"How much does a website cost?" is probably the question we hear most often, and the hardest one to answer honestly in a single sentence. If you've already asked for several quotes, you've probably received amounts that have nothing in common. That's no accident: the same word, "website", can describe projects with almost nothing in common, from a one-page site built in a few days to a custom platform that takes several months of work. Understanding what drives the price lets you assess a quote with real reference points, instead of comparing figures without any context.
What "a website" really covers
Before even talking about price, you need to define which project you're talking about. A showcase website of a few pages presenting a business, a landing page focused on a single goal, a complete redesign of an existing site, or an online store with catalog and payment management: each of these projects involves a radically different workload, even though they all fall under the generic label of "website".
This confusion explains much of the price difference you see when you ask for several quotes. Two providers can quote very different amounts, not because one is more expensive than the other in absolute terms, but because they haven't understood, or haven't priced, exactly the same project. Specifying from the outset the type of site you're looking for, for example by referring to the different services on offer, helps you compare quotes that genuinely cover the same thing.
So before asking for a quote, it's worth clarifying for yourself what you expect: a rough number of pages, whether or not you need an appointment booking system, whether you need to sell online, or simply whether you want a professional presence on the web. This groundwork, even if it's imperfect, saves you from receiving proposals that can't really be compared with one another.
Showcase website or online store: two different budgets
A showcase website is there to present a business, reassure visitors and encourage them to get in touch. Its complexity stays manageable: a few pages, a form, clear navigation, and sometimes online appointment booking.
An online store adds a whole layer of features: product pages, a cart, secure payment, inventory management and a mobile journey that holds up all the way to checkout. At tomcom, the turnkey Shopify store starts from €1,490. That price is stated upfront to give you a clear reference point, and it then varies depending on the number of products and the level of customization you want.
What pushes the price up
Some elements automatically increase the amount of work, and therefore the price, whichever provider you choose. A large number of pages, specific features such as online booking or a customer account area, multilingual content, or integration with tools the business already uses, such as management software, all require extra work that is logically reflected in the final price.
Copywriting and visuals also carry weight, often more than people expect at the outset. A site whose copy all has to be written from scratch, with photos to be produced or carefully selected, costs more than a project where the client already provides most of the content. This factor, less visible than a technical feature, nevertheless accounts for a large part of the price gap between two projects that look comparable on paper.
The level of customization also plays a decisive role. A fully custom site, with an art direction designed specifically for your business, takes more work than a site built from an existing template simply adapted to your colors. This difference isn't always visible straight away, but it often shows over time, in the site's ability to really set you apart from your competitors.
Finally, the provider's experience comes into play. A professional who has already delivered several similar projects anticipates problems better and avoids time-consuming back-and-forth. That can justify a higher rate without the final quality suffering, quite the opposite.
What can bring the price down
On the other hand, some choices can reasonably reduce the cost of a project without sacrificing what matters. Starting with a deliberately limited number of pages, even if it means adding more later, is often wiser than trying to include everything at launch. A more modest but well-executed site is generally better than an overly ambitious one delivered in a rush for lack of sufficient budget.
Coming in with your content already prepared, copy and visuals included, also reduces the billable time, since this part of the project often represents a substantial workload. In the same way, accepting a less tight delivery schedule generally leaves more room for negotiation than an urgent request, which often means mobilizing more resources in a short space of time.
A website can also be built in stages. Starting with the essentials, then adding pages or features as your business grows, lets you spread the budget without giving up on quality at launch. This approach simply requires choosing, from day one, a technical foundation that can evolve, so you don't have to rebuild everything when it's time to add a section.
The costs to plan for beyond the build price
The price quoted for building a website doesn't always cover every cost of running it. The domain name and hosting are a recurring expense, usually modest, but real every year. Some paid tools or extensions can be added depending on your needs, especially for an online store with advanced features.
Maintenance deserves particular attention. A site that never gets technical updates becomes more vulnerable and can, over time, lose performance. Setting aside a budget, even a small one, for its upkeep avoids unpleasant surprises and extends its useful life.
Content, an often underestimated cost
Writing clear copy, choosing relevant visuals and organizing information takes time, whether it's your time or a professional's. Many business owners only discover this cost afterwards, once the design is finished, which can delay the launch by several weeks.
How the site will evolve
A website is never frozen once it's delivered. Adding a page, a feature or a new section is a normal part of a project that grows with your business. Anticipating this, even without knowing the details, helps you choose a provider who can make the site evolve, instead of a project you'll have to rebuild from scratch in two years.
Why the lowest price isn't always the most economical
A very cheap website isn't necessarily a good deal if it has to be rebuilt a year later because it isn't technically sound, or if it doesn't turn enough visitors into customers because not enough thought went into its content and structure. The real cost of a website isn't limited to the price of building it: it also includes the time you'll need to spend on it afterwards, its ability to evolve, and above all the business opportunities it generates or lets slip away.
A site that reassures visitors, converts properly and doesn't need emergency rework a few months after going live is often a more profitable investment than a site that's cheaper at the start but keeps running into limitations. Framing the question differently changes a lot: instead of asking "how much does a website cost?", asking "how much will this website bring in for me?" completely transforms the way you assess a quote.
How to assess a quote beyond the bottom line
When you receive a quote, it's better to try to understand what's actually included than to focus solely on the total at the bottom of the page. The number of pages planned, whether or not copywriting is included, the number of rounds of revisions before sign-off, and what happens after delivery in terms of maintenance or changes are all details that make the difference between two quotes that look similar.
It's also perfectly reasonable to ask how the price was put together: on what basis, and with what assumptions about content and features. A provider who can clearly explain how their price breaks down generally inspires more confidence than a figure given without justification, and that transparency often says a lot about how the rest of the project will go.
Looking at the projects a provider has already delivered also helps you judge whether their pricing matches the quality of their work. Our recent work is there for exactly that: to give you an idea of the end result before you commit.
Finally, the planned payment terms deserve to be clarified at the quote stage: a deposit at the start, the balance on delivery, or staged payments as the project progresses aren't just an administrative detail; they also reflect how the provider structures their commitment over the course of the project. A clear payment schedule, explained without ambiguity, is one of the signs that set a well-framed collaboration apart from a project where expectations remain vague on both sides.
Conclusion
The price of a website can't be boiled down to a single figure that applies to every project: it depends on the type of site, its content, its level of customization, what the offer includes and the timeline you want. Understanding these variables lets you approach a quote with specific questions and, above all, think in terms of the value created rather than cost in isolation. The expenses that follow the launch, hosting, maintenance and future changes, are also part of the real budget. A well-thought-out site, even at a higher price than a cut-price competitor, often remains the most economical option once you factor in what it brings to your business over time.
