Ask five agencies to quote for "a business website" and you may get five very different numbers. That's not always because someone is overcharging — they're often quoting for different things. Here's what actually drives the cost, so you can compare like with like.
1. Template vs custom design
- Template-based sites adapt an existing theme. Faster and cheaper, but you'll look similar to others using the same theme.
- Custom design starts from your brand and goals. It takes longer but fits your business and stands out.
2. Number and type of pages
A five-page site (Home, About, Services, Contact, Blog) is very different from a site with a separate page for each of twenty services and several locations. Each unique page layout adds design and development time.
3. Features and functionality
Features are usually the biggest cost driver:
- Contact forms and WhatsApp buttons — simple
- Blog and content management — moderate
- Booking systems, calculators, customer logins — more complex
- E-commerce with payments, inventory and GST invoices — significantly more
- Integrations with CRM, ERP or other software — depends on the systems
4. Content
Who writes the text and provides photos? Professional copywriting, product photography and video add cost — but poor content is one of the main reasons websites don't convert.
5. SEO and performance
A site built with SEO basics (clean structure, speed, meta tags, sitemaps, schema) costs a little more than one that just "looks nice" — and usually pays for itself.
6. Hosting, domain and maintenance
These are ongoing costs, often left out of initial quotes:
- Domain renewal every year
- Hosting — shared, VPS or cloud, depending on traffic and needs
- SSL, backups and security updates
- Content updates and small changes
How to compare quotes fairly
Ask each agency for the same details:
- Exact list of pages and features included
- Whether design is custom or template-based
- Who provides content
- Number of revision rounds
- What's included after launch — support period, training, hosting
- Who owns the website, code and domain
A lower quote that excludes content, SEO and support can end up costing more.
Red flags
- The domain is registered in the agency's name, not yours
- No clear list of what's included
- No mention of mobile optimisation or speed
- "Unlimited everything" for a very low fixed price
Get a quick estimate
Every project is different, but our cost estimator gives you a quick range based on what you need. For a detailed, itemised proposal, contact our team — we scope everything in writing before any work begins.