Ask five web designers in Rochdale or Greater Manchester what a website costs and you will get five very different answers. That is not because anyone is being unreasonable; it is because “a website” can mean anything from a five-page brochure site to an online shop connected to your stock system. This guide explains what you are actually paying for, the costs that come after launch, and how to compare quotes like for like.
What you are paying for up front
- Planning and structure: deciding the pages, what each page needs to do and how visitors move through the site.
- Design: a template adapted to your branding costs less than a fully custom design.
- Build: setting up the content management system, page templates, forms and integrations.
- Content: writing, editing and adding text and images. If you supply nothing, someone has to write it.
- Photography: stock images are cheap; your own photos of your team and premises usually work better.
- Technical SEO and launch: page titles, redirects from your old site, analytics and Google Search Console.
The costs that come after launch
A website is not a one-off purchase. Budget for these every year:
- Domain renewal. Usually annual. Make sure the domain is registered in your business’s name, not your designer’s (see our domain ownership checks).
- Hosting. Cheap shared hosting is fine for small, low-traffic sites; busier sites and shops may need better hosting.
- SSL certificate. Many hosts include a free certificate; some charge.
- Premium plugin or theme licences. Often renew yearly.
- Maintenance. Updates, backups, security monitoring and small edits, either paid as you go or as a monthly plan.
- Payment fees for online shops: card processors charge per transaction, so check current rates with your provider.
Why quotes vary so much
When quotes are far apart, they are usually not quoting for the same thing. Common differences include:
- Whether content writing and photography are included.
- Template-based design versus a custom design.
- How many rounds of changes are included.
- Whether you get training to edit the site yourself.
- Who owns the site, the code and the domain at the end.
- Whether hosting and maintenance are bundled into a monthly fee.
Brochure site, online shop or monthly plan?
A brochure website tells people who you are and how to contact you, and is the most affordable option. An e-commerce website needs products, payments, delivery rules and more testing, so costs more to build and run. A website as a service spreads the cost into a monthly fee that includes hosting and updates. We compare the three in brochure, shop or website as a service?.
Questions to ask before you accept a quote
- What exactly is included, page by page?
- Who writes the content and supplies the images?
- How many rounds of revisions are included?
- Will I own the domain, the website files and the content?
- What will hosting, maintenance and licences cost each year?
- What happens if I want to move to another provider?
- How will you handle redirects from my current site so I do not lose Google rankings?
Writing a short brief first makes quotes much easier to compare. Our guide to what to agree before a website redesign covers what to include.
When to speak to BMT
If you are planning a new site or a redesign in Rochdale or anywhere in Greater Manchester, our web design and development team will give you a written quote that spells out what is included and what it costs to run each year. Call us on 0161 672 7461 or 01706 391 047, or get in touch online.
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