How much does a website cost?

One agency quotes a figure, another asks ten times as much for what sounds like the same job. Where does the gap come from, and what should you check in a quote?

This is the question we are asked most, and the hardest to answer, because "a website" is a bit like "a car": a second-hand hatchback is a car and so is a brand-new lorry. Still, the things that drive the price are well known. Once you know them, you can compare the quotes you receive.

Five things that set the price

1. Template or custom design?

Dropping your logo and text into a ready-made theme takes a few days and is cheap. With custom design every page is drawn for you. The first is quick, but hundreds of sites use the same theme; the second takes longer, but you will not look like your competitor.

2. Number of pages and content

A five-page brochure site and a site with fifty service pages are not the same amount of work. Who writes the copy and who takes the photos also changes the quote, depending on whether they are included.

3. Special functions

Booking system, online payment, user accounts, multiple languages, a price calculator. Each is a separate piece of development. That is why online stores cost more than corporate sites.

4. Admin panel

Will you be able to update the site yourself, or will you have to call the agency for every change? In the second case the initial price looks low but it adds up over time.

5. Afterwards: hosting, maintenance, support

The domain and hosting renew every year. Is the first year included, what will you pay in the second, and is support charged when something goes wrong? Ask up front.

Questions to ask when comparing quotes

• Will the design be made for me, or is it a ready-made theme?
• In whose name will the domain be registered?
• How will the site look on mobile, and what will its speed score be?
• Are SEO settings, Search Console and Analytics setup included?
• How many rounds of revisions do I get?
• What is the annual renewal fee?
• Can I see sites you have built that are still live?

Why "very cheap" ends up expensive

There are providers who build sites for very low figures. Usually the same template is sold to dozens of clients, the domain is registered in the provider's name, and the renewal fee in year two is several times the first year's. Because the site does not show up on Google, it has to be rebuilt after a while. You pay twice.

The most expensive website is the one that brings no customers.

What if my budget is tight?

Start small. A well-made one-page site does more for you than a badly made ten-page one. As business grows you can move up to a corporate site on the same domain.

If you want a firm figure, describe what you need in a few sentences and we will send you an itemised written quote.

What drives the price by type of site

The five factors above apply to every site, but their weight changes with the type of site. Knowing which item will dominate in your case makes a quote easier to read.

Type of site	Biggest price driver	Often forgotten item
One-page site / landing page	Who prepares the copy and visuals	Conversion tracking for ads
Corporate website	Number of pages and languages, custom design	Hosting and maintenance from year two
Online store	Platform choice, product count, integrations	Payment gateway fees, product entry, shipping integration
Custom software	Number of screens, user roles, integrations	Data migration and post-launch maintenance

What a quote must state in writing

• Scope list: how many pages, languages and which functions. "Corporate site" is not a scope.
• Content responsibility: who writes the copy and takes the photos.
• Delivery date and stages: design approval, development, content entry, launch, each with a date.
• Recurring fees: domain, hosting, SSL, any platform rent. Is year one included and what do later years cost?
• Ownership: domain, hosting account, Google accounts and source code, in whose name?
• Revision rounds: how many rounds of design changes you can ask for.
• Support after launch: how fast and at what cost problems are handled.

How to plan the budget

The most common mistake is treating a website as a one-off purchase. The right view is a one-time setup budget followed by a small annual renewal and maintenance budget. When setting the setup budget, ask: how many new customers a month would make this site pay for itself? For a lawyer or a clinic that number is one or two; for an online store it depends on the margin per order. Knowing the answer lets you judge quotes by "will it pay for itself" rather than "is it cheap or expensive".

There are honest ways to lower the price: prepare the content yourself, keep to one language at first, start small and grow. The dishonest way is accepting a low price in exchange for leaving the domain with the agency or taking a site without an admin panel; that costs far more in later years.

Commissioning a website in Gaziosmanpaşa and nearby

Our office is in Gaziosmanpaşa. With business owners from Eyüpsultan, Sultangazi, Bayrampaşa, Esenler and Küçükköy we usually hold the quote meeting at the office; elsewhere it runs on video. Read what is included on our corporate website page, or describe your needs in a few sentences and leave your number; we call back the same business day: +90 534 974 66 80.