The honest answer: it depends on what the site must do
Quotes for "a website" range from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands. The difference is rarely the developer's margin — it is the scope. This guide helps you figure out which tier you actually need before you start asking for quotes.
The three price bands
$200–$800 — template site, content-ready. Built on a proven template with your branding, text and images dropped in. Great for a brochure site, a portfolio or a landing page. Five to seven pages, mobile responsive, basic SEO.
$800–$3,000 — custom build, business-grade. A developer builds around your requirements: custom layouts, a CMS, integrations (booking, payments, forms), performance and analytics. This is where most growing businesses land.
$3,000+ — product or platform. E-commerce stores with inventory, subscription logic, marketplaces or custom apps. Pricing scales with complexity — and this is the band where hourly or milestone pricing is normal.
What moves the price
- Pages and templates — a 3-page landing page is not half a 6-page site; each page adds content and layout work.
- Content — who writes the copy and prepares the images? Sourcing this yourself is the single biggest way to cut cost.
- Integrations — every third-party system (payment gateway, CRM, booking engine) adds build and testing time.
- Speed and SEO — a site that scores well on Core Web Vitals takes real engineering, not a plugin.
Questions to ask before hiring
- Will the site be fast on mobile data, not just a fast connection?
- Do I own the code, domain and hosting account when we finish?
- What happens after launch — do you offer maintenance, or is it on me?
- How do you handle updates — can I edit text myself, or is every change a billable hour?
Scope creep is how "cheap" websites become expensive ones. A fixed-price gig with a written deliverable list protects both sides.
Building or rebuilding your site? The featured responsive React and Next.js gig covers modern, SEO-ready builds.
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If a custom site feels out of budget right now, a strong business plan can help you justify the investment to yourself — or an investor.
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