Having a website made cost: what does a professional website cost?

Not every Web site is the same. A simple homepage with a contact form naturally requires a different investment than a multilingual corporate site with complex links and content strategies. That is why it is important to clarify in advance the type of website you need and the purpose of your platform. Below we explain a number of common types of websites - with their impact on time, technology and budget.

The classic corporate website. At Studio Brabo, we create this type of website for both larger organizations and ambitious SMEs. A corporate website is often informative in nature, but it must also communicate charisma, confidence and professionalism.

Things that affect the price:

• Number of page types and underlying structure (think services, cases, team, news, etc.)
• Multilingualism or not
• Integrations with CRM or ATS systems
• Design based on existing brandbook, or development of an entirely new branding.

A corporate Web site is often a hub within a larger marketing or communications ecosystem. This requires strategic thinking, consistency and scalability.

A lead Web site is focused on one goal: conversion. Think about generating quote requests, contact moments or downloads. Everything on the site is designed to activate visitors. This type of website is often used by service providers, B2B companies or organizations with a sales-driven approach. It's all about clarity, trust and action.

Characteristics:

• Conversion-oriented design with a focus on resulta
• Strategically placed call-to-actions (CTAs)
• Smartly constructed forms with low threshold
• Campaign-oriented landing pages
• Confidence-building elements such as testimonials or labels

Price drivers:

• A/B testing capabilities to optimize pages and CTAs
• Marketing automation links (e.g., Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign)
• Links to lead systems (such as HubSpot, Pipedrive or Salesforce or Teamleader) for automatic lead processing and follow-up
• Dynamic content based on target audience or behavior
• Additional measurement and tracking tools for conversion optimization

A website that impresses. Perfect for organizations that want to load their brand with atmosphere, experience and storytelling. For example, the website we created for IIVO.

Characteristics:

• Visual storytelling with room for large images and video
• Animation, movement and interaction for added experience
• Unique, eye-catching design (often just a little different)
• Content that evokes emotion or inspires action

Price drivers:

• Custom animation (scroll effects, micro-interactions, parallax)
• Extra attention to visual content and tone of voice
• Unique page blocks and free formatting
• Integration of video, podcasts or interactive elements

A platform that strengthens your employer brand and helps attract the right talent. Ideal for organizations that want to recruit from their own brand, away from standard job boards.

Features

• Strong employer branding in text and images
• Clear structure by department or discipline
• Smart filters and job search capabilities
• User-friendly application flows

Pricing factors

• Integration with ATS systems such as Recruitee or AFAS
• Linking to external job boards or work-by environments
• Video integrations or dynamic content blocks
• Multilingual recruitment pages for international roles

A digital flagship store for your brand. Not just another webshop, but a platform where brand experience and conversion come together. Ideal for companies that want to sell online and tell their story.

Characteristics:

• Strong focus on branding and visual storytelling
• Custom design that perfectly matches your brand identity
• Seamless integration of e-commerce platform, e.g. WooCommerce
• Space for atmosphere, inspiration and brand story

Price drivers:

• Product configurators or personalization tools
• Multilingualism and international check-out
• Links to ERP, inventory or POS systems
• Smart cross-sell and upsell functionalities

The cost of a website is determined not only by the scope of your project, but also by the type of party you work with. Here's a comprehensive comparison:

A great option if you start small, are tech savvy and don't have complex requirements. With tools like WordPress.com, Wix or Webflow, you can quickly set up a website. But make no mistake: there's more to it than just clicking and dragging. Consider structure, design, content, technology and SEO.

Advantages:

• Low cost
• Self-contained, fast live
• Full control over content

Cons

• Little strategic insight or guidance
• Limited technical and design options
• No support or maintenance
• Time consuming if you have to learn everything yourself
• You often lack knowledge of content, UX and search engine optimization

Doing it yourself is possible, but for serious online ambitions often not sustainable. As soon as you want to scale up, position your brand professionally or generate leads, you quickly run into limits.

Freelancers are often specialized and can provide good quality at a relatively favorable rate. But: you're dealing with one person. No team, no safety net. And one freelancer is often good at one discipline. But to create a Web site, several disciplines are expected.

Advantages

• Personal contact
• Often flexible in scheduling
• Good for simple to medium-sized projects

Cons

• Less suitable for complex or long-term trajectories
• No multidisciplinary team
• Often no structural support or maintenance

A compact team (often 2 to 5 people) that realizes your website from A to Z. You usually have direct contact with the creators and benefit from short lines of communication and personal involvement. The design and construction are often customized, but more complex requirements can be difficult due to limited capacity.

