"How much does a website cost?" is the first question almost every business owner asks. The honest answer: it depends on what the website needs to do for you. Here are the 7 things that really drive the price, so you can compare quotes with confidence.
In this article
- The type of website
- The number of pages
- Text and photos
- Special features
- Selling online and payments
- Domain name and hosting
- Maintenance after launch
1. The type of website
A brochure website presents your business and encourages visitors to contact you: it's the simplest option. A fuller business website adds a blog, several languages and downloadable documents. An online store handles a catalogue, cart, payments and delivery. A custom application (customer portal, booking, management) requires real software development. Each level takes more time, so it costs more.
2. The number of pages
Every page has to be structured, designed, made mobile-friendly and optimised for Google. Five pages is not the same job as twenty. Before asking for a quote, list the pages you really need: home, services, about, contact… Five to eight pages are often enough to start.
3. Text and photos
This is the most underestimated factor. If you provide ready-to-use text and good photos, the project moves faster. If the provider has to write copy, edit images or organise a photo shoot, that's extra work. Good news: photos taken with a recent smartphone in good light are often enough.
4. Special features
Booking forms, multilingual content, member areas, calendar integrations, chatbots… Each feature adds setup and testing time. Separate what is essential from day one from what can be added later.
5. Selling online and payments
A store means adding products, setting up delivery zones and fees and, above all, connecting payment methods. In West Africa that may be mobile money, bank cards, cash on delivery or simply ordering via WhatsApp. Available online payment options depend on your country and business status, so always ask what is possible in your case.
6. Domain name and hosting
These are yearly costs, separate from building the site: the domain name (your address, e.g. mybusiness.com) and hosting (the server that runs your site). Crucially, the domain must be registered in your name. Many business owners lose their website when they change provider because the domain was registered to someone else.
7. Maintenance after launch
A website is never "finished". Software such as WordPress and its plugins gets regular security updates, backups are needed and the HTTPS certificate must stay valid. Without care, a site becomes slow, vulnerable and can be hacked. Budget for monthly or yearly maintenance, or learn to do it yourself.
Be careful with "free" or very cheap website offers. Check who owns the domain and the site, what happens if you stop paying, and whether you can edit the content yourself.
How to compare two quotes
A serious quote clearly states:
- the list of pages and features included;
- who provides the text and photos;
- the delivery timeline;
- yearly costs (domain, hosting, email);
- how long fixes are included after launch;
- training so you can manage the site;
- who owns the website, domain and data.
If one quote is much cheaper than another, one of these lines is often missing.
In short
The price of a website mostly depends on what it must achieve for your business. Start simple, with a fast, mobile-friendly, well-optimised site, then grow it. At FusionTech Africa every project starts with a free call and a detailed written quote, with no obligation.