how much to charge for website design
Practical, step-by-step pricing for freelance and studio web designers — scope, SEO, retainers, and value-based examples.
Stop guessing. This guide gives you clear rules, sample price ranges for 2025, and an easy pricing worksheet so you can quote with confidence and win better clients.
Core Principles for Fair, Profitable Pricing
A good pricing strategy balances market rates, your costs, and the value you deliver. Use these principles as a checklist before you quote:
- Know your baseline cost: Calculate your hourly rate, overheads (software, taxes, insurance), and a target margin.
- Charge for outcomes, not just hours: Clients pay for leads, bookings, and confidence—price accordingly.
- Scope tightly: Define everything in the proposal (pages, features, SEO, integrations, rounds of revisions).
- Be transparent: Show what's included and what costs extra (e.g., copywriting, stock photos, advanced integrations).
- Limit scope creep: Offer a clear change request process and hourly rate for out-of-scope work.
How to Scope a Website Project (and Why It Matters)
A precise scope reduces uncertainty — and allows you to give confident prices. Use a simple scope checklist in every proposal:
Pages & Content
List exact pages (Home, Services, About, Contact, Service pages, Blog, Legal pages).
- Number of unique templates
- Who provides copy – client, you, or copywriter?
- How many images / galleries?
Features & Integrations
Identify forms, booking systems, e‑commerce, CRM, analytics, chat, or payment gateways.
- 3rd-party integrations (Zapier, Stripe, Xero)
- SEO / schema requirements
- Custom design or template-based?
Define Deliverables and Milestones
A clear timeline reduces disputes. Example milestones:
- Discovery & sitemap (3–5 days)
- Design comps (5–7 days)
- Development & QA (7–14 days)
- Content population and SEO setup (3–7 days)
- Launch & 7-day support
How to Price SEO, Content & Local Optimisation
SEO and content materially change the value of a site. Price them as separate line items, or bundle into higher-tier packages.
Basic On-Page SEO (included or +$300–$800)
- Unique page titles & meta descriptions
- Header structure and keyword mapping
- XML sitemap & robots.txt
- Schema for local businesses
Content Writing (per page)
Price depends on research and length:
Local SEO & GMB Setup
Local business optimisation is high-impact; price it at $250–$900 depending on citations, reviews strategy, and optimisation depth.
Value-Based Pricing: Charge for Impact, Not Just Time
Value pricing is about aligning your fee with the client's expected return. Use this simple framework:
1. Estimate client uplift
Ask: How many extra leads or clients could a better site generate monthly? Multiply by average value per lead.
2. Capture a share of value
You don't charge the full lift. Capture a conservative share (5–20%) depending on risk and trackability.
Value pricing works best when outcomes are measurable (leads, bookings, sales). Use tracking (UTMs, forms, call tracking) to prove ROI — clients will pay for measurable results.
Common Pricing Models & When to Use Them
Hourly
Good for small fixes or maintenance. Set a clear hourly rate and minimum charge.
Fixed Price
Best for clearly scoped projects. Protect yourself by including a buffer and a defined change-order process.
Subscription & Retainer
Recurring revenue model that bundles hosting, updates, and marketing. Great for predictable income and ongoing optimisation.
Hybrid approach
Many designers use a fixed build fee + monthly maintenance retainer. It covers the upfront build and guarantees recurring income for support and optimisation.
Creating Packages and Add‑Ons That Sell
Packages simplify buying and reduce negotiation. Build 3 tiers: Basic, Growth, and Premium.
Basic
- 5 pages, template design
- Basic SEO, contact form
- 1 round of revisions
- $1,200–$2,000
Growth
- Custom design, up to 10 pages
- Service pages + blog setup
- On-page SEO + analytics
- $3,500–$7,000
Premium
- Full custom UX, e‑commerce or complex integrations
- Content strategy + copywriting
- 6 months optimisation & reporting
- $8,000–$30,000+
Common add-ons: extra revision rounds ($80–$150/hr), additional page content, ongoing SEO ($500+/mo), advanced analytics/reporting, multi-language, and e‑commerce setup.
Tip: Price add-ons clearly and include them as optional line items in your quote to keep the base package attractive.
Quick Pricing Worksheet (Use This Every Quote)
- Calculate your hourly cost: (Desired annual salary + overheads) / billable hours. Example: $80,000 + $20,000 overhead = $100,000 / 1,200 = $83/hr.
- Estimate hours for the project: Discovery (4), design (12), dev (20), content (8) = 44 hours.
- Multiply hours by rate: 44 × $83 = $3,652 (base build).
- Add contingencies & asset costs: 10–25% buffer = $365–$913.
- Add value or premium: consider client ROI and add a premium (10–30%) if applicable.
- Final fixed price suggestion: round to a clean number, e.g., $4,500.
When to use hourly instead
Use hourly rates for support, small tasks, or ongoing updates. For new builds, fixed price reduces client hesitation and aligns incentives.
Negotiation: Hold Your Line Without Losing Clients
Clients often negotiate. Use these tactics to keep margin while closing deals:
- Offer scope reductions, not discounts: Remove features to meet budget (reduce pages, delay integrations).
- Split payments: 30% deposit, 40% on design approval, 30% on launch.
- Offer payment plans: Spread fixed fees over months at a small surcharge if needed.
- Value framing: Show the expected return (leads/month) and how the site recoups cost quickly.
- Standards and limits: Be firm about included revisions and hourly fees for extras.
If you frequently lose on price, audit your proposals: are you under-scoping, underestimating hours, or failing to communicate value?
Sample Pricing Ranges for 2025 (AU Market)
| Project Type | Typical Price | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Simple brochure site (5 pages) | $1,200–$2,500 | Template or lite custom design, basic SEO, launch |
| Standard business site (8–12 pages) | $3,500–$7,000 | Custom design, SEO basics, analytics, contact forms |
| Service lead generation site | $4,500–$10,000 | Multiple service pages, conversion tracking, CRO basics |
| E‑commerce (small) | $6,000–$15,000 | Product setup, payments, basic store training |
| Complex custom build | $15,000+ | Custom backend, integrations, advanced UX |
These are ranges — adjust for your market, skill level, and the client's size. Always show value in the proposal.
When to Recommend a Managed Subscription (like Congero)
For clients who want speed, low upfront cost, and ongoing updates, a managed subscription can be a great alternative to large upfront fees. Congero (example) offers:
- Professional, mobile-first websites delivered quickly
- All-inclusive pricing (domain, hosting, SSL) from ~$49/mo
- Unlimited small updates via text—great for clients who dislike technical overhead
As a designer you can partner: offer custom design + handoff to a managed service, or position subscription as the lowest-risk option for price-sensitive clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set my hourly rate?
Should I include SEO in the base price?
How much buffer should I add?
How do I avoid scope creep?
Quote with Confidence — Deliver Value
Use the worksheet above on every quote. Price clearly, protect your time, and capture the value you deliver.
Want a template pricing worksheet (spreadsheet) or a sample proposal? Message Congero and ask for the "Designer Pricing Kit" — we share templates that help you win higher-paying clients.
