Start with the job, then the price
A business website cost is meaningful only when you know what it buys. A page that explains one offer is a different project from a store with a catalogue and checkout, or an application that customers sign into. Start with the visitor’s next action: enquire, book, buy or use a service.
Your budget should account for the build, the content needed to complete it and the costs of keeping it running. Separating those decisions makes it easier to compare proposals and avoid paying for functionality your business does not yet need.
Choose a landing page, website, store or application
- Landing page: one focused offer and a clear action, such as an enquiry form or booking integration. Useful when a campaign or service needs its own destination.
- Business website: several connected pages explaining the company, its services and how to contact it. Useful when clients need context before making an enquiry.
- E-commerce store: product information, payments, checkout and order communication. The catalogue and operating rules matter as much as the visual design.
- Web application: accounts, permissions, saved data or custom business logic. Define the workflows first; a page count alone cannot describe this work.
Digital Studio’s published starting packages
Our landing page starts at €1,190 for one responsive page, copy structure, one form or booking integration, and speed and SEO basics. Our website starts at €2,190 for up to five responsive pages, SEO foundations, a lead form and launch on your domain. Our e-commerce package starts at €3,490 for a storefront with up to 30 supplied products, standard payment and checkout setup, and order emails.
These are defined starter scopes, rather than prices for every possible project. Content, assets and access are supplied by you; hosting, licenses and subscriptions are separate. Billing is in EUR. Any local-currency amount shown on the website is an indicative estimate. Check the current services, scope and prices and the final checkout total before paying.
A scope checklist for comparing quotes
- Pages and content: list the pages, product count, languages and who writes or translates the text.
- Design: say whether an existing identity is ready or a new logo and brand system are needed.
- Connections: name the booking, payment, CRM or email tools, and describe what should pass between them.
- Editing: decide what your team needs to update after launch and who will manage it.
- Launch: identify the domain, existing URLs to preserve, required redirects and access to current hosting.
- Handover: agree what files, accounts, instructions, revisions and post-launch support are included.
Write down exclusions as well as inclusions. A “website with SEO” might mean sensible page titles and crawlable pages, or a separate research and content programme. A contact form might deliver an email, or create a CRM record with several follow-up rules. Ask the provider to describe the actual deliverable.
Why two website quotes can differ
Additional languages, custom integrations, content migration and complex editing workflows create work beyond the visible page. A quote may also include strategy, photography or copywriting that another leaves to you. Compare the same requirements and the same handover, rather than only the headline total.
Hypothetical example: a consultant with approved copy and one enquiry form might fit a small website scope. The same consultant with a members’ area, translated resources and a CRM workflow needs a different proposal. Both projects can look simple in a screenshot; their responsibilities are different.
Prepare the content before production
Gather approved text, images you have permission to use, brand files and the details people need to make a decision. For a store, prepare product descriptions, variants, prices and the shipping and returns information. Appoint one person to approve feedback so conflicting revisions do not delay decisions.
A target launch date should reflect those dependencies and an agreed start date. Ask what is needed before work begins and how additional requests are handled. The Maison Astral case study shows how identity and website presentation can be considered together; your own scope should follow your content and audience.
Budget for operating the website
Domain renewal, hosting, email, paid software, payment processing and maintenance can create ongoing costs. Ask which are necessary, who owns the accounts and whether charges are paid directly to each provider. Also agree who handles updates, backups and future content changes. A one-off build does not automatically include continuing marketing or support.
Agree what a completed launch means
Before launch, check the agreed pages on mobile, tablet and desktop. Test navigation, keyboard access, forms, booking and checkout as applicable. Confirm that messages reach the correct inbox, key content is readable, images load and old links lead to the right destination. Search checks should cover titles, canonical URLs and the sitemap; these foundations do not guarantee rankings.
Agree the approval process and handover in writing. A useful brief can be short: what you sell, who the site serves, the action you want visitors to take and the systems it must connect. Send a free project brief to turn that information into a defined next step.
