What factors actually determine the cost of a website?

Website cost is determined by eight primary variables: design complexity, page count, content volume, platform choice, custom functionality, integration requirements, content migration scope, and ongoing maintenance needs. Each variable can independently double or triple the project budget depending on the gap between a standard implementation and what the business actually requires.

Brand style guide existence matters because teams without one need design discovery, adding weeks and cost. UX discovery (site audits, analytics review, competitor research) shapes information architecture and prevents structural rework. Copywriting is a specialized skill; treating it as a DIY task produces content that underperforms in both search and conversion. Page count is a common benchmark, but all pages are not equal: a landing page with form logic, personalization, and A/B testing infrastructure costs more than a static "About" page. Multimedia elements (video, animation, responsive interactions) increase development time substantially. Content migration from an existing site, including blogs, gated assets, and event archives, adds hours that rarely appear in initial estimates. CMS selection also plays a role; proprietary or enterprise platforms carry higher licensing and development costs than open-source alternatives.