What goes into the cost of a website

Two five-page websites can involve very different amounts of work. One has finished copy and photography and simply needs to present services and accept enquiries. The other needs a new structure, several languages, booking and a CRM connection. Read an estimate as a description of the result you are commissioning.

1. Research and structure

Before designing screens, we need to understand the offer, audience and path to an enquiry. The scope may include interviews, a review of the current website, information architecture and a prototype. More business areas and people involved in approvals mean more decisions.

Define the first release early. A single substantial page may be enough to test a new service. A catalogue, client account and automation can be estimated separately once their role is clear.

2. Design and content

The number of unique layouts, component complexity, illustrations, animation and adaptation to different screens all affect the work. Ten items using one template are different from ten individually designed pages.

Copy, photography, image editing and translations may be included or supplied by the client. Make this explicit. Content delivered after design approval can introduce longer headings or a different structure that requires changes to the layout.

3. Development and integrations

An enquiry form, a filtered catalogue and an account with user roles require different logic. An integration also involves several tasks: sending data, handling errors, showing the outcome and checking that information reaches the right service.

Discuss independent editing separately. A CMS needs a content structure, field configuration and training. If updates are infrequent, a website without a CMS may be suitable, with an agreed process for future changes.

4. Testing, launch and handover

The estimate should cover responsive behaviour, forms and key journeys, launch preparation and access handover. An admin interface also needs instructions and training so the team can use it after delivery.

Clarify how many revision rounds are included and what counts as a new requirement. Fixing an agreed form and adding another booking journey are different tasks. That distinction makes schedules and costs easier to plan.

5. Costs after launch

Alongside development, you may need a domain, hosting, licences, paid services and ongoing support. Some expenses recur; others depend on usage. List what you pay for, who owns each account and who renews it.

Clarify the period for bug fixes and subsequent support. New pages, languages and features should have a separate scope. Current packages are listed on the pricing page; the final estimate depends on the agreed brief.

Send the goal, approximate page structure and required features. I will break the project into stages and explain which decisions have the greatest effect on scope.