web design company prices
How to understand quotes, compare value, and evaluate SEO & marketing impact for your small business
Don’t pick a website by the cheapest sticker price. Learn what really drives cost, what delivers marketing value, and how to calculate expected return — so you choose a web design partner who grows your business.
How web design company prices actually work
A price is a summary — not the full story. Websites are build projects, ongoing services, or a mix of both. Understand three fundamental parts of any quote:
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Scope (what you get) — number of pages, custom design, e-commerce, booking system, content writing, photography.
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Delivery time & process — do they provide mockups, revisions, staging site? Faster delivery typically costs more.
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Ongoing services — hosting, security, updates, SEO, analytics and marketing. These recurring items determine long-term value.
Common pricing models and when they make sense
Four models dominate the market. Each has trade-offs for small businesses.
Fixed-price project
One upfront fee for a defined scope. Good if your needs are simple and well-defined.
- Pros: Clear cost, predictable.
- Cons: Changes cost extra; risk of scope creep.
- Best for: Small brochure sites with fixed pages.
Subscription / managed service
Monthly fee that bundles design, hosting, updates, and often SEO. This is Congero’s model.
- Pros: Predictable monthly cost, unlimited updates, ongoing optimization.
- Cons: You "rent" the service tech; confirm domain ownership terms.
- Best for: Trades and busy small businesses who want hands-off site updates and local SEO.
Hourly rate
Billed for time spent. Handy for ongoing or undefined work but can be unpredictable.
- Pros: Flexibility, useful for small incremental changes.
- Cons: Can become expensive; hard to forecast yearly spend.
- Best for: Agencies doing consulting or custom builds with uncertain scope.
E-commerce / platform percentage
Costs tied to platform fees or transaction percentages (Shopify, WooCommerce). Factor platform fees into total cost.
- Pros: Scales with revenue, lower upfront.
- Cons: Ongoing percentage drag on margin.
- Best for: Online stores where sales volumes justify platform costs.
What actually drives the price on a quote
When comparing quotes, focus on these cost drivers rather than line-item sticker shock.
- Design complexity — custom illustrations, animations, bespoke templates add hours.
- Content creation — writing, photography, video. Many small businesses underestimate content costs.
- Functionality & integrations — bookings, payments, CRMs, SMS/WhatsApp integration. Each adds setup time and potential monthly fees.
- SEO & marketing setup — keyword research, local SEO, schema, initial on-page optimisation, and analytics implementation.
- Hosting & performance — managed hosting, CDN, backups and security (faster hosting costs more but impacts conversion rate).
- Support & SLAs — response time guarantees, phone support and unlimited edits (high-value for busy owners).
How to normalise quotes
Create a simple comparison table: list deliverables and mark whether each quote includes them. Convert one-time fees into a 12-month equivalent to compare with monthly subscriptions.
How to measure SEO & marketing value in a quote
SEO and marketing lift are the primary long-term value drivers of a website. Here’s how to evaluate whether a quote delivers that value.
1) Ask for measurable deliverables
- Keyword research with prioritized opportunities (list of 10–30 keywords)
- Local SEO: Google Business Profile setup/optimisation and citation cleanup
- On-page optimisation: title tags, meta descriptions, H1s, schema markup
- Analytics & goal tracking: conversions tracked in GA4 and event-based tracking
2) Convert SEO activity into expected traffic & revenue
Ask the agency to show a conservative forecast: estimated traffic uplift and expected enquiries. Then use your average conversion and sale value to calculate ROI.
3) Ask for past performance or case studies
A credible agency should be able to show results: keyword rank improvements, traffic increases, or direct revenue examples for similar businesses. If they can’t, treat projections as optimistic.
4) Require analytics access & monthly reports
Monthly reports should show visitors, top pages, lead sources, conversion rate, and keyword rankings. This data proves the website’s marketing value over time.
Checklist: What to compare in every quote
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ScopePages, templates, custom modules, blog
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ContentWho writes copy, supplies photos, reviews
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SEO setupKeyword research, schema, local citations
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HostingUptime SLA, CDN, backups, speed targets
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SupportResponse times, revision limits, contact method
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OwnershipWho owns code, CMS access, domain terms
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Pricing modelUpfront, monthly, hourly, % of sales
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Exit termsCan you take the site elsewhere? Domain transfer cost?
How to negotiate and what to avoid
Negotiation tips
- Ask to move some one-time costs to monthly — spreads budget and improves cashflow.
- Request a free SEO audit or a 30-day optimisation plan as part of the deal.
- Negotiate deliverables (e.g., reduce pages, add core SEO tasks) to match your budget.
- Get everything in writing: scope, delivery date, revisions, ownership and cancellation terms.
Red flags to walk away from
- Vague quotes with no deliverables or timelines.
- Refusal to grant CMS access or insisting you cannot move domains.
- Excessive minimum contract lengths with large exit fees.
- Hidden recurring fees not disclosed up front.
- No tracking/analytics setup promised — you cannot measure results.
Real examples: cost vs expected value
Example A — Small trades business
Quote 1: $2,500 upfront (design) + $20/mo hosting. Quote 2: $49/mo subscription (all-inclusive).
- Normalise cost: $2,500 upfront ≈ $208/mo over 12 months.
- Includes? Quote 1: no SEO or updates included. Quote 2: local SEO + unlimited text-in updates.
- Likely outcome: Subscription drives faster local rankings and fast content changes — more leads. Subscription is better ROI for busy trades.
Example B — Boutique retailer
Quote 1: $8,000 custom ecommerce build. Quote 2: $200/mo platform + $1,500 setup.
- Consider: Sales volume. If monthly online revenue < $8k, high upfront cost takes long to pay back.
- When custom makes sense: Unique checkout, complex inventory, or branding-critical UX that increases conversion by 20%+.
- Otherwise: Platform + optimizations or a staged approach often wins.
Template: Ask your prospect agency these 12 questions
- What is the exact deliverable list? (number of pages, features, and revisions)
- Do you include keyword research and local SEO setup? Show example deliverables.
- How do you measure success? What reports do we receive and how often?
- Who owns the domain, content and design files at project end?
- What is the hosting environment, uptime SLA and speed guarantees?
- What is included in ongoing support? Response times and what counts as “small update”.
- Are there any platform fees or third-party subscription costs?
- What's the process for making content changes after launch?
- Can you share case studies for businesses like mine?
- What are exit terms if we want to move platforms later?
- How do you price revisions and additional features?
- Can you provide a 12-month cost projection including likely marketing work?
Frequently asked questions
Is a cheaper quote always a bad choice?
How do I value SEO work in a quote?
Should I pay upfront or subscribe?
Can an agency guarantee SEO ranking improvements?
Want a clear, all-inclusive price with built-in SEO?
Congero offers a managed website subscription that includes mobile-ready design, local SEO, unlimited updates via text, domain & hosting — all for one predictable monthly fee. It’s designed for busy small businesses that want results without the guesswork.
No lock-in contracts. Free demo — no credit card required. Monthly analytics included so you can measure SEO and marketing value every month.
