Quick answers about a small company website
Each line gives the short answer first; the rest of the guide explains. For a price range on your own site, use the free price calculator; a written quote follows within 2 working days after a free 30-minute call.
- What does a company introduction site include? One page that works well on phones and says what the company does and how to reach it. The leanest option is the landing page; for online selling, booking and business email, see the Web App Bundle.
- Does a new company need a website? It should have one, because customers often search a company name before calling. A lean landing page is enough to start.
- How long does it take? The Web App Bundle is delivered in about 1 week. For other packages the delivery date is written in the quote. You see it running every Friday.
- Are there monthly fees? The Web App Bundle business email has no monthly fee. Hosting and SSL are included for year one, and from year two we quote before renewal. The domain renews at your registrar. Monthly care is optional, quoted on request, and you can stop any month.
- Can a website be cheap? It can be kept lean, but we do not promise what any budget buys. See affordable business websites and the budget question in the FAQ below.
- How much does a business website cost? It depends on what it must do. A showcase site is far lighter than a shop with a cart and customer accounts. Get a figure in the price calculator.
- What does an online-selling website cost? More than a landing page, because it takes orders. The Web App Bundle includes one online store; see a range in the price calculator.
What a website price depends on
The number of pages does not set the price. A five-section brochure site is usually far less work than a shop with a cart and customer accounts, even if the two look the same size from outside. Price follows what the site has to do and how much of it is built for you rather than taken from a ready layout.
The table lists the factors that move the price and the question to ask any studio. It has no numbers because they depend on the project; for a number on your project, use the price calculator.
| Factor | Price goes up when | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Features | A brochure site is simple; online selling, booking, customer accounts or an admin area add work. | Which features are in the price and which are extra? |
| How custom it is | The design and the steps follow how your shop runs, instead of a ready layout. | What is built for me and what is ready-made? |
| Content and photos | Copy has to be written, products photographed or the site translated. | Who writes and photographs, and is it in the price? |
| Outside connections | Payment gateway, accounting or stock software you already use. | Which connections are standard and which are extra work? |
| User roles | Several account levels: owner, manager, staff. | What can each level see and change? |
| Deadline | It must be done fast or by a fixed date. | Is the delivery date written in the quote? |
What our website packages include
We have three packages: a landing page so customers can find and contact you, the Web App Bundle with everything a small shop needs to start selling, and a Custom System built around how you run things.
| Package | Price | Included | Fits when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page | Use the price calculator | Your own domain name, looks great on phones, customers reach you right away. | You need customers to find and contact you. Exact price once we hear what you need. |
| Web App Bundle | Use the price calculator | One app of your choice (online store, booking or management), business email on your domain with no monthly fee, landing page, hosting and SSL for year one. Delivered in about 1 week. | A small shop that wants to start selling. |
| Custom System | Use the price calculator | Everything in the Web App Bundle, staff logins, stock and customer management, connection to the software you already use. | Your process needs custom work. Price fixed in writing after a 30-minute call. |
Not included: content writing, product photos, payment gateway contracts, ads. See live demos before you decide.
What a written quote should and should not include
A quote is only useful if it says what it covers. After reading the quote you should know exactly what you get on delivery day and what will be charged extra. A written quote should have:
- A concrete feature list, not just "online store".
- The delivery date and the points where you see it running.
- Who owns the domain, hosting, source code and admin accounts after delivery. It should be you.
- How long bug fixes last after launch and what counts as a "new feature".
- A list of what is not in the price.
- How and when you pay.
With us: the price is fixed in writing and sent within 2 working days, you see it running every Friday, code and accounts are in your name, and bug fixes are free for 30 days after launch.
Costs that fall outside the quote
Some costs are not part of building the site but you will still meet them. Ask about each one up front. For third-party fees, check the current price on the provider's official page.
| Cost | Paid to whom, when | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | A domain registrar, usually renewed every year. | The domain should be in your name. Ask whether the quote includes the registration fee. |
| Hosting and SSL | A hosting provider, renewed every year. | The Web App Bundle includes hosting and SSL for year one. From year two we quote before renewal. |
| Business email | An email provider. Many services charge per mailbox each month. | The Web App Bundle includes business email on your domain with no monthly fee. |
| Online payment fees | The payment gateway or bank, usually charged per transaction. | You need a contract with the gateway. It is not part of our packages. |
| Content and photos | Whoever writes, photographs or translates. | Content writing and product photos are not part of our packages. |
| Advertising | The ad platform and whoever runs the ads. | Running ads is not part of our packages. |
| Care and new features | Us, if you choose it. | Bug fixes are free for the first 30 days. After that monthly care is quoted on request and you can stop any month. A new feature is quoted per feature, about 2 days of work. |
How to compare two website quotes
Two quotes rarely cover the same thing, so you cannot compare the two numbers directly. Go through these steps in order.
- Put both quotes against the same feature list. The cheaper one is often missing a line the other has.
- Mark what each one charges separately: domain, hosting, email, content.
- Compare year one and year two, not just delivery day. Hosting and care repeat every year or month.
- Ask who keeps the domain, source code and admin accounts. If it is not you, switching provider later is hard.
- See it running or see a demo before you pay.
- Read the bug-fix terms after launch and how extra work is priced.
What to prepare before asking for a price
The clearer you are about what you need, the more accurate and faster the quote. You do not need it perfect; one line per item is enough to start the free 30-minute call. See the price calculator too.
- What the site is for: customer contact, selling, booking or management.
- Three websites you like, and what you like about each.
- The products or services to put on it, with photos if you have them.
- How customers pay today: cash, bank transfer, card or e-wallet.
- Software you already use that the site may need to connect to.
- Whether you already own a domain, and in whose name.
- The date you want the site live.