Ask five agencies what a website costs and you’ll get five different numbers, usually with very little explanation behind them. The honest answer is that price follows scope, not the other way around — and once you understand what actually drives the cost, it gets a lot easier to budget correctly the first time.
What actually drives the cost of a website
Four things move the number more than anything else: the number of unique page templates (not just pages — a blog with one template and 50 posts is cheap; ten uniquely designed landing pages is not), whether the site needs a content management system your team can update, how much custom functionality is involved (booking systems, calculators, logins, payment processing), and how much original design work is required versus working from a proven layout.
Everything else — copywriting, stock photography, basic SEO setup, mobile responsiveness — is table stakes at this point and should be included by default, not billed as an “extra.”
Typical price ranges by project type
For a small business or landing page site (five pages or fewer, standard layout, contact form), a realistic range is a few hundred to around a thousand dollars, with delivery in one to two weeks. A full business website with a blog, custom design, and more advanced SEO work typically lands in the low-to-mid four figures and takes three to four weeks. Anything involving e-commerce, custom web applications, or deep third-party integrations is usually scoped individually after a discovery call, since the range is simply too wide to quote off a menu.
Signs you’re about to overpay — or underbuy
You’re likely overpaying if a quote can’t explain, in plain language, why a specific feature costs what it does, or if “custom design” turns out to mean a slightly recolored template. You’re likely underbuying if a rock-bottom price doesn’t include mobile testing, basic on-page SEO, or at least one round of revisions — those aren’t optional add-ons, they’re part of a finished website.
What we’d recommend
Start with the smallest version of the site that actually accomplishes your goal, and treat everything else as a fast-follow. Our web design packages are structured this way on purpose — Starter, Growth, and Enterprise — so you’re never paying for scope you don’t need yet. If you’d rather just get a number for your specific project, the instant estimate tool on our pricing page will price it out in under a minute, or you can reach out directly and we’ll scope it with you.