Why quotes differ so much
Two proposals that both say “website” can describe very different products. One is a five-page brochure site on an established template. The other is a platform with customer accounts, quoting and payments. Price follows scope, not page count alone.
What actually drives the price
Eight factors account for most of the difference between a modest quote and a large one.
| Driver | Keeps cost down | Pushes cost up |
|---|---|---|
| Page and content types | A handful of standard pages | Many templates: services, locations, case studies, resources |
| Content | You supply final copy and images | Copywriting, photography or large migrations |
| Design | Built on an established design system | Fully bespoke design and motion |
| Functionality | Contact form, link to a booking tool | Quoting, accounts, payments, dashboards |
| Integrations | None, or one standard tool | CRM, accounting, stock or internal systems |
| Editing | Edit text and swap images | Structured content, roles, approvals, several languages |
| Quality targets | Sensible defaults | Formal performance, accessibility and security targets |
| Ongoing support | Handover only | Hosting, monitoring, updates and a support agreement |
Three kinds of website project
- Brochure site. Explains who you are and how to get in touch. The smallest scope, and the cheapest to run.
- Lead-generation site. Built to turn searches into enquiries: more page types, stronger content, measurement and technical SEO.
- Web application. Logins, data and workflows behind the site, such as a customer portal or a quoting tool. This is software development, and it is priced like it.
Most disagreements about price come from comparing a quote for the first with a quote for the third.
Custom build or WordPress?
| Question | WordPress | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Speed to start | Fast with a good theme | Slower to begin |
| Performance | Depends on the theme and number of plugins | Engineered page by page |
| Unusual functionality | Plugins, within their limits | Built to fit |
| Maintenance | Regular core and plugin updates | Fewer dependencies, still needs care |
| Editing | Familiar to many teams | Designed around your content |
| Typical fit | Content-led sites using standard features | Sites where performance, security or functionality are central |
Costs people forget
- Domain, hosting and email.
- Copywriting and photography, if you are not supplying them.
- Accessibility fixes found late, instead of built in.
- Analytics and cookie consent that comply with GDPR.
- Maintenance, security updates and backups.
- Redirects from the old site, so existing search visibility is not lost.
- Training for the people who will edit the site.
How to read a quote
Check every proposal against this list
- It lists the page and content types it covers.
- It says who writes the content and who supplies the images.
- It states how many rounds of revisions are included.
- You own the code, content, domain and hosting accounts.
- Launch work is included: redirects, analytics and search setup.
- Hosting and support are priced separately and clearly.
- It explains how changes after launch are charged.
- It names an accessibility target, such as WCAG 2.2 AA.
How we price at Frontier
We start with a free opportunity assessment, agree a focused scope and success criteria, and quote in writing before any build begins. We do not publish a rate card because the same site can be two very different projects. See how we engage or read about website development in Ireland.