It's the question everyone asks and almost nobody answers clearly: how much does a professional website cost? The honest answer is "it depends" — but you can explain exactly what it depends on, with real ranges, so you know what you're buying in each case.
The real market ranges
Under €1,500: the template website
A template adapted with your copy and your logo. It can work to validate an idea or have a minimal presence, but it rarely ranks, rarely converts and is almost never truly yours (licensed themes, page builders that slow it down, total dependence on the provider). It's the website people tend to pay for twice: once now, and again when it's time to do it properly.
€3,000 to €8,000: the professional corporate website
Custom design (no template), optimised development, well-crafted copy, technical SEO foundations, the autonomy to edit your own content and real support. This is where most companies that take their digital presence seriously operate. The difference from the previous range isn't just visible in the design: it shows in Google and in your conversion metrics.
€8,000 to €25,000+: the fully custom build
Projects with specific functionality: true multi-language, integrations (CRM, ERP, booking engine, payment gateways), private areas, complex catalogues, serious e-commerce. At this level you're no longer buying "a website": you're buying a business tool built for your operations.
What (justifiably) makes a project more expensive
- Custom design — conceived for your brand and your customer, not adapted from a generic theme.
- Content — copy that sells doesn't write itself; structuring and writing it is real work.
- Multi-language — done properly (URLs, hreflang, genuinely translated content), not with an automatic translation plugin.
- Integrations — every external system your website talks to adds complexity.
- Performance and technical SEO — the difference between loading in 1 second or 5, and between showing up on Google or not.
The questions you should ask before signing
More important than the price: is the design custom or a template? Will the website be mine, on my domain and my hosting? Can I edit content without calling you? What about maintenance? Is technical SEO included or "an extra"? Can I see real projects of yours in production? A serious provider answers all of this without flinching.
The right way to think about the budget
A professional website isn't a design expense: it's the channel all of your customers will pass through for the next 4-6 years. Divide the price by those years and weigh it against what's at stake there. A website that's €2,000 cheaper but loses you one client a month is, by far, the most expensive option.
If you're considering a new website, at staycreative we do custom web development — original design, performance first and SEO from day one. Tell us about your project and we'll give you a clear quote, no small print.
