Website quote

A professional showcase site of five to ten pages, built by a freelancer or a small studio, costs between CHF 1,500 and 5,000. An online store starts around CHF 3,000 for a build on an existing platform and climbs to CHF 8,000 to 20,000 once the design is entirely tailored to your brand. A full redesign typically falls between CHF 2,000 and 8,000 depending on the scope of change. And a bespoke project with specific features like a client portal, a booking system or a connection to your business software rarely starts below CHF 5,000 and can easily exceed CHF 15,000.

These figures are market ranges, not fixed-price lists. The gap between the low and high end of each range almost always comes down to the same factors: the number of pages to design, how customised the visual identity is, how much content needs to be written and what technical features are required. A five-page site with an adapted template and content you provide yourself costs far less than a fifteen-page site with bespoke design, professional copywriting and thorough search engine work. What matters isn't finding the lowest price but understanding what each quote actually includes and what it quietly leaves out.

You also need to plan for recurring costs, because a website isn't a one-time purchase. Expect CHF 200 to 800 per year for the domain name, hosting, security certificate and routine maintenance. These costs are modest compared to the build itself, but forgetting them is like buying a car and forgetting about insurance and servicing. For a detailed breakdown of prices by site type, the article on how much a website costs covers each category.

The quality of the quote you'll receive depends directly on the quality of the information you provide. A provider who gets an email saying 'I'd like a website, how much does it cost?' can only reply with a range so wide it doesn't help you. But if you arrive with a clear idea of what you need, you'll get a precise price, a realistic timeline and a result that actually matches your expectations.

Start by defining the main goal of your site. It's the most important question and yet the one most people skip. Should your site sell products online, generate contact requests, showcase your work, take bookings? A single clear goal is worth more than ten vague features. The provider can then propose the most direct path to that goal, instead of guessing what you have in mind.

Then gather the assets you already have. Your logo, any existing copy even if it's rough, photos of your business, and above all two or three websites you think look good and match the image you want to project. These examples are worth more than a long description, because they show your taste in design, tone and structure at a glance. The provider will understand in thirty seconds what three paragraphs of explanation wouldn't quite convey.

Think about your budget too. A lot of people hesitate to share a budget for fear of 'being taken advantage of', but the opposite actually happens. When the provider knows your envelope, they can tell you honestly what's achievable within it and what isn't. Without a budget, they have to guess, and they'll either aim too high (and you'll find the quote too expensive) or too low (and you'll be disappointed with the result). Sharing a budget isn't handing over a blank cheque, it's opening an honest conversation.

Finally, set a timeline. Do you need the site for a specific date, a launch, a trade show, a season, or is the deadline flexible? An urgent project often costs more, not because of opportunism, but because it requires reshuffling other commitments. The earlier you plan, the more easily the provider can schedule the work and offer you a fair price. With these four elements in hand, goal, existing assets, indicative budget and timeline, your quote request immediately moves from the 'just browsing' pile to the 'this client knows what they want' pile, and you'll be treated accordingly. The article on how to create a website covers the full steps of a project.

The first question to ask yourself before requesting a quote isn't 'how much does it cost' but 'do I actually need a custom-built site'. The answer isn't always yes, and an honest provider will tell you so.

An off-the-shelf platform like Wix, Squarespace or Shopify works perfectly well when your needs are standard: present your business with a few pages, run a blog, sell a dozen products with a simple catalogue. The monthly subscription runs between CHF 15 and 50, and you can get the site live yourself in a few days. The result will be clean, functional and good enough to test an idea or start a business when the budget is tight.

A bespoke site is worth it in specific situations. When your brand image is a competitive advantage and your site needs to stand out visually from every other one in your sector. When you need features that standard platforms don't offer, like a personalised client area, a specific booking system or a direct connection to your business management software. When performance and search visibility genuinely matter, because a well-built custom site loads faster and ranks better than one assembled on a generic tool. Or when you don't want to depend on a monthly subscription that increases over time and on a platform whose rules can change overnight.

The right choice depends on your situation, not on a principle. A retailer testing a first online offer is better off starting simple and cheap, moving to bespoke later if the business takes off. A consultancy that lives off its reputation and whose website is the first touchpoint with future clients often benefits from investing in a site that reflects its standards from the start. If you're unsure, the best move is to request a quote anyway. A good provider will tell you honestly whether your needs justify a custom build or whether a simpler solution does the job. The article on creating a free website explores the options when budget is the main constraint.