A client asks you for a website and has already mentioned that "my nephew can build it for $200" before you even quote. If you reply with your price and no explanation, you lose. If you drop to the nephew's price, you lose too, just more slowly.
You defend the price of a website with clarity: what kind of site it is, what it includes, and what the client gets out of it.
Price ranges by type of website
These are typical ranges you'll see in the small and midsize business market. They vary by country, city, and the level of the agency:
| Type of website | Typical range | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page | $400 to $1,200 | One campaign, one service, one event |
| Informational site (4 to 8 sections) | $1,000 to $3,000 | Service businesses, restaurants, professionals |
| Site with bookings, appointments, or a catalog | $2,000 to $5,000 | Salons, clinics, event ranches |
| Online store or custom system | $3,000 and up | Products, payments, admin panel |
If you're just starting out, aim for the low end of each range and move up once you have a portfolio. If you already have work to show, there's no reason to charge the same as someone who started today.
Location matters too. A business in Miami, Houston, or Los Angeles is used to paying more than one in a small town, and a client in the U.S. usually pays more than one in Latin America for the same website. Quote based on your client's market, not yours.
What justifies the price
The client isn't paying for code. They're paying for what the website does for their business. These are the points that justify charging more than a template:
- Custom design. No template shared by a thousand businesses. At Blides, websites are hand-coded, with no WordPress templates.
- The client can edit it. A site with a system for changing text, colors, and sections without coding saves calls and money. We cover it in a website you can edit yourself.
- Speed and mobile version. Most visits come from a phone.
- The website belongs to the client. Domain, hosting, and files in their name.
- A clear delivery time. Saying "ready in 5 to 15 days" sells more than "whenever it's done."
How to present the price without sounding expensive
Never send just a number over WhatsApp. Send a short proposal that covers:
- What problem the website solves (more inquiries, appointments, sales, a professional image).
- What sections it has and what features it includes.
- How many rounds of changes are included.
- How many days until delivery and what the process looks like.
- Real examples of similar websites.
Showing live work closes more than any argument. That's why it pays to have a portfolio on hand, like the web portfolio we use, with more than 20 published sites.
One-time payment or monthly fee
There are two common ways to charge:
- One-time payment, usually 50% upfront and 50% on delivery.
- Upfront payment plus a monthly fee, which covers hosting, maintenance, minor changes, or the editing system.
The second gives you recurring revenue and lowers the barrier to entry for the client. What matters is that the contract says what the monthly fee covers and what it doesn't.
Here's one way to make it clear: the monthly fee includes hosting, backups, and up to a certain number of minor changes per month; a new section or a redesign is quoted separately. That way the client knows what they pay for each month, and you don't end up rebuilding the website for free every time they get a new idea.
Bundles that raise the ticket
A website on its own sells once. A website with something extra sells better:
- Website plus a social media plan.
- Landing page plus an ad campaign. We explain this bundle in landing pages for campaigns.
- Website plus Artificial Intelligence to answer on WhatsApp.
The client feels they're buying a solution, not a page.
Plus, the bundle gives you monthly revenue. The website is billed once, but social media, ads, or AI are billed every month. That recurring revenue is what gives your agency stability.
Even if you don't code, you can still sell websites
Many agencies sell websites without an in-house developer. They produce with a white label team: the agency takes the brief, the team designs and builds, and the agency delivers and gets paid. The client never knows who was behind it.
In that model, you set your own selling price, and your margin is the difference from your production cost. We don't publish our agency pricing, but we'll send it to you on WhatsApp so you can run your numbers.
Do you have an agency or work on your own? We are your production team.
You sell and bill under your brand; we handle social media, ads, websites, AI and support at agency pricing. Your client never knows we are behind it.
Summary for your next quote
Define the type of website, place it in a range, explain what it includes, show examples, and make the delivery time clear. With that, the client stops comparing you to the $200 nephew and starts comparing you to what the website can bring them.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge for my first website as an agency?
Aim for the low end of the range for that type of site and move up once you have a portfolio. An informational site usually runs between $1,000 and $3,000, depending on the area and the scope.
Is it better to charge for a website in one payment or with a monthly fee?
Both work. A monthly fee gives you recurring revenue and makes it easier for the client to get started, as long as the contract says exactly what it covers.
Can I sell websites if I don't know how to code?
Yes. You can produce with a white label team that designs and builds for you, while you sell, deliver, and get paid under your own brand.
