Why isn’t there a single price?
A website can be a single page with your contact details or a system with an online store, a client area and content in four languages. They’re different jobs, with different hours.
Public references show this: market guides mention simple sites starting at around 99 dollars with self-service tools (Neolo) and development rates ranging from 50 to 300 dollars an hour depending on country and experience (Seahawk). With that spread, two quotes can be very different and both be well put together. What matters is what each one includes.
Which factors change the cost?
| Factor | What to ask | Why the price goes up or down |
|---|---|---|
| Number of pages | How many different templates are there? | Ten service pages with the same structure cost less than ten pages with different designs. |
| Design | Adapted template or original design? | Original design involves research, sketches and mobile testing. |
| Features | Online store, bookings, forms, integrations? | Each integration (payments, CRM, invoicing) adds development and testing. |
| Languages | How many, and who translates? | Each language adds copy, review and international SEO setup. |
| Content | Who writes and who sources the photos? | Professional copywriting and photography are separate jobs. |
| Technology | Builder, template or custom theme? | A custom theme costs more up front and is usually faster and more stable. |
Template, builder or custom theme?
Templates and page builders (Elementor, Wix, Divi) let you launch quickly on a small budget. The trade-off is that they load more code than your site uses and can get slower with every plugin update.
A custom theme is built with only what the site needs. It’s a bigger investment up front that generally shows in speed, search rankings and a simpler dashboard for whoever edits the content. If your website is your main sales channel, this option usually pays off. If it’s a digital business card you’ll replace within a year, a well-configured template may be enough.
Which costs come after launch?
A website has fixed costs: domain, hosting and SSL certificate, which renew every year. On top of that come security updates, backups and content changes.
If you want the site to attract customers, you also need to think about SEO, new articles and campaigns. It’s worth asking from the start whether those services are included in the quote or go into a separate monthly plan, so they don’t come as a surprise.
How do I request a quote I can compare?
- Make a list of the pages you have in mind and the features you need.
- Specify the languages and the countries where you want to sell.
- Share three or four websites you like and explain why.
- Ask for the quote to detail what’s included, what isn’t, the timelines, how many rounds of revisions there are and who ends up owning the domain and the code.
With that, any studio can give you an accurate proposal and you can compare options without guessing.
In short
- The price depends on pages, design, features, languages and content.
- A custom theme costs more up front and usually performs better on speed and SEO.
- Add up the annual costs: domain, hosting, maintenance and content.
- Ask for detailed quotes so you can compare on equal terms.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build a website?
As a general market reference, a corporate site with a few pages usually takes four to eight weeks, and a project with an online store, integrations or multiple languages, two or three months. These are rough timelines: each project's are set in its proposal and depend a lot on how quickly the copy and approvals come in.
Is it better to pay per project or per month?
Paying per project works for building the site. A monthly plan works for maintaining it and helping it grow (security, changes, SEO and content). Many companies combine the two.
Does the price include the domain and hosting?
It depends on the provider. Always ask whose name the domain is registered under: ideally it should be in your name, even if the agency manages it.
Can I edit the site myself afterward?
Yes, if the site is built on a CMS like WordPress and the agency leaves you a clear dashboard. Ask for a short training session before handoff.
Is a cheap website good enough to get started?
It can work if you need it fast and plan to revisit it soon. Keep in mind that migrating later also costs money, so it's best to choose a foundation that can grow.
Answers from the AiDo Creative teamWebsites
Websites, online stores and custom builds, multilingual, fast and SEO-ready.
View the service
