Quotes for the same website brief can differ several-fold. Usually the reason is not that one side is cheap, but that the two quotes cover different work. The seven items below show where the price comes from.
1. Design: stock theme or custom?
A stock theme is the fastest and cheapest route; the brand gets no look of its own and risks resembling competitors. In custom design every screen is drawn, approved and then built. This is where the gap starts.
2. Page count and template variety
Cost is driven by the number of distinct templates, not pages. Twenty pages sharing one template cost less than five different templates.
3. Content: who writes it?
If you supply the copy, the line drops. When content production is in scope, writing, editing and SEO alignment are separate work. This is the item most often left out of quotes and the one that delays projects most.
4. Multi-language
A second language is not just translation: it means a separate page structure, hreflang setup, language switching and double the content maintenance. Adding it later costs more than planning it in.
5. Integrations
- The contact form actually delivering somewhere (email, CRM)
- Booking, quote or calculator tools
- Payment or membership infrastructure
- ERP, accounting or inventory connections
Every integration means separate development and testing. Even on a "just a form is fine" project, deciding where that form lands is a line item.
6. Technical SEO and measurement
Heading structure, structured data, sitemap, speed optimization, analytics and conversion tracking. These are the items postponed as "we will do it later" — and doing them later costs more.
7. Maintenance, hosting and security
Launch is not the end of the cost. Hosting, SSL, backups, updates and monitoring are recurring. When comparing quotes, ask for annual total cost of ownership alongside the one-off figure.
Hidden costs left out of quotes
| Item | Often omitted? |
|---|---|
| Photography and image licences | Yes |
| Copywriting | Yes |
| Legal pages (privacy, cookies) | Yes |
| Measurement and conversion tracking | Yes |
| Post-launch revision allowance | Yes |
| Domain and SSL renewal | Partly |
Five questions to ask a supplier
- Is the design custom or a stock theme?
- How many distinct templates are in scope?
- Who writes the content?
- Are measurement and conversion tracking included?
- What is the total annual cost after launch?
We do not quote figures here because a price given before scope is defined is misleading. Once the seven items above are settled, quotes become comparable.