What does a B2B website cost? The cost drivers at a glance

A B2B website costs as much as its scope demands. That sounds trivial, but it helps with planning. Six factors set the price: page types, content, design, content management system, languages and integrations. If you settle these six points before you ask for quotes, you get quotes you can compare.

We deliberately don't name flat prices here. Without your project they would be an estimate with no basis. This article shows what drives the effort, what reduces it and how to check a quote.

The cost drivers

Page types instead of page count

A website with 80 pages can be cheaper than one with 20. What matters is how many different templates there are. Ten service pages built on the same pattern are one template and ten entries in the content management system. Ten pages that each have their own structure are ten designs.

So count page types. Typical types for B2B companies are home page, service overview, service detail, industry page, case study, article, careers, job posting, about us and contact. Each template needs concept, design, implementation, mobile view and testing.

Content is the biggest item

Many projects are not delayed by the programming. They are delayed because copy is missing or approvals take time. B2B offerings often need explaining. Good copy needs conversations with sales and the specialist department.

• Copy: Do you write it yourself, does the agency deliver a draft, or is everything written from scratch?
• Images: Are there real photos of the team, products and locations? Stock photos quickly look interchangeable in B2B.
• Case studies: Which customers may you name? Approvals take time.
• Approvals: Who signs off on copy? Every extra round costs time on both sides.

Settle this before you ask for quotes. A quote without clear responsibility for content is hard to compare.

Content management and technology

Your team should be able to maintain copy, images and new pages themselves. For that, the website needs a content management system, CMS for short. The more closely the CMS is tailored to your content, the easier maintenance gets. That costs more to build but saves time later.

With the technology, operations matter more than the system. Ask who installs updates, where the site is hosted and what happens when something fails. You can find a comparison of common systems in WordPress, Webflow or Next.js.

Languages and markets

A second language doesn't automatically double the effort. But it adds work in several places: translation, separate search terms per market, a language switch, hreflang tags and legal texts. If you sell in Germany and Switzerland, one German version is often enough. It's different when prices, contacts or terms vary by country. In Switzerland, for example, German is written without the ß.

Integrations

This is where quotes differ most. A form that sends an email is quick to build. A form that cleanly creates enquiries in HubSpot, Salesforce or Pipedrive needs field mapping, tests and a way to handle errors.

Product data from an ERP or PIM, dealer areas with login and customer-specific prices take even more effort. In the brief, name every system the website should talk to. Also name the systems you are unsure about.

Ongoing costs

Costs continue after launch. Include them in the comparison:

• Hosting and domain, in the EU or Switzerland if needed.
• Licenses for the CMS, fonts, images or form and booking services.
• Maintenance: updates, security, backups and monitoring.
• Further development: new pages, campaigns, tests and reporting.

Read more about domain, hosting and email in Domain, hosting and email.

What lowers the price

• Fewer page types. Check whether two templates can become one.
• Finished content. Copy and photos ready before the project starts save rounds.
• One contact with decision authority. This shortens approvals.
• Phases. Start with the pages that bring enquiries. The knowledge area and careers follow later.
• An existing brand. If you have a logo, colors and fonts, you don't need a new visual identity.

Whether a lean landing page is enough to start is covered in Landing page or website.

Comparing quotes

A reliable quote comes from a short brief. It doesn't have to be long. These points belong in it:

1. The goal of the website and how you measure success, for example qualified enquiries.
2. A list of page types and a rough number of pages per type.
3. Who supplies copy, images and translations.
4. Languages and markets.
5. All systems the website will be connected to.
6. The existing website with its address, so migration and redirects can be planned.
7. The desired start date and fixed deadlines such as trade shows.

Then check whether every quote contains the same points. If one provider leaves out migrating old content or setting up redirects, they are not cheaper. They have simply offered less. How rankings are preserved during a move is covered in Relaunch without SEO loss. The typical course of a project is shown in How a website project works.

Frequently asked questions