In short: the price of a showcase website mainly depends on four choices: a template or a custom design, the number of pages, the features (booking, blog, multiple languages) and who produces the content. A well-built site with a few pages stays affordable. It’s the options and the copywriting that drive the bill up.
How much does a showcase website cost?
A showcase website presents a business, builds trust and leads to a contact request, a booking or a visit. It doesn’t sell online, which is what sets it apart from an e-commerce site. Its price is built page by page and option by option, so you can adjust it precisely to your budget.
Template or custom design: the first price difference
A purchased template or a website builder costs less upfront, because the structure already exists. Custom design starts from a blank page: the layout, typography and animations are designed for your brand, and the code only ships what the site actually needs.
Speed matters to your visitors as much as to Google, which uses page experience among its ranking signals (Google documentation on Core Web Vitals). A template loaded with unnecessary features starts with a handicap on that front.
The options that push the quote up
- Multiple languages: each language has to be translated, proofread and tested. The website of Brunch House, a brunch restaurant in Bordeaux, is available in French, English and Spanish and detects the visitor’s language.
- Booking or appointment scheduling: a link to an existing tool costs little, a built-in module takes more work.
- A blog: useful for SEO, it requires an article structure, category pages and an RSS feed. The La Cleanik website was built with a blog designed for Google from day one.
- Galleries and photo menus: lots of images means compression work to keep the site fast.
- Local SEO: Google Business Profile, directions, reviews and structured data to show up in searches in your city.
What budget for what kind of showcase website?
These ranges are the ones in our estimate form. They describe what is usually built in each and still need to be confirmed by a detailed quote.
| Planned budget | What this range usually covers |
|---|---|
| €500 to €1,000 | A clear single page (about, services, contact) on a simple structure. |
| €1,000 to €2,000 | A showcase website of a few pages with polished design, without any special features. |
| €2,000 to €5,000 | A custom design, multiple languages or a blog, booking and local SEO. |
| €5,000 to €15,000 | A larger site, content produced by our team, integrations and a full visual identity. |
Copywriting, photos, logo: the often forgotten line items
A website quote covers design and development. Content is a separate line item, and it’s the one that most often delays launches. If your copy, photos and logo are ready, the site moves fast. If they need to be created, include them in the budget: copywriting for copy that makes people act, visual identity if the brand doesn’t exist yet.
One requirement not to overlook: in France, a business website must display legal notices (mentions légales) that identify the publisher and the host (service-public.fr). We include them in every site.
The costs that come back every year
A showcase website costs little once it’s live. You need to budget for the domain name, renewed every year, and hosting. A static site, like the ones we build most often, is very cheap to host and has no extensions to update constantly, unlike a CMS loaded with plugins.
If you’re torn between a website and an app, or want both, our article on mobile app development cost covers the other side.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a simple showcase website cost?
A clear single page falls into our first range, from €500 to €1,000. A site of a few pages with polished design is more in the €1,000 to €2,000 range. Multiple languages, a blog or booking move you up to the next range.
How long does it take to build a showcase website?
The timeline mostly depends on the content. When the copy and photos are ready, a showcase website of a few pages takes a few weeks to build. Copywriting and creating a visual identity extend the schedule.
Does a custom website rank better than a template?
Not automatically, but it starts with an advantage: lightweight, fast code and a structure designed around your keywords. After that, content, links and your Google Business Profile matter as much as the technical side.
Will I be able to edit my website myself?
Yes, if you plan for it in the quote. We can make the copy, photos, menu or blog articles editable, depending on what you need to change often.
Is SEO included in the price?
The technical basics always are: titles, descriptions, speed, sitemap, structured data. Ongoing content and local SEO work is priced separately, based on your goals.
The budget benchmarks in this article are indicative and are not a quote. Every site is priced after a conversation about its pages, options and content.