What separates web agencies is rarely the design. It comes down to three things: is the price fixed before the project starts, does the quote say what is not included, and is there a binding delivery date. With those three answers you can compare quotes. Without them you are comparing screenshots.
The three models, and who carries the risk
Before reading a quote it helps to know which model you are looking at. There are three, and they differ mainly on one point: who pays when it takes longer than expected.
| Model | Who carries the risk | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | You. Every question and every revision round lengthens the invoice. | When the scope is genuinely open, for example ongoing support |
| Fixed price | The agency. If they misjudge the effort, that is their problem. | When the scope can be described, so almost any company website |
| Site builder with support | Shared. Cheap to start, but you pay indefinitely and stay tied to the system. | When you genuinely only need a digital business card |
None of the three is dishonest. But if someone quotes an hourly rate and dodges the question of the final total, you do not have a quote, you have a statement of intent.
What a solid quote contains
A good quote is short, but it answers these points without you having to chase:
- The price, and whether it is firm or an estimate. Either is fine, but it has to be stated.
- The scope in numbers: how many pages, how many languages, which features.
- What is not included. This point is missing from most quotes and it is the most important one.
- The delivery date, and what it depends on. Usually your text and images.
- The running costs after launch, itemised rather than buried in one lump line.
- Who owns the site at the end, domain and logins included.
A quote that only lists what is included sells you a wish. One that also lists what is not included sells you a project.
Warning signs that cost you later
The following are not small details. Each one costs you time or money down the line:
- The domain is registered to the agency. The domain and hosting logins are yours, always. Otherwise you cannot switch providers without losing your address.
- No delivery date, only “soon”. A date is a commitment. A phrase is not.
- Legal pages are not mentioned. An imprint and a privacy policy are obligations, not extras.
- Mobile never comes up. Most of your visitors arrive from a phone. If it is not in the quote, it is not planned.
- Strikingly low price and a strikingly long commitment. Then you are not paying for a site, you are paying for a subscription that is hard to leave.
What you need to bring
The most common reason a project slips is not the agency, it is missing content. Prepare these four things and every quote gets cheaper and every date more realistic:
- What you offer, in your own words, without marketing language. Three paragraphs is enough.
- Who you want to reach. Who should call or write, and why?
- Images you own. Your own photos beat any stock library.
- Two or three sites you like, with one sentence on what you like about them.
Six questions to ask
Ask these in the first conversation. The answers tell you more than any portfolio:
- Is the price fixed before we start, or do you bill by time spent?
- What is explicitly not included?
- When will the site be live, and what does that date depend on?
- What does it cost per month once it is finished?
- Do the domain, the logins and the design belong to me after handover?
- What happens if I want to move to someone else in two years?
How we handle it
We work at a fixed price: three packages from €890 to €2,890, delivered in four days, no hourly billing. Each package states what is included, and directly below it what is not. After handover the design, content, domain and logins are yours; no lock-in follows. Upkeep at €19 to €69 a month is optional.
Before you commission anything, we build you a free preview of your site. You decide based on something visible rather than on a quote. If the preview does not convince you, it was our time and not your money.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know whether a quote is too expensive?
Not by the amount but by its ratio to the scope. Five pages for €6,000 is expensive; thirty multilingual pages with system connections for the same figure is not. So compare page count, languages, features and delivery date first, and only then the price.
Is a local agency better than one that works remotely?
For quality it makes no difference, because the work happens at a screen either way. Proximity helps if you need photos on site or prefer meeting in person. It often costs more, because meetings and travel are billed too.
What is a fair price for a company website?
In Europe, serious offers for a small company website usually run from €890 to €5,000 as a one-off, plus €15 to €70 a month for domain, hosting and upkeep. Clearly below that usually means a site-builder subscription; clearly above usually means more scope than you need.
Should I write the text myself?
Write the first draft yourself, in your own words. Nobody knows your offer better. Rewriting, cutting and structuring can go to the agency; that is faster and cheaper than having them start from nothing.
What if I am not happy with the agency?
Settle two things in writing beforehand: who owns the domain and the logins, and how many revision rounds are included. With both settled, at worst you can leave with your domain and lose only time, not your address.