The short answer
Website prices vary because “a website” can mean anything from one well-structured page to a large ecommerce operation. The useful question is not “how many pages do I get?” but “what problem is this site expected to solve, and what work is needed to solve it properly?”
Start with the job the website needs to do
A new local business may only need a credible home page, clear services, proof, contact details and a strong enquiry route. A five-page brochure site can be useful, but it is not automatically better than a focused one-page site. By contrast, a business relying on organic search may need separate service pages, stronger local relevance, content planning and internal links. An ecommerce store adds catalogue structure, product data, payments, shipping, analytics and conversion work.
What should be included in a professional build?
- Mobile-first layout and readable content
- Clear calls to action
- Search-friendly titles, headings and metadata
- Fast-loading, appropriately sized imagery
- Analytics and Search Console foundations
- Security, backups and launch QA
- Clear ownership and handover terms
Why FifteenFold starts lower than a traditional agency
Our entry offers are intentionally narrow. A £295 Launch One site is not an unlimited bespoke project. It is a tightly scoped one-page presence for a business that needs to get online properly without funding an agency-sized process. Where the project genuinely needs research, copy, multiple service pages, booking, ecommerce or custom functionality, the scope increases.
What should make you suspicious?
Be careful with both extremes. A very low quote can become expensive if the site is hard to edit, slow, locked to proprietary hosting or missing basic search foundations. An expensive quote is not automatically good either. Ask what research is being done, what is custom, how mobile is tested, what happens after launch and who owns the domain and website.
A useful buying test
Ask every supplier the same question: “If you thought I did not need a rebuild, would you tell me?” The answer tells you whether you are buying advice or simply buying production.
Apply the principle to your own business.
If the issue is your website and you are unsure whether to repair or rebuild, start with the free Website Rescue Review. If the problem is broader, send me the business and what is not working.