A template website costs a few thousand CZK, a custom website from a small studio or freelance developer tens of thousands, and one from an agency considerably more. But you cannot tell what a website will really cost your company from the number on the quote alone: what the quote includes and what you will have to pay extra for later matter just as much. I have been building websites since 2014, and in the article I will show you what drives the price, what quotes often leave out and what to ask the supplier before you sign.
How much does a business website cost, depending on who builds it?
Website prices on the market differ by orders of magnitude. That does not mean one supplier cuts corners and another overcharges. Different prices buy a different scope of work. Roughly speaking, there are three groups.
Template: a few thousand CZK
The supplier takes a finished template and puts your details into it. A website builder, where you assemble the site yourself, works similarly. It is the cheapest route. However, the texts, photos and search engine settings are usually up to you, and the design is shared with other companies that chose the same template.
Custom website from a small studio or developer: tens of thousands of CZK
The website gets its own design based on your company, and the supplier goes through with you what the website should do. This is where quotes differ the most. For a similar amount, you can get just the design and the programming, or a full website including texts and settings for Google.
Agency: significantly more
An agency has a team: a project manager, a graphic designer, a programmer, a copywriter and a search engine specialist. It suits larger companies with an extensive website, several languages and connections to other company systems. You also pay for coordinating the whole team. For a smaller company with a few services, such a team is often unnecessarily large.
When a template is enough
A template is not a bad choice. It is enough if:
- the website mainly serves as a business card with contact details, opening hours and a few lines about what you do,
- customers come to you through recommendations, and you do not expect new ones from search,
- you are just starting and want to try out the idea first,
- you have the time and the inclination to write the texts and set up the website yourself.
But once you expect the website to bring new inquiries, say for a repair shop, an accounting firm or a tradesperson who wants jobs in the area, what matters is the content and the search engine settings. A template will not do that on its own. You can read how I build such a website in the description of website design at a fixed price.
What affects the price of website design?
When two suppliers send quotes with very different amounts, they often differ less in their rates than in the scope of work. Six things affect the price of a business website the most:
- Number and type of pages. A one-page site is different work from a website with a separate page for each service, with references and frequently asked questions.
- Custom design, or a template. A custom design means hours of work and rounds of feedback. How many designs you will see and how many changes are included varies a lot between suppliers.
- Who writes the texts. The content of all pages is a big job, and it is often not in the quote at all.
- Search engine settings. From basic titles to headings built on what people actually search for, and structured data.
- Extra features. Bookings, a calculator, an online shop or a connection to company systems move the website into a different price category.
- Admin and handover. Whether you can edit the site yourself, in Czech, and whether someone will show you how.
Also watch out for the “from” price. It is usually calculated for the smallest possible scope, and the actual amount only becomes clear during the work. A fixed price for the whole website is safer, but only if you know exactly what it includes.
What is often missing from a quote and paid for later?
A website quote usually looks simple at first glance: design, programming, launch. The trouble starts when you find out what it leaves out. These items are often missing from quotes:
- Texts. The supplier assumes you will provide the content. The website is then finished, just without texts. Writing the texts is often charged separately, page by page.
- SEO. Titles and descriptions for Google, headings based on search terms and image captions. The website works without them, people just have a harder time finding it in search.
- Structured data. Information about the company, services and frequently asked questions, written so that search engines understand it. Few people ask for it, and few quotes mention it.
- Measurement and a cookie banner. To know how many inquiries came from the website, you need measurement, and with it a banner asking for visitor consent. Without measurement, you do not know whether the website pays off.
- Admin training. If no one shows you how to change a text or a photo, you end up writing to the supplier about every little thing.
- Photos. If you have no photos of your own, someone has to select and edit them for the website. Not every quote includes this.
- Changes after launch. How many changes are included and how much further ones cost. It pays to know this in advance, not when the first invoice arrives.
Each of these items can be ordered later. Added together, though, they can make a cheaper quote more expensive. So compare quotes by what you get, not just by the number at the bottom. Why a new website most often stalls on its text, and what to do about it, I cover in the article website copy.
How to compare quotes: 11 questions for the supplier
Before you sign a quote, ask the supplier these questions. Have the answers sent by email so you have them to hand.
- Is the price final, or is it a “from” price? Does it include VAT or not?
- How many design options will I see, and how many rounds of revisions are included?
- Will I see the design as an image, or as a page I can click through, including on mobile?
- Who writes the texts? For all pages, or only for the homepage?
- What exactly does SEO include? Titles and descriptions, headings based on search terms, image captions, frequently asked questions, structured data?
- Is the website ready for AI search engines such as ChatGPT?
- Will the website include measurement of inquiries and a cookie banner for visitor consent?
- Is the website accessible to people with visual impairments?
- Can I edit the texts and photos myself in the admin, in Czech? Will you show me how?
- How much do changes after launch cost?
- Can I see websites you have built for similar companies?
If a supplier says some of these things cost extra, that is not necessarily bad. At least you know what real price to expect, and you can compare quotes fairly.
Look through samples of finished websites on your phone as well, and read the texts, not just the pictures. You will quickly see whether the supplier can write clearly what a company does and why to choose it.
How much does a website cost with me, and what is included?
The whole website costs CZK 35,000 with me. This is the final price: I am not a VAT payer, so nothing is added to it. You know the price in advance, because from twelve years of experience I know what a business website needs, and everything is included.
You get five different homepage designs right away with your content, as clickable pages for computer and mobile. You choose one, I fine-tune the details and finish the whole website in the same style. After launch I will show you how to edit the texts and images yourself. From you I only need a link to your current website, or a few sentences about the company, plus the logo and photos. I will fill in missing photos from a stock photo library.
I can make five designs instead of one thanks to AI tools that speed up my first versions of designs and texts. But I decide what belongs on your website, and I read and fine-tune every design and text by hand.
The price includes:
- five homepage designs with your content and the whole website in the chosen style,
- texts for all pages: AI helps me with the first version, then I read and fine-tune them by hand,
- headings built on terms people search for, and titles and descriptions for Google,
- frequently asked questions with answers and image captions,
- structured data and preparation for AI search engines (llms.txt and a text version of the pages),
- a Czech-language admin where you edit the texts and photos yourself,
- cookie banner, measurement of inquiries from the website and accessibility.
Extra features, such as a booking system or a calculator, we discuss separately. You can find the full price breakdown in website design, including the sample of five designs for a fictional medical practice.
Summary: what a website costs and what to watch out for
- A template costs a few thousand CZK, a custom website from a small studio tens of thousands, and one from an agency considerably more.
- A template is enough if the website mainly serves as a business card and you do not expect customers from search.
- Compare quotes by scope: texts, SEO, structured data, measurement, training and changes.
- A cheaper quote without texts and SEO can end up costlier after add-ons than a more expensive one that includes everything.
- Ask whether the price is final and what you pay after launch.
Want to know what your website could look like? Book a free website consultation. We will go through your current website or materials, and if a simple update is enough, I will tell you straight away.