Size comes first.
Every page is something to design, write, build and test. A five-page site and a fifty-page site are different projects even when they look alike on the home page.
Repeating pages matter too. Twenty service pages on one template cost less than twenty that each need their own layout, but they still need twenty sets of words.
Custom design or a starting template.
A template-based site starts from a layout that already exists and applies your brand to it. A custom design starts from your goals and draws the layout around them.
Neither is better by default. Templates reach launch sooner and suit businesses whose brand does not need to carry the whole site. Custom work suits businesses where the site is part of how they sell.
Content is often the hidden part.
A site needs words, photos and sometimes video. If those are ready, the project moves fast. If they are not, someone has to write, shoot or collect them, and that work has a cost in money, time or both.
Many projects run late because of content, not code. A good plan lists what you already have and what is still missing.
Features add up.
The more a site does, the more there is to build and test. Common features that change the scope:
- Online booking or reservations
- A store with checkout, shipping and tax settings
- Member logins or a client area
- Connections to a CRM or email tool
- More than one language
- A blog you publish to often
A store usually changes the project more than anything else on the list, because payments, shipping and returns each need decisions.
Moving from an old site.
If you already have a site, there is extra work to carry content across and to redirect old addresses so you keep the search visibility you have earned. Skipping that step can make a new site start from zero in search.
Launch with what matters most.
A bigger scope is not always a better one. Many businesses do well to launch with the pages and features that bring in work, then add more once the site is running and they can see what visitors actually use.
Splitting a project into a first phase and a later one also spreads the effort out. It keeps the first launch date realistic and gives you real data to base the second phase on.
Ongoing costs are separate.
A site has running costs after launch. These usually include the domain name, hosting or a platform subscription, and someone to apply updates and fix problems. Ask every vendor to list them, and ask who pays for each.
Timeline also plays a part. A rushed schedule can raise the effort, and a flexible one gives the team room to plan. Our websites usually take 4 to 8 weeks from kickoff to delivery.
How to compare quotes.
When two quotes are far apart, ask each vendor the same short list:
- How many pages and which features are included?
- Is the design custom or based on a template?
- Who writes the content and who supplies the photos?
- What happens to the old site and its addresses?
- What do hosting, updates and changes cost after launch?
- Who owns the domain, the files and the content?
The planner covers these same questions, so your answers can double as a brief for any vendor, including us.