What changes the price of a website (and what doesn't)
Two websites can look similar and cost very different amounts. These are the things that actually move the price, so you can compare quotes properly.
2 min read
Ask three web designers for a price and you can get three very different answers. That isn't always someone overcharging. Usually, each of them is imagining a different website. Here is what really drives the cost, so you can compare quotes fairly.
What the site needs to do
This matters more than the number of pages. A five-page site that only shows information is a much smaller job than a five-page site that takes bookings, sells products or connects to your stock. Every feature that does something needs to be built, tested and kept working.
Custom design or a template
A template is faster and cheaper, and it can look fine. A custom design is planned around your business, your customers and what you want them to do. If you compete in a crowded market, looking different and being clearer than the shop next door is often worth it.
Languages
A site in English and Arabic is more than a translation. Arabic reads right to left, so layouts, menus and forms need their own attention. Plan for it from the start rather than adding it later.
Content
Who writes the text and who provides the photos? If you have them ready, the project moves faster. If the designer has to write copy or arrange a photo shoot, that is extra work and should be in the quote.
What happens after launch
Hosting, security updates, backups and small changes are ongoing work. Some quotes include them and some don't. Always ask what happens in month two, and who you call when something breaks.
How to compare quotes
- Ask for the scope in writing: pages, features and languages.
- Check whether design, content and hosting are included.
- Ask to see similar projects they built, not just nice-looking ones.
- Be careful with a very low price that doesn't explain what you get.