"I Need a Website" — How to Budget Before You Call a Developer

Every freelancer knows this conversation. A prospect emails: “I need a full ecommerce store with 500 products, custom theme, payment gateway, and a blog.” I give them a quote. They respond: “Oh, I was thinking more like $200.”

It’s awkward for everyone. The problem isn’t that they’re cheap — it’s that they have no frame of reference. Most people have never hired a developer before. They don’t know what things cost or why.

What actually drives the price

Four things determine the cost of a website:

1. Platform — WordPress, Shopify, or a custom build? Each has different licensing, hosting, and complexity costs.
2. Features — A simple 5-page brochure site vs. a membership portal with payment integration. Two completely different projects.
3. Content — Who writes the copy? Who takes the photos? Who creates the product listings? Content creation is often the biggest hidden cost.
4. Maintenance — A website isn’t a one-time purchase. Hosting, updates, backups, and security all cost ongoing money.

How the Project Cost Estimator works

I built the Project Cost Estimator to give clients a realistic number before they ever email me. It asks four questions:

• What kind of project? (WordPress, Shopify, SEO audit, Python automation)
• How many pages? (5, 10, 20+)
• Do you need ecommerce? (Products, payments, shipping)
• What add-ons? (Speed optimization, custom design, monthly maintenance)

Based on your answers, it generates a price range. Here’s roughly what comes out:

• WordPress site — $300 to $1,200 depending on pages and features
• Shopify store — $500 to $2,500 (theme setup + product imports + payment config)
• Python automation — $200 to $800 per script (data scraping, reporting, file processing)
• SEO audit + fixes — $200 to $600

Add-ons are where the real customization lives:

• Speed optimization: +$80
• WooCommerce shop setup: +$200
• Mobile responsiveness fix: +$60
• Monthly maintenance (updates, backups, monitoring): +$150/month

Why this matters

When a client comes to me with a realistic budget, we skip the pricing conversation and jump straight to strategy. I can recommend the right tools and features because I know what we’re working with. The estimator eliminates the “I thought it would be cheaper” moment.

Before you reach out to any developer, spend two minutes at the Project Cost Estimator. It’ll save you time, and it’ll save them an awkward email.