To compare quotes fairly, check who researches and writes the content, what you can edit yourself, and what you will pay after launch. A low setup price can cover a very different job from a ready-to-publish website.
Compare the same five-page job
Take a simple service business that needs Home, a service page, About, Contact and a blog index, plus two helpful articles. The blog index is one page; the two articles are additional URLs.
One provider may expect finished text and photos from you. Another may include research, writing, image preparation and publishing. Those offers have the same page count, but not the same workload.
Before choosing, ask who owns these tasks:
- Content: researching customer questions, confirming business details and writing the actual pages.
- Design and editing: adapting a coherent layout, testing it on phones and showing you how to update it.
- Launch: connecting your domain, checking links, testing form delivery and setting up the agreed search basics.
If you only need one short page with contact details, say so. You may not need a larger package. If several services need different explanations, squeezing them into one page can make the buying decision harder.
Free budget worksheet
Work out your first-year budget
Add the recurring costs alongside the website build. A blank field remains unknown; enter 0 for a cost you have confirmed is free.
Enter the costs to complete the worksheet.
Maintenance is multiplied by 12. Use the same tax basis for all amounts and check the scope and later renewal costs in your quote.
Build a first-year budget you can check
Use the supplier's quoted prices for each item rather than an assumed “typical” monthly fee. Check the renewal price as well as any first-year offer.
| Cost | What to put in your budget | Check before agreeing |
|---|---|---|
| Website build and agreed content | One-off project fee | Page mix, writing, visuals, revisions and launch work |
| Domain | Registration and renewal | You control the account and renewal details |
| Hosting or website platform | First-year cost and later renewal | Backups, support, storage and any contract term |
| Paid licenses or services | Only the items you approve | Recurring charge, account owner and a free alternative |
| Maintenance | Your chosen ongoing arrangement | Exactly which updates, checks and fixes it covers |
| Extras | Separately quoted functions | Booking, payments, CRM, extra languages or a migration |
First-year cash cost = build + first-year running costs + approved extras. Later years normally remove the original build fee, but renewals, maintenance and new work may continue. A redesign is not automatically included in maintenance.
Use the editable website cost planner to compare offers on this basis. Leave an unknown amount blank and ask the provider; zero means the item is genuinely free or not required, not that nobody mentioned it.
Which setup fits your time and your business?
A do-it-yourself builder can make sense if you can write the pages, choose suitable images and maintain the site. Compare its current plan and renewal terms directly, including any functions you need. Your own time is still part of the decision even when the cash cost is low.
A supported WordPress build is useful when you want someone to handle the research, copy and setup while leaving everyday editing with you. It does not have to require a paid page builder or a large collection of plugins.
A custom application belongs in a different comparison. Live inventory, complex quoting, memberships or unusual booking rules can change the architecture and testing work. Do not assume that a service-business website price covers them.
If your immediate question is whether you need a site at all, start with Google Business Profile versus a website. A useful profile and a useful website have different roles.
My WordPress website scopes
These are the prices for one English-language service-business website targeting one country. They are not exchange-rate conversions of the Turkish service.
- $795: 5 pages and 2 original articles.
- $1,195: 10 pages and 5 original articles.
- $1,795: 15 pages and 8 original articles.
I research the relevant searches and competing pages, agree the page plan, write the copy and build the site. The scopes include responsive shared layouts, a standard contact form, on-page SEO setup and launch checks. There is one design direction and two consolidated revision rounds; each URL is not a separate bespoke design.
You can edit normal page and article content in WordPress. Suitable visuals are included within the chosen scope, but generated illustrations are not passed off as photos of your team or completed work. You confirm business facts, and you provide legal text.
Hosting, domain registration, premium assets, bookings, payments, CRM, extra languages and ongoing SEO are separate. Required third-party costs and applicable taxes are confirmed before work. The website package page lists the current limits, delivery targets and handover details.
Do you need to pay for SEO every month?
Not simply because the site has launched. You can begin with clear service pages, working contact options and a site that search engines can access. Keep business information accurate and check that inquiries reach you.
Ongoing work becomes useful when there is a specific backlog: new services, weak pages, technical problems or evidence that relevant customers are searching for something the site does not explain. That may mean a small update, a defined project or monthly support. Buying a monthly plan is not a requirement of my website packages.
When reviewing results, separate a form-button click, a delivered message and a suitable customer inquiry. If visitors arrive but nobody contacts you, the traffic but no leads guide explains what to check before buying more traffic.