Why do website prices vary so much? The factors behind the price, the yearly costs paid separately, the hidden costs of very cheap sites, the questions to ask before accepting a quote, and AGO’s current package prices.
“Why do website prices vary so much?” is the first question almost every business owner asks when they decide to get a site built. Search for website prices online and you will see quotes of a few thousand lira next to quotes of tens of thousands, all described as a “corporate website”. Most of the gap comes from quotes that do not clearly state what is included and what is not. In this article we explain what determines the price of a website, which costs come back every year, what to watch for in very cheap offers and which questions to ask when you request a quote. You will also find the prices of AGO’s two web design packages, stated openly, in the middle of the article.
What determines website prices?
Web design prices are less a single number than the sum of several decisions. The points below explain almost all of the difference between quotes.
Ready-made template or custom design?
A ready-made template is a design created for someone else and used on many sites, filled with your logo and your text. It is quick and cheap, but the page flow follows the template, not your customers. With custom design, we first plan what your visitors are looking for, which information they need to see in which order and at what point they will contact you; the visual design is then built on that skeleton. The difference in effort shows directly in the price. Which one is right depends on your business: a page that only works as a digital business card does not need the same investment as a site expected to bring in enquiries or sales.
Number of pages and content structure
A five-page brochure site and a site that explains each service on its own page and has a blog require very different design and development work. As the number of pages grows, so do the mobile layouts, internal links and search engine settings for each page. When requesting a quote, always ask: “How many pages are included, and is adding pages later charged?”
Multilingual structure
If you expect customers from abroad, your site needs a second or third language version. On a properly built multilingual site each language has its own address, the language versions are declared to search engines with tags, and everything from the menu to form messages is translated. A site that only looks “multilingual” through an automatic translation plugin is not the same thing, and that is where the price difference comes from. Ask separately whether the translation of the texts themselves is part of the quote.
E-commerce and payment integration
E-commerce website prices are clearly higher than those of corporate sites, because the job is not just designing pages. Product and variant management, stock, the basket, the order flow, payment provider integration, shipping and invoicing, legal pages, and testing every one of these all take work. The payment provider’s transaction fees are not part of the website price; they depend on your agreement with the payment company.
Content and image production
Who will prepare the text and photos? This question affects both the budget and the timeline more than any other. If you supply the text, the cost goes down, but delivery often waits for the content to arrive. Copywriting, product or office photography and icon or illustration work are separate items; the quote should state clearly whether they are included.
SEO foundations
To be found in search engines, a site has to be built correctly from the start: a clean URL structure, a proper heading hierarchy, editable page titles and descriptions, a sitemap, structured data and speed. When these are added later, part of the site often has to be rebuilt. Do not confuse SEO foundations with ongoing SEO work either: the foundations are set up once while the site is built, whereas content production and ranking tracking are a separate, continuous service.
Speed and technical quality
Two sites that look the same can load at very different speeds on a phone. Serving images at the right size, removing unnecessary plugins and tuning the server all take effort. We explain the effect of speed on enquiries and sales in detail in our article how site speed affects sales.
One-off price and separate yearly costs
Getting a website built may look like a one-off payment, but some items are paid again every year. Keep them separate when comparing quotes:
- Domain name: your site’s address (e.g. yourcompany.com). It is renewed every year; the cost depends on the extension and the registrar.
- Hosting: the server where your site’s files live. It is paid yearly or monthly and varies with the size and traffic of the site.
- Business email: email accounts on your domain are often a separate service.
- Paid plugins and licences: some themes, plugins or software have licences that renew every year.
- SSL certificate: free with some providers, charged separately by others.
We do not give amounts for these items here, because they depend on the provider and plan you choose. What matters is that they are planned as separate yearly costs, not as part of the website price. If a quote does not mention them at all, ask.