Advantages

• Direct contact with creators, often no project or account manager in between
• Short lines and personal service
• Often more attention to your brand and story
• More strategic input than with freelancers or zzp'ers

Cons

• Limited capacity on large or fast-paced projects
• Not always specialists for all components (such as SEO, UX or content strategy)
• Support and maintenance are often less structurally organized

A small agency is often a fine intermediate step: more personal than a large agency, more professional than a freelancer. But pay close attention to experience, approach and how well they can continue to support you after going live.

A team of ±5-20 specialists, with clear processes, experience in various sectors and a proven approach. You benefit from more knowledge, more capacity and more professional delivery. Often everything is taken care of: from strategy to design, content, technology and further development.

Suitable for:

• Companies looking to make serious online strides
• Organizations with marketing teams or complex requirements
• Companies looking to build a scalable website for the long term

Advantages

• Direct contact with creators, often no project or account manager in between
• Short lines and personal service
• Often more attention to your brand and story
• More strategic input than with freelancers or zzp'ers

Cons

• Limited capacity on large or fast-paced projects
• Not always specialists for all components (such as SEO, UX or content strategy)
• Support and maintenance are often less structurally organized

A small agency is often a fine intermediate step: more personal than a large agency, more professional than a freelancer. But pay close attention to experience, approach and how well they can continue to support you after going live.

A multidisciplinary agency with dozens of employees and large accounts. Here, your website becomes a project with a project team, sprints, scrum, and extensive documentation. Ideal for large brands, governments, or companies with in-house marketing teams.

Suitable for:

• Large orporates, governments or scale-ups
• Organizations with many internal stakeholders
• Complex issues (think portals, apps, links, international sites)

Advantages

• Full project support from strategy to launch
• In-depth knowledge of UX, UI, performance and scalability
• ISO certification, design systems, compliance, security policies
• Room for innovation and custom development

Cons

• High investment
• Often long lead time
• Less personal, sometimes more distant in contact
• Pricing structures more complex, more structures, more meetings, more layers.

A large agency can work fine - provided you have the budget and internal capacity to properly manage such a process.

Building a Web site is step one, but after that, the real work begins. To keep your site secure, fast and up to date, there are also annual costs to consider. We list the most important components for you:

Hosting

Your Web site has to run somewhere. The cost of hosting can vary greatly, depending on quality, speed and service. If you choose premium hosting, you will pay a bit more - but then you can be sure that your website is fast, stable and secure. Expect €30 - €100+ per month, depending on the traffic and size of your site.

Maintenance

WordPress, themes and plug-ins need regular updates. If you don't, you run the risk of bugs or security breaches. At Studio Brabo we offer maintenance through a service agreement, so you don't have to worry about it. Think of updates, backups and technical optimizations, so your website keeps running smoothly.

Support

Do you have questions, run into something or want minor adjustments made? With good support you always have someone to fall back on. Some parties charge separately for this, others offer it in a subscription. Make sure you know what to expect and whether it suits your organization.

Licenses

Do you use premium plug-ins or tools (such as forms, SEO tools or multilingualism plug-in)? Then there are often annual license fees involved. These amounts range from a few tens to hundreds of dollars per year, depending on what you use.

Another aspect that is often overlooked are paid fonts. When you choose a specific font that is not available by default (for example, an Adobe Font or a license through MyFonts or Fontspring), you often have to pay an annual fee for this as well. Those fees depend on the form of use (web, desktop, app) and the number of views or users, and can range from €30 to €500+ per year.

Having a website created is an investment - not only in money, but also in time, energy and trust. So it's not just about the price, but more importantly the right click. Ask yourself:

How important is your website to your organization?

Is it the place where customers come in, your brand comes to life and leads are generated? Then you deserve a partner who is as serious about your website as you are.

What suits your way of working?

Do you have enough with a ticket system and occasional updates via email? Or do you want someone you can just call, who knows the whole project and thinks with you as an extension of your team?

How big are you, and how big is the desk?

If you are small and you work with a very large agency, you are often not the priority. Conversely: a large company at a freelancer or hobbyist leads to risks in continuity and scalability.

Looking for a long-term partner?

Then engagement, support and ongoing development is just as important as delivering the website. So look beyond just the delivery date.

At Studio Brabo we work for companies that see their website as a strategic tool. Who are looking for quality - in collaboration, technology, design and support. And who choose an agency that grows with them.

Wondering if we are a good match?