"How much does a website cost?" is the first question almost every client asks me, and the honest answer is: it depends on what the website needs to do. A one-page introduction for a new business and a booking platform that takes Mobile Money payments are both "websites", but they are very different amounts of work.
This guide breaks down what drives the price, what you should expect to get for your money, and the costs that continue after launch, so you can compare quotes with confidence.
What Drives the Cost of a Website
- Number of pages. A landing page or five-page company profile takes far less design and build time than a site with a dozen service, product or destination pages.
- Custom design or a template. A template is faster and cheaper. A custom design is built around your brand and your customers, and is easier to make fast and distinctive.
- Features. Online bookings, Mobile Money and card checkout, a blog or content editor, user accounts and dashboards each add real development and testing time.
- Content. Someone has to write the text and supply good photos. If that is part of the job, it is part of the price.
- Speed, SEO and mobile. A site that loads quickly on mobile networks and is set up properly for Google takes more care than one that only looks right on a laptop.
- Support after launch. Bug fixes and small adjustments in the weeks after going live should be agreed up front, not discovered later.
Your Main Options
DIY website builders let you start quickly, but you usually pay a monthly subscription for as long as the site exists, you are limited to what the platform allows, and moving away later can mean starting again.
A freelance developer is often the best value for small and growing businesses. You deal directly with the person building your site, and a good freelancer will give you a fixed scope, price and timeline.
An agency brings a larger team, which suits complex projects with many stakeholders, but the management overhead is reflected in the price.
What I Charge
I keep pricing fixed and one-time, so you know the full cost before work starts:
| Plan | Price | Delivery | Best for |
|---|
| Core | $200 | 3–5 days | Landing pages and new businesses, up to 6 pages |
| Overdrive | $450 | 7–10 days | Growing businesses: up to 12 pages, Mobile Money and card checkout, bookings and a content editor |
| Scale | $850 | 14–21 days | Custom platforms with user accounts, a database and integrations |
Every plan includes full ownership of the source code, built-in SEO basics and free bug fixes after launch (14 to 60 days, depending on the plan). You can compare everything in detail on the pricing page.
Ongoing Costs to Plan For
A website isn't finished the day it launches. Plan for:
- Your domain name, renewed every year with your registrar.
- Hosting. A fast, mostly static business website can often run on a free or low-cost plan. Sites with databases, user accounts or heavy traffic need paid hosting.
- Payment fees. If you accept Mobile Money or cards online, the payment provider charges a fee on each transaction.
- Updates. New pages, features or design changes after the support period are extra, either as one-off jobs or a monthly retainer.
I don't charge monthly fees for the website itself: once it is handed over, you own the code and the accounts.
Questions to Ask Before You Pay Anyone
- Who will own the code, the domain and the hosting accounts?
- What exactly is included, and what costs extra?
- How are payments split? I take 50% to start and 50% once you approve the finished site on a private preview link.
- How long will it take, and how will I see progress?
- What happens if something breaks after launch?
The Bottom Line
The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest website. Choose the scope that matches what the site must do for your business, agree the price and timeline in writing, and make sure you own what you pay for.
If you'd like a clear price for your project, send me a short brief and I'll reply within 24 hours.
