How to Estimate the Cost of a New Website - Effectively and Without Unpleasant Surprises

If you're faced with developing a new website for your business, you probably know the frustration of not knowing what it will actually cost. Website projects can quickly drag on, become more expensive than expected - and in the worst case scenario, end up with a result that doesn't match your company's requirements or ambitions.

But it doesn't have to be that way. By following a structured approach, you can create an overview of budget, progress and scope - ensuring your business gets a functional, efficient and result-oriented website at a fair price.

Here are 4 concrete steps to help you estimate the cost of a website project more accurately - and ensure you get value for money.

1. Start with the business goals - not the design

It can be tempting to start with colors, graphics and features, but that shouldn't be the first step. If the purpose of the website is unclear, it becomes almost impossible to assess what needs to be done - and therefore what it will cost.

Ask yourself (and your internal team):

• What do we want to achieve with the new website? (more leads, higher conversion rate, better branding?)
• Who is our target audience and how do they use our website today?
• How do we measure success? (SEO ranking, conversion, engagement?)

Once the purpose is established, it becomes much easier for a digital partner to put together a solution that matches your business goals - and provide a realistic estimate of time, technology and cost. Imagine building a house without knowing how many rooms it will have. No builder would say yes to that - and the same goes for websites.

2. Map features - and separate "Nice to Have" from "Need to Have"

A classic mistake in the planning phase is to think everything through from the start. Calendar functions, login, customer databases, CRM integration, advanced search functions - the list goes on and on. The problem is that these features increase both complexity and cost.

To keep an overview, you should categorize your needs into three levels:

1. Need to Have: The functionality that is critical to the functioning of the website (e.g. product page, contact form, lead generation).
2. Nice to Have: Elements that add value but are not necessary (e.g. chatbot, interactive elements, video backgrounds).
3. Future Features: Extensions you can work with in the next phase or later versions.

When you have a clear prioritization, it makes it easier for digital agencies to offer a more accurate and stratified price. It also allows you to break development into phases and optimize investments.

3. Choose the right development partner based on skills - not just price

Many procurement processes focus solely on price. But quality and experience are just as important, especially if the website needs to work with existing systems or be central to lead generation and sales efforts.

Consider the following when choosing an agency:

• Do they have experience with B2B and complex websites?
• Do they understand tech-heavy industries?
• Do they offer ongoing optimization and maintenance after launch?
• Is there flexibility in solution and technology - or are they trying to squeeze you into their standard systems?

A strong agency will often be able to help estimate different scenarios - and recommend solutions that match both budget and needs. It's about getting the most out of the investment - not just choosing the cheapest solution on paper.

4. Use fixed estimates and milestones to stay on budget

Once the project is underway, it's important to keep track of progress and costs. A good web agency will work with set milestones and milestones - and continuously estimate work time and costs per phase. This way you avoid budget overruns and gain transparency in the process.

Talk clearly about the following with your development partner:

• Is the estimate fixed price or hourly rate?
• Is there a buffer included for unforeseen tasks?
• How are scope changes handled during the process?
• Is hosting, security and maintenance included or extra?

You can use a breakdown like this:

• Phase 1: Strategy and requirements specification - 10-20% of budget
• Phase 2: UX and design - 20-30% of budget
• Phase 3: Development and integration - 40-50%
• Phase 4: Testing, optimization and launch - 10-15%

By knowing the breakdown in advance, you can better prioritize where to put your effort and budget. For example, in a complex B2B setup, it may pay to spend more hours on integration and technical structure - and save design elements for a later upgrade.

3 specific pitfalls to avoid

Before you dive into your next website project, you should be aware of some classic mistakes:

1. Unclear expectations: Make sure there is a common understanding of both goals and scope between you and the agency.
2. No flexibility in budget: Adjustments are almost always needed. For example, put 10-15% in a buffer from the start.
3. Ignoring operational costs: Hosting, support, security updates and ongoing maintenance should be budgeted for from the start.

Want to know your real budget options?

We take exactly the approach you've read here. We help tech-heavy B2B companies structure their website projects - so that they become an investment in growth and not just an "expense item".

Our experience from more than 100 projects has taught us that transparency, strategy and ongoing dialog are key to successful collaboration. We work both with full project responsibility and as part of larger project teams - depending on your business needs.

Curious what it costs to develop a website that converts visitors into leads? Then get in touch with us. We'll be happy to give you a no-obligation estimate - and help you clarify your needs and prioritize correctly from the start.

Do you have your next website project under control - or would you like some guidance before you get started?

Contact us today - and let's talk about how we can help.