What does a professional business website cost?

· Hidde Bruin

#Websites#Costs

The honest answer is: somewhere between nothing and a few hundred thousand. That doesn't get you far, so let's be more precise. What determines the price, what are realistic amounts per type of website, and which costs are often missing from a quote?

What determines the price?

Three things make the biggest difference.

  • Who builds it. Building it yourself mainly costs time. A freelancer is cheaper than an agency, but also more vulnerable if that person drops out.
  • How much custom work is involved. Adapting a template is something very different from a design from scratch, a webshop or an integration with your own systems.
  • What happens after launch. Hosting, updates, security, backups and small changes. That part is the one most often forgotten, and it continues every year.

01 / Indication

Roughly what you'll spend

Amounts are excl. VAT and give an order of magnitude. Every situation is different.

  • Build it yourself

    With a website builder such as Wix or Squarespace. Suits starters with time and a small budget.

    € 0one-off
    • Then €150 to €500 per year
    • Not counting your own hours

  • Freelancer

    Usually with WordPress. Suits small organisations with a clear request.

    €1,500to €5,000, one-off
    • Then €300 to €1,500 per year
    • For hosting and maintenance

  • Web agency

    Suits organisations with specific requirements for design and features.

    €5,000to €25,000, one-off
    • Then €1,000 to €5,000 per year
    • Changes often billed as extra work

  • Fully custom

    Suits websites with their own functionality or integrations with your systems.

    €25,000+one-off
    • Annual costs depend on maintenance
    • And on further development
  • All included

    TokoWorks

    Design and build are included in the monthly fee. Suits organisations that want a fixed amount.

    € 49to €449 per month
    • €588 to €5,388 per year
    • Hosting, updates and backups included
    View the packages

Mind the difference between one-off and per year. A €5,000 website that you use for five years easily costs double once maintenance is included. So compare what you'll spend over three to five years, not just the first invoice.

02 / Watch out

Costs that are often not in the quote

Always ask about these before you sign.

  • Hosting and domain

    Annually

    Often invoiced separately. And cheap hosting makes your site slow.

  • Updates and security

    Ongoing

    A WordPress site without updates becomes a risk within a year. Who does them, and what does it cost?

  • Small changes

    Per hour

    At many agencies, a new page or an extra form is extra work, at an hourly rate.

  • Copy and images

    One-off

    Good copy and photos make the difference, and are rarely included in the price of the build.

What does a website at TokoWorks cost?

We work with a fixed monthly fee. Design, build, the platform, hosting, updates, monitoring and daily backups are included. You manage your content yourself, and you don't need to request a quote for every small change.

  • Business Lite, €49 per month: up to 10 pages, 1 administrator, 1 language and 1 form.
  • Business Pro, €99 per month: up to 30 pages, 3 administrators, 2 languages, 5 forms, blogs and a quarterly check.
  • Enterprise, €449 per month: multiple websites, 25 administrators, roles and permissions and monthly alignment.

All amounts are excl. VAT, with a minimum term of twelve months. A migration, integrations and custom work are quoted separately.

Frequently asked questions about website costs

Why a monthly fee instead of a one-off price?

Because a website isn't finished after launch. With a fixed amount you know where you stand, and your site stays secure and up to date without separate invoices.

Is a cheap website a bad choice?

Not necessarily. For a starter, a website builder is often fine. It gets expensive when your site needs to grow with you and can't, or when nobody does the maintenance.

What does a webshop cost?

Usually more than a regular website, because of payments, stock and shipping. Always ask about the costs per order and per year, not just the build.

Are there options for charities?

For a few charities we have the Community programme: everything in Business Lite without a monthly fee, in exchange for feedback and visibility. The number of places is limited.

Want to know what your website will cost?

Tell us what your site needs to do. You'll get an honest proposal, with all the costs laid out.

Discuss your websiteView the packages