Having a website or online store built often starts with wanting a new, attractive site for your business. Alongside the design, it’s worth thinking about what the site needs to do, who will create the content and what ongoing costs to expect.
You don’t need to have all the answers before contacting a developer. Thinking through your main needs can still help you get a more accurate quote and make sure you and the developer have the same expectations.
Start with your goals and your visitors’ needs
Before choosing colours or reference websites, think about what you want visitors to do on your website. Is the goal to generate more enquiries, sell products, take bookings or introduce your company’s services?
For a service business, a clear description of what you offer and an easy way to get in touch may matter most. For an online store, you need to consider the entire buying journey, from finding a product to payment and delivery.
- Who is your main customer?
- What question or need brings them to your site?
- What information do they need to make a decision?
- What action would you like them to take?
These answers help shape the structure and content of your site.
Compare what’s included, not just the price
“Website development” can cover very different amounts of work depending on the quote. One may include design and development, while another also covers copywriting, image editing, adding content and showing you how to manage the site.
A good quote clearly explains what you get for the price. You should know which pages and features will be built, what you need to provide and which tasks cost extra.
You don’t need to build everything at once. Often, you can start with the essentials and add features when you have a clear need for them.
What should you agree on before work begins?
Scope, timeline and changes
Find out how many pages will be built, what types of content are needed, which languages the site will support and which features are included in the price.
Also agree on the number of feedback and revision rounds and how requests added later will be handled. For example, a booking system, an additional language or an integration with external software may affect both the scope and the deadline.
The timeline should cover both sides’ responsibilities and deadlines: when you will provide materials, when you can review the design and how quickly you need to give feedback.
One-off and recurring costs
Development is only part of the total cost of a website. Other costs may include your domain, platform subscription or web hosting, email and external services. For an online store, you also need to account for payment provider fees and any transaction fees charged by the platform.
The price also depends on whether your business already has a logo and a visual style, including colours, fonts and design guidelines. Creating a logo, visual identity or a more comprehensive brand identity is not automatically included in the website development price. If you need this work too, mention it when requesting a quote, as it needs to be accounted for in both the budget and the project timeline.
Not every website project needs extensive branding work. For a smaller business, a well-designed logo and carefully chosen colours and fonts may be enough. What matters is agreeing on which existing materials can be used and what needs to be created.
- Which costs are one-off?
- Which fees recur monthly or annually?
- Which services are essential and which are optional?
- Will VAT be added to the quoted price?
This helps you assess both the initial project budget and the ongoing cost of running the website.
Copy, images and product information
Completing the site also depends on when the copy, images and other content are ready. Service descriptions, company information, photos and product details need as much attention as the design.
Agree with your developer on who will write the copy, edit it and add it to the website. If you need help with content or images, mention this when requesting a quote.
For an online store, provide as much detail as possible about the number of products, categories and variants. Adding ten simple products involves a different amount of work from organising hundreds of products with size and colour options.
Reference websites are useful too. Explain what you like about each example: the layout, use of colour, navigation or a particular feature. This gives the developer more to work with than simply asking for “something similar”.
The platform and day-to-day management
When choosing a platform, consider how easy it will be to edit copy, replace images, add products and manage orders yourself.
If possible, ask for a demonstration of the content management system and discuss your future plans. If you want to add an online store, more languages or integrations later, check at the outset whether the platform can support them.
For example, Voog’s cloud service takes care of web hosting, SSL certificates and technical updates to the platform. Custom designs or additional features may still require a developer’s help. You can learn more about the platform’s features on the Voog website.
If you’re still choosing a platform, read about Voog’s features, advantages and limitations.
Sales and order handling in your online store
An online store needs more than products and a shopping cart. Before having one built, think about which countries you will sell to, how customers will pay and receive their goods, and who will handle orders.
Specify any integrations you may need with accounting or inventory software. If an integration is essential, check its feasibility and cost before work begins.
Agree on who will prepare the terms of sale and privacy information. Before confirming an order, customers must have the necessary information about the seller, the goods, the price and the terms of purchase. You can find more detailed requirements in the e-commerce guide from Estonia’s Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA).
Account access and usage rights
Make sure you or your business retain control of the domain and key service accounts. Find out which accounts you will have access to when the project is handed over and how you can switch providers later if you wish.
Also ask what rights you will have to use the design and content, and whether any fonts, photos or additional services require a separate licence.
How is the finished website tested?
A good-looking website also needs to be easy to use. Ask whether the work includes testing the mobile layout, forms, links and the online store’s buying journey. Loading speed matters too, as does making sure the site can be used with a keyboard (this helps people use the site without a mouse, including people with motor disabilities and those using assistive technology) and the content is easy to read.
Before launching an online store, test the entire buying journey, including placing a test order, making a payment and receiving confirmation emails. For a business website, make sure messages sent through the contact form reach the correct inbox.
For SEO, clarify what the quote includes. Setting up SEO titles and meta descriptions, fixing technical issues and working on content over time are separate activities. No technical setting automatically guarantees first place on Google. You can learn about the principles of search engine optimisation in Google’s SEO Starter Guide.
If you’re replacing an existing website, agree on what will happen to the old content and URLs. Also decide whether you want to track website traffic and enquiries, and who will set up the tracking and any necessary consent tools.
What happens after the website is finished?
Before work begins, agree on the support you will receive after handover and what you will be able to update yourself.
- Warranty – fixing defects in the agreed work under the agreed terms.
- Maintenance – checking that the site works correctly and fixing technical issues when needed.
- Content management – updating copy, images, products and other content.
The websites I build come with a 6-month warranty. After that, you can choose a maintenance service or contact me whenever you need help.
What should your first quote request include?
A brief overview is enough to get started:
- What does your business do, and who are your customers?
- Do you need a business website or an online store?
- Do you already have a logo and visual style, or do you need help creating them?
- Which pages and features do you need?
- Do you already have the copy, images and product information?
- What is your initial budget and preferred deadline?
- Will an existing website need to be replaced?
You don’t need to have everything decided. A good service provider will help clarify your needs and explain what the proposed solution includes.
Planning a website or online store? Get in touch, tell me what you have in mind, and we’ll find a solution that fits your needs.