Guide · FifteenFold
How to get website quotes without being chased by five companies
A practical way to get website design quotes you can actually compare, without handing your phone number to a list of companies who all want to call you.
Quick answer: write a short brief, shortlist two or three designers yourself, send each the same brief and compare what is included, not just the price. It takes about an hour and gives you quotes you can compare like for like.
Why quote requests often turn into phone calls
Many quote and lead-generation websites work by passing your request to several providers, who usually pay to contact you. That is why a single form can lead to a run of calls and emails within the hour. It can be a quick way to find options, but you have less control over who contacts you, and the quotes rarely cover the same thing.
If you would rather choose who you speak to, the steps below take a little longer and usually give you better quotes.
1. Write a one-page brief
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You do not need a technical specification. A good brief answers these questions in plain English:
- Your business: what you do, where, and who your best customers are.
- The goal: more calls, more bookings, online sales or simply looking credible.
- Pages: roughly how many, and which services need their own page.
- Features: booking, payments, an online shop, a quote form, a gallery.
- Content: whether you have words and photos ready, or need help.
- Budget: a rough range. It helps designers suggest the right option rather than guess.
- Timing: when you need it live, and why.
- Examples: two or three websites you like, and what you like about them.
Our quote form asks exactly these questions, if you would like a shortcut.
2. Shortlist two or three designers yourself
Search Google for web design in your town or county and look beyond the adverts. Check each designer’s own website, recent work in a similar sector and reviews on Google or other independent platforms. Two or three good quotes are more useful than six rushed ones.
3. Send everyone the same brief
Quotes are only comparable if everyone is pricing the same thing. Send the same brief, ask the same questions and give everyone the same deadline to reply.
4. Compare what is included, not just the price
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Pages and features | Is every page and feature from your brief listed? |
| Content | Who writes the words and sources photos? |
| Ownership | Is the domain in your name? Do you own the site once paid for? |
| Hosting and support | What does hosting cost each year, and who fixes problems? |
| Google basics | Page titles, Search Console and a link to your Google Business Profile included? |
| Who does the work | The person you spoke to, or someone you will never meet? |
| Payment terms | Deposit, final payment and what happens if it runs late. |
Red flags to watch for
- A price given before anyone has asked about your business.
- The domain registered in the designer’s name, not yours.
- Long contracts with no clear exit or handover terms.
- No examples of recent, live work.
- Promises of first-place Google rankings. Nobody can guarantee them.
For a fuller checklist, read 14 questions to ask before hiring a web designer, and for typical prices, what a small-business website costs.
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A short website brief you can copy
Send every shortlisted supplier the same facts. That makes differences in their proposals easier to spot:
Business: what we offer, who we serve, and where. Current site: URL and the one biggest customer problem. Required pages: homepage, services, company/about, proof or work, and contact as appropriate. Essential features: telephone, enquiry form, bookings, ecommerce or integration requirements. Content: which words, images and product details are ready, and who will supply the rest. Timescale: preferred start and realistic launch window. Budget: an honest range if you have one. Ownership: domain, hosting, site and accounts must stay in the business’s name.
How to compare two quotes without choosing blind
| Check | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|
| Exact pages and conversion goal | Ask what is included | Ask what is included |
| Who supplies and edits content | Check written scope | Check written scope |
| Responsive, accessibility and form QA | Request specific tests | Request specific tests |
| SEO, redirects and analytics | Request deliverables | Request deliverables |
| Hosting, licences and renewal fees | Compare 12-month obligations | Compare 12-month obligations |
| Ownership, backups and exit support | Confirm contractual terms | Confirm contractual terms |
A £449 fixed-scope brochure website is not automatically comparable to a £1,495 site with ecommerce, migration or custom booking. Ask each supplier to price the same must-have scope and explain optional extras separately. Don’t assume a bigger number means better design, or a smaller one means poor quality.
Five follow-up questions that expose risk
- Can you show an actual project and explain the decisions you made?
- What happens if the site or contact form fails after launch?
- Will the business receive administrator, domain and analytics access?
- Who tests on a real phone, and what is the launch acceptance checklist?
- What would you recommend fixing rather than rebuilding if our current site already works?
Never hand over a domain transfer code or full business email password just to receive a quote. A trustworthy provider can explain its required access, timing and security. Read the ownership and platform lock-in guide before signing. When you are ready, request a scoped FifteenFold quote.
Copy-ready brief
Send this same request to every web designer you shortlist.
The fastest way to receive incomparable quotations is to describe only the finished appearance. Instead, send a short commercial brief. You can copy the following and delete anything irrelevant.
Business: [Name, location and what you sell]
Purpose: [What a visitor should do: call, book, request a quote, buy or apply]
Audience: [Who the website is for and what they need to know]
Current website: [URL, if any; what works and what does not]
Pages and features: [Known pages, booking, shop, multilingual content or integrations]
Content: [Which copy, images, product information and logos are ready]
Reference examples: [Two or three useful websites and what specifically works about them]
Budget range and desired timing: [Range, flexibility and any genuine deadline]
Ownership: [We need our domain, platform accounts, analytics and content under our control]
Please quote: [Scope, exclusions, milestones, payment terms, revisions, tests, hosting/support costs, licences and handover]
Do not rely on an unqualified “SEO included” line. Ask whether the quote covers URL planning, titles and descriptions, canonical/indexing checks, internal links, search platform access, redirects for an existing site and any ongoing content work. Those are different tasks with different costs.
Like-for-like comparison
Compare suppliers on evidence and commitment, not adjectives.
| Comparison point | What you need in writing | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Page list, template types, forms and integrations | Prevents “that wasn’t included” disputes |
| Content | Copywriting, photography, uploading and approval responsibility | Often determines whether launch is delayed |
| Mobile UX | Responsive sizes and critical journeys to test | Nice desktop mockups don’t prove a usable phone journey |
| SEO delivery | Concrete technical and on-page tasks | “Optimised” without scope cannot be checked |
| Ownership | Domain, CMS, analytics, Search Console and image licences | Determines whether you can change supplier |
| Support | Warranty, backup, maintenance and response terms | Costs and responsibilities persist after launch |
| Acceptance | Evidence that forms, emails and core journeys work | Defines when the work is genuinely complete |
For example, a £449 website that expects the customer to provide complete copy is not automatically equivalent to a higher-priced project that includes copywriting, research and migration. Equally, a more expensive proposal may simply include things you do not need. Ask each supplier to identify optional work separately.
Supplier due diligence
Seven questions that reveal the risks before a deposit.
- Who actually does the work? Identify the person responsible for discovery, design, development and quality assurance.
- Can you show similar work? Request real public examples with the business problem explained, not only visual mockups.
- Can we edit ordinary content ourselves? Ask for a demonstration in the intended CMS.
- What is excluded? Write down content, additional pages, translations, migrations, licences and support not priced.
- Where will our domain be registered? Confirm the legal registrant and account recovery arrangements.
- What happens if we end the relationship? Request an export, documentation and transfer terms.
- How will you prove the form works? Include an actual submission and notification test in acceptance.
If a supplier cannot answer those questions, do not treat a polished presentation as a substitute. For a deeper guide, read website ownership and lock-in.
Next step
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