Most business owners go into their first website conversation with a number in their head and not much else. “What’s this going to cost?” feels like the obvious question to lead with. It isn’t, not yet.
The more useful question is: what do I need this website to do? A five-page site that tells people what you do and how to reach you is one job. A site with online bookings, a CRM connection, or a login area is a different job entirely, and the price difference between them is real, not padding.
Before you pick up the phone, it’s worth working out roughly where you sit. Are people mostly finding you already and just need reassurance? Or are you trying to win new customers in a competitive market, where the site has to do more of the convincing itself?
It’s also worth asking what happens after launch, a website isn’t a one-off purchase. Updates, security, and basic upkeep are an ongoing cost, usually separate from the build price, and a developer who mentions this upfront is generally one worth listening to further.
Going in with a rough idea of what you need, rather than just a budget ceiling, makes for a far more useful first conversation, and a quote that actually reflects your business.
For a full breakdown of where the money goes on a bigger website project, visit https://kupu.co.uk/thoughts/website-budget-breakdown
For more on getting your website working harder for your business, visit https://kupu.co.uk