Two website quotes can describe very different projects. One may include writing, moving existing pages and testing inquiry delivery; another may cover the design and build only. Before comparing totals, ask each provider to describe the same pages, features and handoff. Here’s what to look for.
Pages and features should be named.
Ask for a page list and the purpose of each page. A five-page site with a booking integration is different from five pages of text and photos. The quote should distinguish standard layouts from custom features, explain which forms or tools are included and say who supplies the business information.
Example
“Contact form” could mean a short inquiry or a detailed estimate request with photos. The quote should say what customers enter, where the submission goes and what they see after sending it.
Try this: Write down the three most important things a customer must be able to do. Find each one in the proposed scope.
Writing, images and revisions affect the cost.
Confirm who writes the copy, selects images and moves existing content. Ask how many design options and revision rounds are included, when you’ll review them and what counts as extra work. A lower quote may expect you to arrive with approved copy and correctly sized photos. That can be reasonable, but it needs to be clear.
Example
A service business may need different explanations for repair, replacement and new installations. Counting those as three pages doesn’t explain who will write them or verify the details.
Try this: For each page, assign someone to supply the facts, write the text and approve the result.
A redesign needs a plan for existing search traffic.
If the site already gets useful visits from Google, ask which pages bring them and what will happen to those page addresses. The launch plan should cover redirects for changed URLs, internal links, titles, descriptions and checks that the new site can be indexed. Ask what will be monitored after launch rather than accepting a promise to preserve every ranking.
Example
If an old repair page has links from other websites, removing it without a suitable replacement can send visitors to an error page. Decide where those visitors should go before launch.
Try this: Request a list of changed or removed URLs and their intended destinations.
Separate launch costs from ongoing costs.
Ask for hosting, domain registration, software subscriptions, maintenance and content updates to be identified. Find out what happens if you end the support agreement. A low upfront price with a long monthly commitment can be a different purchase from a fixed project followed by optional support. Compare the total over the same period.
Example
A booking tool may charge its own monthly fee even when adding it to the website is included. That fee belongs in your operating budget.
Try this: Ask for the project fee and expected recurring charges in separate lines, including any minimum commitment.
Confirm ownership, access and launch checks.
The proposal should explain who owns the domain, accounts, content and project files, and how you’ll make routine changes. Ask which phones and browsers will be checked, how form delivery will be confirmed and what support covers after launch. You should know who approves publication and how a problem will be reported.
Example
Seeing a success message after a form submission isn’t the whole test. Someone should also confirm that the request reaches the right inbox.
Try this: Request the handoff list: accounts, files, update instructions and the person responsible for each ongoing task.
The most useful quote is one you can explain back: what will be built, what you need to provide, when you’ll review it, what you’ll pay and what happens after launch. If a major item is missing, ask for it in writing before choosing a provider.