How websites get quoted
- A fixed project fee for a defined list of pages and features.
- A fee per page, which suits small sites but breaks down once features arrive.
- Milestone payments, such as a share at design approval, a share at build and a share at launch.
- Time and materials for open-ended work, where you pay for hours as they are used.
- A monthly plan that bundles the build with hosting and upkeep, so the site is rented, not owned.
A fixed fee with a written list is the easiest to compare. If a plan bundles hosting and upkeep, ask what happens to the site if you stop paying.
What moves the cost
- Number of pages. More pages mean more design, writing and testing.
- How custom the design is. A template is quicker. A design made from scratch for your buyer takes longer.
- Features. A simple contact form is small work. Payments, bookings, logins and links to your other systems are not.
- Online store size. Many products, variants, delivery rules and payment options add work.
- Content. If you supply finished words and photos, the build is faster. If the agency must write and shoot, it takes longer.
- Languages. Each language is more writing and more checking.
- Moving an old site. Keeping your search visibility needs a redirect plan, and that takes care.
These are our own observations from client work, not a pricing formula.
A made-up example
Say a regional furniture brand wants a website. Quote A is an eight-page site on a ready-made theme, with your text and photos. Quote B is a custom design with booking, a content plan and a redirect plan from the old site. B costs more, but it is a different job. Compare the lists, not the totals. The example is made up.
A public yardstick: speed and mobile
Google publishes thresholds for "good" page experience, called Core Web Vitals. They are measured at the 75th percentile of visits, on mobile and desktop. The largest part of the page should load in 2.5 seconds. The page should respond to a tap or click in 200 milliseconds. And it should not jump around while loading: the score for that is 0.1 or less.
Ask any agency whether it tests against these numbers before launch. A site that looks good but loads slowly loses visitors. Our glossary entry on Core Web Vitals explains each one.
What you pay after launch
- Domain: renewed every year, in your name.
- Hosting: where the site lives, paid monthly or yearly.
- Security certificate: usually included in good hosting, but confirm it.
- Updates and backups: the software behind the site needs regular care.
- Changes: new pages, new offers and fixes. Ask whether small changes are in a care plan or billed by the hour.
- Search and ads: a site does not bring visitors alone. See our guide to digital marketing cost in India.
Questions to ask before you sign
- What exactly is included? Please list the pages, features and rounds of changes.
- Is the design custom, or a template with my logo?
- Who owns the domain, the files and the content when we finish?
- What will it cost to run the site each year, and what does that cover?
- How long will it take, and what do you need from me to keep to that date?
- What happens to my search visibility if you are replacing an old site?
A website at PromotEdge usually takes 4 to 6 weeks once content is ready. We start with a free 30-minute call with a strategist, then a one-page plan, and we send the quote within 2 working days.
Red flags in a website quote
- No list of pages or features, only a total.
- The agency keeps the domain or the files in its name.
- A template sold as a custom design.
- No plan for mobile or speed.
- No redirect plan when replacing an old site.
- A price so low that content, changes and hosting are quietly left out.
If you are replacing a site, read our note on redesign mistakes that hurt search. Not sure which system to choose? See our comparison of WordPress, Shopify and custom builds. To see how we build, read about our website design and development service.
