How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Web Designer?
Short answer: a landing page starts at €1,000, a five-page website starts at €2,500, and an online store starts at €3,500.
Long answer: it depends. I know that's the answer everyone hates, so let me explain exactly what it depends on, with real numbers and no fog.
I've been building websites for 7 years and have launched over 70 of them. Most of my work is white label, which means I build for designers and agencies who need a developer they can trust. That also means I know what a fair price looks like, because I see it every week.
What actually decides the price
When someone asks me "how much does a website cost?", I always come back to the same few questions:
What are your goals? A site that needs to bring in leads is built differently from a simple online business card.
Which platform? Squarespace, Shopify, WordPress, Webflow, Framer and Wix all work differently, and each has its own strengths.
How many pages? Five pages and twenty pages are very different projects.
Products or services? Selling products adds a store, a checkout and product uploads.
Do you need help with content? Writing text and preparing images takes real time, and it's often the part people forget.
Once I know those five things, I can usually tell you the price right away.
Three budgets, and what you get
A landing page, from €1,000. One focused page with one clear goal: get a booking, a sign-up or an inquiry. Great if you're launching something new or want to start small.
A five-page website, from €2,500. Home, About, Services, Contact and one more page that matters to you. This is the right size for most small service businesses.
An online store, from €3,500. Product pages, checkout and everything a shop needs. The price depends on how many products I need to upload. Past 30 or 40 products, it's more like €4,000.
These are starting prices. Your project might sit a bit above them, and I'll tell you why.
What's included in my standard price
Here's what you get without asking:
Three rounds of revisions
SEO basics, so search engines can actually understand your site
Two weeks of support after launch
I'd rather you know this upfront than find out halfway through.
What costs extra
This is where most surprise bills come from, so let me be very clear. These things are not in the standard price:
New or extra pages
Extra plugins
Integration of a third-party system
A checkout page, if it wasn't planned
A blog that someone decides to add at the very end
None of these are bad ideas. They just need to be talked about at the start, not in week three. If you already know you'll want a blog someday, say so in the first conversation and I'll build it in from day one.
The $500 website I regret
At the very beginning, I wasn't sure what to charge. So I quoted $500 for a small online store.
She was surprised, in a good way, and said yes right away.
It was so much work. I regretted that price almost immediately.
Today I would charge at least $1,500 for the same project. Not because I'm greedy, but because I know who I am and what I do best. Pricing isn't only math. It's confidence in your work.
Here's the part people don't think about: a price that's too low is bad for you too. A designer who is stretched thin rushes things. You deserve someone who has the time and the energy to do it properly.
Why a cheap website often costs more
A very cheap website is usually built cheap and fast, without a strategy behind it.
That often means:
No SEO, so nobody finds it
Images that were never resized, so it loads slowly
Broken links
A template that looks like a hundred other sites
A slow, generic site doesn't bring in clients. Then you pay twice: once for the cheap version and once to have it rebuilt.
What to ask before you hire anyone
Whoever you choose, these questions will tell you a lot:
How much experience do you have? And can I see your portfolio?
How long will the project take?
How many revisions are included?
What else is in the price? Ask about SEO, support and anything else you're counting on.
What costs extra? A good designer will answer this without hesitating.
If the answers are clear and calm, that's a green flag. If they're vague or rushed, trust that feeling.
One last thing
A website is a big decision, and it's okay to feel nervous about the cost. I'd love for you to walk away feeling less scared and more ready.
When you work with me, I listen first. I want to understand your goals, your worries and what you're dreaming of. Then I'll help you bring the best version of your website to life, and I'll support you along the way. Think of me as the new friend who happens to build websites.
If you'd like to talk about your project, drop me a message.
