Web Development · · 5 min read · By the Query Logix team
Ask three companies to price a business website and you will often get three very different numbers. That is not always because one of them is overcharging. Usually each company has imagined a different website, because "a website" can mean a five-page brochure or a full online system.
Before you compare prices, it helps to know what you are comparing. These six things decide most of the cost.
1. The number and type of pages
A home page, an about page, a services page and a contact page are quick to build. A site with a separate page for every service, a portfolio, a blog and location pages takes longer, because every page needs its own layout thinking and its own content.
2. Custom design or a ready-made theme
A ready-made theme is faster and cheaper, and for many small businesses it is the sensible choice. A custom design costs more because someone designs each section around your brand and your customers. If a quote is very low, ask which of the two you are getting.
3. Features beyond plain pages
This is where prices move the most. Each of these adds real development time:
- Online booking or appointment requests
- A shop with cart, checkout and payments
- Customer accounts and logins
- An admin panel so you can edit the site yourself
- Connections to other systems, such as couriers or payment providers
4. Who writes the content and supplies the images
Many projects are delayed, and many budgets broken, by content. If you provide the text and photos, the cost is lower. If the agency writes the copy, sources images and designs graphics, that is extra work and should appear in the quote.
5. Hosting, domain and email
A website needs a domain name, hosting, an SSL certificate and usually a business email address. Some quotes include the first year, some leave it to you. Ask what happens in year two, and who owns the domain. It should always be registered in your name.
6. Support after launch
A site is never really finished. Things need updating, and small changes come up every month. Find out whether the price includes a support period, how long it lasts, and what a change costs afterwards.
How to compare quotes fairly
Give every company the same written list: the pages you want, the features you need, who supplies the content and what you expect after launch. Then the prices you get back are for the same job.
At Query Logix we send a written scope, price and timeline before any work starts, so you know exactly what is included. You can see what goes into our web development service, or ask us for a free quote.