What a website really costs, and what S$97 a month covers.

A website is not one product with one price. Several decisions stack up, and each one changes the work involved.

• Number of pages. A one-page site and a fifteen-page site are very different amounts of design, writing and testing.
• Custom design or template. A site designed around your business takes more effort than one dropped into a ready-made layout, and usually fits you better.
• Copywriting. Someone has to write the words. If you supply them, the cost falls; if the provider writes them, it rises.
• Photos and branding. Original photography, a logo and a consistent look all take time, or money, or both.
• Integrations. Booking tools, enquiry forms, WhatsApp buttons and anything that connects to other software add build and testing work.
• Ecommerce. Taking payments, managing stock and handling delivery is a different category of project from a straightforward business website.
• Upkeep afterwards. Hosting, updates and fixes cost something whether you pay for them separately or as part of a plan.

Because every item above can be small or large, two quotes that both say "website" can describe very different things.

Providers differ in what they include, how much they customise, and how they charge. Some quote a single figure that covers the build only, with hosting and changes billed later. Others bundle everything into one price. Comparing the headline numbers without comparing the inclusions is the easiest way to mislead yourself.

When you collect quotes, ask each provider the same questions:

1. How many pages are included, and who writes the content?
2. Is the design built for my business or adapted from a template?
3. Who pays for and owns the domain name?
4. Who publishes and looks after the site after launch, and is that charged separately?
5. What happens if I want to stop?

Written answers to those five questions will tell you more than the price on its own. For how upkeep fits into the picture, see our page on website maintenance.

Broadly, websites are paid for in one of two ways. Neither is automatically better. They suit different situations.

A plain disclosure: monthly payments add up over time. At S$97 a month, twelve months comes to S$1,164. We think that is fair for a site that is designed, built, published and looked after, but you should weigh it against your own budget and how long you expect to keep the site.

If keeping cash in the business matters more than owning a one-off asset, a monthly plan can make sense. If you would rather pay once and handle upkeep yourself, an upfront build may suit you better. Our page on affordable website design looks at this trade-off in more detail.

Covered

• A custom website designed and built for your business
• 15+ pages if you need them, tailored to your services
• Mobile-friendly design on every screen size
• Call and WhatsApp buttons, so customers can reach you in one tap
• Connection to your own domain name
• Publishing and looking after the site

Not covered

• The domain name. You buy it separately, in your own name, so it stays yours.
• Ecommerce. Online shops are outside the standard plan. If you are planning one, message us and we will say honestly whether we can help.

Terms in brief

There is no large upfront bill, and you can cancel any time. We do not guarantee rankings or a set number of customers. Nobody honest can, because that depends on your business and market. You can see examples of the standard we design to in our work, or read how the build works on website development.