Web design packages look simple on a pricing page and get complicated in the contract. Two packages at the same price can include very different things. Here is how to read them like a buyer.
What most packages include
- Design and build: a set number of pages, usually mobile-responsive.
- A contact method: a form, click-to-call or booking link.
- Basic SEO: page titles, descriptions and a sitemap.
- Launch support: connecting your domain and going live.
What is often left out
- Hosting and SSL: sold separately, monthly or yearly.
- Copywriting and photography: assumed to be supplied by you.
- Backups and security updates: an optional maintenance plan.
- Changes after launch: billed by the hour.
- Extra pages and features: quoted separately.
Questions to ask before you sign
- How many pages are included, and what does an extra page cost?
- Who writes the text, and who sources the images?
- Is hosting included, and for how long?
- What happens when I want a change next month?
- Is the price one-time or recurring, and what does it renew at?
- When do I pay: before design, at milestones or after launch?
- Who owns the domain name?
Red flags
- A very low price with a long list of paid add-ons.
- No named contact or no way to reach support.
- Promises of guaranteed number-one rankings.
- The agency registers the domain in its own name.
- A long contract with no way out.
How we package it
Our Complete Package is $1,950 a year in US dollars and renews yearly. It covers custom design, development, hosting, SSL, daily backups, on-page SEO, unlimited revisions and updates under fair use, a logo, email template, social graphics and analytics. You pay $49 to start, which counts toward the total, and the rest after your website is live. Your domain is registered in your own name.
Compare us against any quote using the five-line method in our website cost guide, or start your website.