You ask for a website quote and get an amount with the word "from" in front of it. Useful as a first indication, but what will you actually end up paying? That is the question I hear most often in a first conversation, and rightly so.
A "from" price is not a trick. It is a floor: the price of the smallest version that still delivers a complete result. Everything you want on top of that raises the amount. The problem is that hardly anyone explains upfront where that line sits and what falls just outside it.
In this article I answer the questions business owners ask about "from" prices, using the amounts I actually charge. All prices exclude VAT. That way you know what to expect before you have had a single conversation.
What does "from" actually mean?
"From" says: I won't build it for less than this, because the result would no longer hold up. It does not say your project will cost that amount. It is a starting point, not an end point.
Why doesn't anyone give a fixed price straight away?
Because two websites with the same label can be completely different. One business owner wants five clear pages and a contact form. Another wants a site in three languages, connected to their scheduling software, with copy that still has to be written. Both call it "a website". Anyone who gives a fixed price without a conversation is guessing. Either too high, and you pay for it. Or too low, and corners get cut along the way on things you can't see.
Which "from" prices do I use?
| Package | From (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|
| Landing page | €400 |
| Website | €850 |
| Webshop | €1,250 |
| Platform | €2,100 |
| Ongoing track | €450 per month |
These amounts are not bait. A project can land exactly on that figure if the request fits what the package covers.
What is included in a "from" price by default?
This is the question that separates providers the most. Two offers of "from €850" can mean very different things. So always ask what is concretely included, not just what it costs.
What do you get with a website from €850?
With me you get a custom design, built in lightweight custom code without a heavy off-the-shelf theme. The site works on your phone just as well as on your laptop. You go through the five steps of my process: explain, map out, build, fine-tune and grow. In the fine-tuning phase we go through feedback, copy, speed and SEO together. And the first year of hosting is free, with every package.
How many pages and which features the package includes exactly is agreed during the intake. After that it is in black and white in your fixed price.
What is not included?
Whatever falls outside the basics becomes an extra. Typically: more pages than agreed, forms with their own logic, integrations with other software, a content management system so you can edit text yourself, a second or third language, copy that still needs writing, a logo or brand identity, and photography. None of it is mandatory. But if you need it and it is not in the quote, it will show up later.
Which extras come up often?
These are the extras I add most often, each a starting price excluding VAT:
- Extra page: €150
- Form: €200
- Integration with other software: €250
- CMS, so you manage content yourself: €350
- Multilingual setup: €350
- Logo: €180
- Brand identity: €400
- Copywriting: €60 per page
- SEO audit: €225
- Speed optimisation: €200
- Security review: €300
- Automation: €250
- AI functionality: €350
Photography goes through a partner, and you get that price on request.
Which extras are really needed and which can wait?
A CMS is needed if you regularly change things yourself, like news, projects or opening hours. If you hardly ever change anything, the money is better spent elsewhere. A multilingual setup is needed if your customers genuinely search and buy in another language, not because it looks professional. Copywriting is often the extra that pays off most: good copy makes a simple site stronger than a beautiful design with vague sentences. Automation and AI functionality can usually wait until your site is live and you see where the work actually is.
What does an intake change about the price?
The intake is a free thirty-minute conversation. You tell me what you want to achieve, for whom, and what you already have. I ask questions until it is clear what needs to be built. After that you get a fixed price with a schedule.
Why is the intake free?
Because a fixed price without that conversation can't be fair. After thirty minutes I know whether your copy is ready, whether you have a logo, which pages you really need and which software you already use. Those are exactly the things that make the difference between the starting amount and the final amount.
Can the price still go up after the intake?
The fixed price applies to what we agree. If you want to add something along the way, we discuss it separately and you see the cost upfront. So you never get an invoice with surprises. Payment happens in two parts: 40% on agreement and 60% on delivery.
How do you estimate your own budget?
You don't have to wait for a conversation to set a realistic budget. Start with the package that fits best and add what you need.
A worked example
Say you are a tradesperson with an existing logo. You want a website with a few extra pages for your services, a quote form and a French version because you also work in Wallonia.
- Website: €850
- Three extra pages: €450
- Form: €200
- Multilingual setup: €350
Together that comes to from €1,850, excluding VAT. If the copy still needs to be written, copywriting per page is added. That way you immediately see which choices weigh the most.
Rather not do it on paper? Use the quote tool. There you put together a package and extras yourself and immediately get an indicative quote as a PDF. If you first want to take a calm look at what a site with me involves, read more about custom websites.
And the recurring costs?
A website doesn't only cost something at launch. Also count on:
- Hosting: free the first year, then €8 per month
- Email address: €5 per month per address
- Maintenance: €50 per month, billed annually
- Optionally SEO monitoring with a report: €175 per month
Maintenance is not a luxury. Software ages, security needs follow-up and small changes keep coming. If you don't plan for it, you pay for it later in one go, usually at a bad moment.
What to watch for in someone else's "from" price
If you compare several providers, ask all of them the same questions:
- What exactly is included in the starting amount, and how many pages?
- Is hosting included, and for how long?
- What does maintenance cost per month or per year?
- Who writes the copy?
- Can I edit content myself later, and does that cost extra?
- What happens if I want to add something along the way?
- How does payment work?
A low "from" price with a lot of vagueness is often more expensive than a higher price where everything is spelled out. Look at the technology too: a site on a heavy theme with dozens of plugins is quick to set up, but costs time later in updates and speed.
Next step
A "from" price is a good start, as long as you know what is behind it. Have an idea in your head and want to know roughly where it lands? Book a free thirty-minute conversation via contact. Afterwards you know exactly what your project costs, and when it will be ready.
