Two quotes for the same website can be miles apart. That doesn’t mean one designer is a crook.
It usually means they’re quoting two different jobs, and nobody told you.
If you’re trying to figure out your website redesign cost, here’s the honest truth. Nobody can give you a real number until they know what the job includes. Anyone who quotes a price before asking you a single question is guessing. Or they’re selling a template.
So instead of a price list (I don’t publish one), let me show you what actually moves the number. Then you can compare quotes like a pro.
The Six Things That Move the Price
1. How many pages you really need
A five-page site for a local plumber is a different job than a 40-page site for a company with ten services in three towns.
Every page needs a design, words, photos and a reason to exist. More pages, more work.
Here’s the catch. A lot of old websites have pages nobody visits. Part of a good redesign is deciding what to keep, what to combine and what to cut.
2. Who writes the words
This is the big one, and most quotes hide it.
Many designers take your old text and pour it into a new template. That’s cheaper. It’s also why so many “new” websites still don’t bring in calls. The words are what make people pick up the phone. A pretty design with tired words is a new coat of paint on a car that won’t start.
If the quote says “client provides content,” that means you’re writing it. Be honest with yourself about whether that will happen. I’ve been writing marketing copy for more than 20 years, and I still think it’s the hardest part of any website.
3. Selling online
An online store changes everything. Every product needs a page, photos, a price, shipping rules and a checkout that works.
When I rebuilt Jim Kleefeld’s site, his catalog had 124 products on a hand-coded site last updated in 2019. Moving 124 products is a very different job than moving a five-page brochure site.
4. Moving your old pages without losing Google
If your current site shows up on Google, that’s worth protecting.
When a new site goes live, the old page addresses often disappear. Every link Google knew about now leads to an error page. Your rankings slide, sometimes for months.
The fix is a redirect map. Every old address gets pointed to its new home. It takes time to do right, so a cheap quote often skips it. Ask about it by name. If the designer doesn’t know what you mean, that tells you something.
5. Special features
Booking calendars. Quote forms with ten questions. Member areas. A map of service areas. A photo gallery that updates itself.
Each one is fine. Each one adds time. Some need paid plugins or apps that cost money every year.
6. What happens after launch
Some quotes end the day the site goes live. Others include updates, backups and someone to call when something breaks.
Neither is wrong. Just know which one you’re buying.
How to Compare Two Quotes
Lay them side by side and ask these questions. If a quote doesn’t answer them, ask the designer.
- Who writes the words? You, them, or nobody?
- Is SEO included? That means keyword research, page titles and headings built around what your customers type into Google. “SEO-friendly” isn’t the same thing.
- Are old pages redirected? Yes or no. There’s no “kind of.”
- Is tracking checked? Google Analytics, Search Console and any ad tracking should work on launch day.
- Who owns it? Your domain, your hosting, your logins. If you leave, does the site go with you?
- What’s NOT included? This is where the surprises live.
Here’s what I mean. Say Quote A is half the price of Quote B. But Quote A has you writing the words, skips redirects and ends at launch. Quote B covers all three.
They aren’t two prices for the same thing. They’re two different things.
The Cheapest Website Can Be the Most Expensive
I learned this one from my own business.
I’ve marketed my business for more than 20 years. Page-one Google rankings have been worth more than $1.5 million to it. So I know what a website can do when it’s built right, and what it costs you when it isn’t.
A website that looks nice but doesn’t bring in calls is the most expensive kind. You paid for it, and you keep paying for it in jobs you never hear about.
The question isn’t “what does it cost?” It’s “what will it bring back?”
What I Need to Give You a Real Quote
When someone asks me about a redesign, I want to know:
- What your business does, and who your best customers are
- Your current website address
- What’s bugging you about it
- Whether you sell anything online
- What you want people to do on the site: call, fill out a form, book, or buy
That’s it. With those answers, you get a clear quote up front, before any work starts.
You can see what’s included in every project on my website redesign page. Ready for a real number? Tell me about your business →