If you have ever tried to get a website quote for your business, you already know that the price differences in this industry are — let's put it diplomatically — surprising. The same scope of work can cost €800 from a freelancer on a job board, €8,000 at a local agency, and €35,000 at a boutique studio. Does that mean someone is lying? Not necessarily. Prices reflect different levels of quality, experience, and scope. In this article I break it all down so you know exactly what you are paying for.
What Actually Goes Into the Cost of a Website?
Before we look at the numbers, it helps to understand what the price is made up of. A website is not a product off a shelf — it is a project that requires several categories of work.
Graphic Design and UX
Someone has to decide how the site looks and how visitors move through it. That could be a ready-made template (cheap but generic), a customised template (mid-range cost), or a bespoke design from scratch (expensive but unique). The difference between a free template and a €5,000 custom design is usually visible at a glance.
Development and Implementation
This is where the real range begins. A WordPress site set up in two hours, a Next.js build written from scratch over a week, an online shop with payment integration and stock management — these are entirely different levels of complexity and time.
Content and Copywriting
Often overlooked in quotes because the client "will provide the copy themselves." In practice, they rarely deliver it on time or at the right quality. Professional SEO copywriting is a real, separate cost.
Hosting and Domain
The monthly cost of keeping the site running — from €20/month for basic shared hosting to €500+ for a dedicated environment with CDN and automated backups.
SEO and Optimisation
A site that ranks on Google does not happen by itself. Technical optimisation, meta tags, page speed, URL structure — these are a separate scope of work.
Price Brackets — What You Get for What
Under €400 — "Something exists, but..."
In this bracket you will usually find:
- A WordPress or Wix template installed with minimal customisation
- A few pages with your details pasted into the template
- No SEO optimisation, no responsiveness tailored to your brand
- Work done by someone at the very start of their career
Who is it for? Someone with virtually no budget who just needs "something" at a web address. Do not expect traffic from Google.
€400–€1,200 — Solid Foundation
This is where sensible quality begins:
- Template customisation or a simple site built from scratch
- Responsive design, basic SEO, correct structure
- Contact form, map integration, gallery
- Delivery time: 2–6 weeks
Who is it for? A small service business that needs a credible online presence. Most small businesses start here quite successfully.
€1,200–€3,500 — A Site That Works for You
This is the range where the site becomes a sales tool rather than just a digital business card:
- Brand-matched graphic design (often from scratch)
- Advanced SEO, analytics, Core Web Vitals optimisation
- Integrations with CRM, booking systems, payment gateways
- Blog with a content management panel
- Delivery time: 4–10 weeks
Who is it for? Businesses that treat the website as a customer acquisition channel and understand that a good site is an investment, not a cost.
€3,500+ — Custom Projects
Online shops with large product catalogues, user login platforms, web applications, B2B systems — prices here scale linearly with complexity.
| Scope | Indicative Price | Delivery Time |
|---|---|---|
| Business card site | €200–€600 | 1–2 weeks |
| Company site with blog | €600–€1,500 | 3–6 weeks |
| Sales landing page | €500–€1,200 | 2–4 weeks |
| Small shop (up to 200 products) | €1,200–€3,000 | 6–12 weeks |
| Large shop / platform | €3,500–€15,000+ | 3–9 months |
Agency vs Freelancer — Which Is Right for You?
This is not a question of who is better. It is a question of what you need.
A freelancer works well when:
- You have a limited budget
- The project is relatively straightforward
- You prefer direct contact with the person building your site
- You are happy to be more involved in the process
An agency works well when:
- The project needs multiple specialists (design, dev, SEO, copy) simultaneously
- You need an SLA and continuity guarantee (if someone is off sick)
- You value structure and process, not just the end result
What to Watch Out for When Choosing a Provider
After 10 years in IT, I see the same mistakes repeated by businesses looking for a web developer.
Red flags:
- "Website in 3 days for €150" — possible, but do not expect quality
- No portfolio, or a portfolio full of broken links
- A quote given without a conversation about scope and goals
- No contract, or a "handshake deal with a price on a piece of paper"
- A promise of first place on Google within a month
Green flags:
- The provider asks about your customers and business goals
- They show references and results from previous projects
- The quote includes a detailed scope and timeline
- Transparent terms around code ownership and access rights after completion
Summary — How Much Should You Actually Spend?
There is no single answer. But there is a simple rule: a website should cost as much as you can recoup in a reasonable timeframe.
If a new site brings you one extra client a month worth €500, a €1,500 spend pays itself back in three months. That is a good investment. If you are building a site "because you should have one" and nobody in the business will actively develop it — spend less and save the money for something else.
Want to know how much a site would cost for your specific business? Get in touch — free quote, a straight answer with no marketing waffle.