How much does a website cost? What really drives the price
Pages, languages, features, content and aftercare: what changes the price of a website, and the questions to ask when comparing two quotes.
It’s often the first question, and the honest answer is: it depends. Not to dodge it, but because a one-page site for a tradesperson and a four-language site with booking for a restaurant aren’t the same amount of work. Here’s what really changes the price, so you know what to ask.
1. The number of pages
Every page has to be designed, written, laid out and checked on a phone. A single well-built page is enough for many businesses; others need a page per service, like EM Concept, which sets out each of its five areas of expertise. More pages means more work, but also more ways in from Google.
2. Languages
A site in several languages isn’t just a translation: every version has to be checked, and Google has to understand which page serves which language. Ristorante da Lola is in four languages; that’s a real plus for a restaurant in a tourist area, and a line of its own in the quote.
3. Features
A showcase site presents your business. Some features take more work:
- online booking or appointments;
- takeaway ordering;
- a detailed quote form;
- a private area behind sign-in;
- a menu or calendar you update yourself.
They’re not always needed: sometimes a call button and a WhatsApp link do exactly the job.
4. Content
Words and photos make a big difference, in quality and in time. Do you already have your text, or does it need writing? Do you have recent photos of your place and your work? We write the text from our conversations, and that’s part of what the quote covers.
5. Made to measure
A ready-made template costs less at first, but your site then looks like thousands of others. A made-to-measure site starts from your business and your customers. Julien’s studio shows it with its “four trades, four identities”.
6. What comes after launch
Think about what happens next, too:
- your domain name, renewed every year;
- hosting the site;
- updates: will you make them yourself, or hand them to someone, for example as part of a subscription?
We explain all of this in our article on domain names, hosting and updates.
How to compare two quotes
A low quote isn’t always a bargain, and a high one isn’t a guarantee. Ask:
- How many pages, and in which languages?
- Who writes the text?
- Is the site built for phones and set up for Google?
- What’s included after launch, and what’s extra?
- Whose name will the domain be registered in?
How we do it
Every site is priced to fit. The first conversation is free, and you get a clear quote, with the timescale, before committing to anything. The simplest way to start: describe your project in a few minutes.
