Ask five companies for a website quote and you may well get five completely different prices, from a few hundred to tens of thousands of reais. That is not because someone is wrong. It is because a "website" can be a simple page built from a template or a custom project with copy, photos, SEO and a content management system the business can update on its own.
This guide explains what makes the price go up or down, which costs continue after the website is live and how to compare proposals fairly.
What type of website does your business need?
The first price factor is the type of project. The most common are:
- Landing page: a single page focused on one offer or campaign. It is often used with Google and Instagram ads because it takes people straight to the contact step.
- Business website: several pages, such as home, about us, services, case studies, blog and contact. It is the best fit for service businesses, clinics, offices and manufacturers.
- Online store: catalogue, cart, payment and shipping. It requires more development, testing and integrations.
- Custom system: client portal, booking, automatic quotes and other functions specific to the business.
What changes the price of a website the most
- Custom design or a template. A purchased and adapted theme costs less, but makes your business look like many others. A layout created for your brand costs more and sets you apart.
- Number of pages. Giving each service its own page takes more work, but it also gives you more chances to appear on Google for specific searches.
- Who writes the copy and takes the photos. This is often what delays a website the most. When the agency writes and photographs, the price goes up, and the result is usually much better.
- Content management system. Being able to change text and photos and publish blog posts without a developer adds to the development cost and saves a lot later.
- Integrations. WhatsApp, forms connected to a CRM, online booking, payments and ad tracking are all part of the scope.
- SEO and GEO. A structure built to appear on Google and in answers from AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini takes technical care that a rushed website does not have.
Which costs continue after the website is live?
The project fee is not the only expense. Include these items in your budget:
- Domain: your website’s address. A .com.br domain is registered with Registro.br and has a low annual cost, a few dozen reais.
- Hosting: the server where your website lives. It is billed monthly or yearly and varies with the size of the website and the volume of visits.
- Professional email: accounts on your company’s domain, such as contact@yourcompany.com.
- Maintenance: security updates, adjustments and small changes throughout the year.
When cheap ends up costing more
A website priced far below the market almost always cuts corners on something you only notice later. The most common signs:
- The domain is registered in the name of whoever built the website, not your company.
- You do not get access to the content management system or the hosting.
- The website is slow on mobile, where most visits come from.
- There are no titles, descriptions or structure for Google, so the website exists but nobody finds it.
- There is no contract stating what was delivered and what happens if you want to change suppliers.
How to compare website quotes
Before deciding, ask every company the same questions:
- Will the domain and hosting be in my company’s name?
- How many pages are included and who writes the copy?
- Is the design custom or based on a template?
- Will I be able to update the website myself?
- Will the website be ready for Google, with technical SEO?
- What is the timeline and how many rounds of revisions are included?
- How much does it cost to maintain the website after launch?
With the answers side by side, the difference between the prices starts to make sense.
A good website is one that brings in enquiries
In the end, the most important question is not how much the website costs, but how much it brings in. A website that appears on Google, loads quickly and leads people to WhatsApp or a form pays for itself with just a few new customers. A beautiful website that nobody finds is just an expensive business card.
At iodo, we offer website design in Passo Fundo and for businesses across Brazil, always with SEO, GEO and a content management system the business can update. You can see some of our work in the agency’s case studies.