what to pay: bands with sources, setting your number

business · 2026-10-13 · 5 min

planning ranges with named sources and stated limits: freelancer wordpress $2,000-8,000, agency $10,000-35,000 (elementor 2026 guide — publisher ranges, not law); clutch's reviewed projects average $38,105 with most under $10,000 (outliers pull the mean; agency rates typically $100-149/hour). your number comes from scope, not averages — here's how to set it.

the bands, honestly labeled

DIY builder: $0-300/year (your evenings). template + help: $300-1,000 (setup, tweaks, entry). freelance showcase: $2,000-8,000 (design, guidance, launch, training). agency: $10,000-35,000 (strategy, custom, integrations, management). shops: add complexity money ($20,000+ for serious ecommerce per the same guide). budget +10-20% for plugins, stock, email, maintenance. every band rational for somebody — the question is which somebody you are.

what moves you within bands

page count and features (each integration is a project). content (professional copy $50-150/hour or yours — vendor estimates). design depth (adapted theme vs from-scratch). revisions and project management. location and seniority. post-launch (care, hosting, evolution). two identical-looking quotes differ on these rows — normalize: why quotes differ.

setting YOUR number

spend proportionate to what the site must produce (brochure validating referrals: lean; quote machine: mid; revenue-carrying shop: serious). never more than one good customer's yearly value on version one — the site earns upgrades. total over five years, not sticker: total cost of owning. vet the seller: questions before hiring.

FAQ

€500 / $500 website — real?

one-pager or template setup with your content: yes, real product, limited scope. full custom business site: imagination. scope decides honesty, never price.

agency worth 5x freelancer?

for strategy, integrations, accountability structures: often. for a sharp brochure with ready content: rarely. buy the product (team + process + coverage), not the prestige.