"How much does it cost to build a website?" It is the first thing people want to know, yet the more they look, the wider the range of prices gets. Here is the answer first.
The answer: there is no single going rate; it depends on what you hand over
Even under the same name, "website design", the cost changes greatly with the number of pages, how the design is made, and how much you leave to the provider after launch. Comparing prices alone cannot tell you whether a quote is high or low.
This article sets out what drives the price and what to look at when comparing quotes.
Cost splits into a setup fee and a monthly fee
The setup fee pays for building the site: overall planning, design, building each page, and setting up the contact form.
The monthly fee is what you pay after launch. It covers updates and maintenance, and with some providers also the analysis of search data and proposals for improvement.
When comparing quotes, look past the setup fee. The total for one year, monthly fees included, shows the real cost.
Five things that set the price
1. Number of pages
More pages mean more planning, building and copy. Deciding the pages you need first, such as company profile, services and contact, makes a quote concrete.
2. How the design is made
A standard template prepared in advance keeps time and cost down. An original design made from scratch gives more freedom and takes more of both.
3. Who prepares the copy and photos
If you can supply the text and photos yourself, you save that cost. Copywriting and photography are usually charged separately.
4. Extra features
A contact form is part of most plans. Multiple languages, an online shop or a booking function change cost and schedule considerably, depending on scale.
5. How much you hand over after launch
This is where monthly fees differ. Keeping the site running is one thing; analysis of search data and improvement proposals are another, in both content and price.
How providers differ
- Build it yourself: a website builder keeps the cost low. But designing a site to be found in search, and analyzing and improving it after launch, take specialist knowledge and continuing time.
- Have it built: you hand over the work up to delivery. Support after launch differs between providers, so check it beforehand.
- Hand over the build and the improvement after launch: analysis and improvement continue after the site is live. There is a monthly fee, and the site keeps developing.
Five points to compare in a quote
- The number of pages and design revisions the price includes.
- What conditions a "from" price assumes.
- What the monthly fee includes: updates, maintenance, reports.
- Who holds the domain and server, and what they cost. In general, registering the domain in your own company's name lets you keep it if you change providers.
- The contract term and the conditions for cancelling.
UTAI Growth pricing
UTAI Growth has three plans. The Basic web plan starts at ¥100,000 setup and ¥5,000 per month, the Growth plan at ¥220,000 setup and ¥20,000 per month, and the Advanced growth plan at ¥350,000 setup and ¥35,000 per month. All prices exclude tax.
"From" is the minimum price and varies with pages, features and the materials you can supply. You receive the exact price in a free quote after we hear what you need. See the plan comparison for what each plan includes.
Summary
There is no single going rate for a website. Five things set the price: pages, how the design is made, copy and photos, extra features, and how much you hand over after launch. Compare quotes by the one-year total of setup and monthly fees, and by what that total includes.