AGO web design packages and prices
AGO offers two web design packages. The prices below are as of September 2026, include VAT and are one-off; you can always see the current amount on our web design service page.
| Package | Price (VAT included, one-off) | What is included? |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate | 14.990 ₺ | Custom-designed corporate site · Mobile-first, fast infrastructure · SEO foundations setup · Admin panel and training · Contact form and analytics · 1 year of technical support |
| E-Commerce | 29.990 ₺ | Custom-designed e-commerce site · Payment integration · Product and order management · SEO foundations setup · Admin panel and training · 1 year of technical support |
Items not listed in the table, such as the number of pages and languages or text and image production, vary from project to project and are agreed in writing at the quote stage. The domain name and hosting are registered in your name and remain your property; their yearly fees are separate from the package price.
The hidden costs of very cheap websites
Not every low-priced offer is bad; sometimes the need really is simple. But if the price is far below the market, it helps to know that the difference usually comes from somewhere. Common situations include:
- The domain or the site is not in your name. If the domain is registered to the provider, getting your address back can be difficult when you part ways.
- You cannot move the site. Some services build the site so that it only runs on their own system; when you cancel the subscription, the site goes too.
- Every change costs extra. Without an admin panel, or with a very limited one, you need a support request just to change a phone number.
- There are no backups. If there is no copy to restore after a failed update or an attack, the site may have to be rebuilt from scratch.
- SEO foundations are missing. A site built without thinking about title fields, URL structure and redirects may need rebuilding once you want to appear in search.
- It is slow. Heavy templates and many plugins make the site load late, especially on phones.
In other words, the money saved on the first payment can be paid back within a few years through rebuilding, migration or lost enquiries. Compare offers not only on the initial price but on the total cost of the site over several years.
Questions to ask before getting a website built
When you talk to a web design agency or a freelance developer, getting written answers to the following questions lets you compare quotes properly:
- Who will own the site? In whose name are the domain, the hosting account and the site files? If you want to work with another company, can you take the site with you?
- Is there an admin panel? Will you be able to change text, images, pages and products yourself? Is training provided at handover?
- How are backups made? How often, where are they stored, and who is responsible for restoring them when needed?
- How fast will the site be? Is speed measured on phones, and will a measurement be shared at handover?
- What SEO foundations are set up? Can page titles and descriptions be edited, is there a sitemap and structured data? If you already have a site, will old addresses be redirected to the new ones?
- How long is support and what does it cover? How long does it last, what does it include, and what are the terms once it ends?
- What are the yearly costs? Find out what you will pay each year for the domain, hosting, email and licences, and to whom.
If you are redesigning an existing site, add one more question: how will the old site’s search rankings be protected? We cover this step by step in our article how not to lose SEO when redesigning a website.
How does the website design process work?
Corporate web design projects usually follow four steps:
- Discovery and content plan: the target audience, page list and content needs are defined.
- Design: the page structure and visual design are presented for your approval.
- Development: coding, admin panel setup, speed work and SEO foundations are completed.
- Testing and launch: the site goes live after tests on different devices, form checks and, if needed, redirects from old addresses.
What most often extends the timeline is content: if text, photos and product information arrive late, the schedule slips. That is why drawing up the content plan at the very start protects both the timeline and the budget.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to get a website built?
There is no single correct figure; the price depends on the type of design, the number of pages and languages, whether it is an e-commerce site and the content production involved. At AGO, as of September 2026, the corporate package is 14.990 ₺ and the e-commerce package is 29.990 ₺ (VAT included, one-off). Items such as the domain and hosting are separate yearly costs.
Why are e-commerce website prices higher than corporate sites?
Because e-commerce involves work a corporate site does not have, such as product and order management, payment integration and testing of the basket and checkout steps. The payment provider’s transaction fees are separate from the website price.
Will a site built on a ready-made template be enough for my business?
It may be, if your site only needs to provide contact details. If you expect enquiries or sales from the site, custom design, where the page flow is built around your customers, is usually the better investment.
Will the site belong to me after handover?
It should. At AGO, the domain and hosting are registered in your name and remain your property. Whichever company you work with, clarify this in writing before signing.
What should I prepare to get a quote?
It is enough to note roughly which pages you want, whether you need several languages or online sales, who will prepare the text and images, and a few sites you like. With this information you can fill in the quote form and we can prepare a quote with a clear scope.
