Why do website prices vary so much?
The complexity of the project affects its price, but that's not all.
It's obvious that the complexity of a website affects its cost. A simple business website will be much cheaper than an advanced service, platform, or online store but... Why, when evaluating the same project by different freelancers, agencies, or studios, can we receive such varied prices?
Scope of Work and Process
There isn't one, specified way to create a website. You can approach this in a million ways:
Strategy
develop an extensive strategy,
develop a basic strategy,
skip it.
Visual Identity
base on existing elements,
create a complete visual identity based on strategy,
create just a logo,
skip it.
Design (UX/UI)
create a design based on strategy,
create a design consistent with visual identity,
just create a nice-looking page,
create a page only with UX in mind,
don’t worry about the design, let the developer cobble something together,
create animations or not,
test the design or not,
prepare handoff or not,
supervise implementation or not.
Content
create texts and visual content consistent with the strategy and visual identity,
just create content (no matter what, the important thing is that it exists).
Implementation
write code from scratch,
use pre-made frameworks,
use no-code tools,
with CMS or without,
conduct tests or not,
deal with SEO or not,
provide post-implementation support or not.
I could go on forever, but that's not the point. I wanted to show you that this topic can be complicated and simplified practically without limits. However, everything has its consequences, both in terms of quality (which translates into greater benefits) and price.
The possibility of taking shortcuts and a low entry threshold to the industry means that there are many people or agencies offering website creation for little money. However, will such a website engage the right audience, build a brand image, be useful, fast, and accessible? There's always a trade-off.
Execution Quality
The perfect design process is not everything. The quality of the results also counts, and these depend on skills and experience. A great designer will ensure a user-friendly and visually appealing interface, while a skilled developer will create a robust, secure, and efficient backend. This combination results in a high-quality website that performs well, is secure, and delivers an excellent user experience.
Hourly Rate
The size of the hourly rate depends on many factors, such as experience and skills, location, specifics of the project, and operational costs. Agencies and studios, unlike freelancers, usually incur significantly higher operational costs. Maintaining a team, office, and equipment are expenses that freelancers usually don't have.
Moreover, agencies often collaborate with subcontractors, which is also reflected in the final price of the service. However, in return, they may offer additional benefits that an individual contractor cannot provide.
Value-Based Pricing
Value-Based Pricing is a pricing strategy that is based on the value delivered by a product or service, not just the costs of production or work. This means that the contractor sets the price of the project based on how much value his work will bring to your business. As a result, for larger brands, the price of a website can amount to even several hundred thousand dollars, justified by the perceived value.
Final words
High-quality websites, created with a specific brand in mind, are not cheap. It is worth treating this as an investment that will pay off over time. I often encounter situations where savings at the beginning later translate into higher costs related to fixing mistakes and making corrections.
A site that does not fulfill its role does not generate expected revenues, which in the longer perspective may mean higher expenses. Instead of focusing on savings at the start, it's worth investing in solid foundations for your online presence.
I will be grateful for your feedback. Thanks!