How much does a website cost?
The honest answer is “it depends”, so here is exactly what it depends on, and how to get a quote you can rely on.
At Ivory Studios, projects range from $85 to $15,000 across all our services, depending on scope. For a website, where it lands in that range comes down to a handful of decisions you can make before you ask anyone for a quote.
What moves the price
How many pages, and how different they are
Ten pages that share two layouts cost far less than ten pages that each need their own. What matters is the number of distinct templates, not the page count alone.
Custom design or an adapted template
A template is quicker and cheaper to start with. A custom design costs more because it is built around your customers and your offer, and that is usually what makes a site convert.
Who writes the words and takes the photos
If your content is ready, the project moves faster. If it needs writing, structuring or photographing, that is real work and should be priced in from the start.
Features beyond pages
Bookings, payments, member areas, client portals and calculators each add design, build and testing time. List them before you ask for quotes, so every quote covers the same thing.
Connections to other tools
Linking the site to your CRM, email marketing, calendar or accounting software takes time to set up and test properly.
Languages
A second language is more than translation. Arabic also needs a right-to-left layout that has to be designed and tested on its own.
Brand readiness
If you don’t yet have a logo, colours and type that work on screen, either the brand comes first or it becomes part of the project.
Search and speed
Technical SEO, structured data, fast loading and redirects from an old site are part of doing the job properly. Cheap quotes often leave them out.
Costs after launch
Budget for the running costs too: the domain, hosting, any paid tools or plugins, and time for updates and improvements. Ask every studio what these will be, and make sure the domain, hosting and code are in your name, so you are never locked in.
How to get a quote you can rely on
Hourly estimates tend to grow as the work grows. A fixed-price proposal with a written scope protects you, because both sides know exactly what is included before work starts. To get one, share your goal, the pages and features you need, whether your content and brand are ready, and any deadline.
Not sure yet? Our website project checklist walks you through those decisions in about fifteen minutes.
Get a fixed price for your project.
Tell us what you need on a free 30-minute call. We send a fixed-price proposal with a written scope within 48 hours, with no obligation.