support after launch
Websites need updates, backups and security patches. Ask whether the quote includes a period of support, and what a monthly maintenance plan costs afterwards.
How to compare quotes fairly
- Ask each company to list the pages and features they are quoting for.
- Check whether the design is custom or based on a theme.
- Ask who provides the content.
- Confirm whether SEO setup, hosting, email and support are included.
- Ask to see live websites they have built, and check them on your phone.
If you would like a clear, itemised quote, send us your requirements and we will explain exactly what is included.