# What Does a Website Cost? How to Assess Price and Total Cost

> Understand what affects the price of a website. Compare quotes, setup, operations and further development with a clear three-year cost example.

By Media Access. Published: 2026-09-06. Updated: 2026-09-06.

Original: [What Does a Website Cost? How to Assess Price and Total Cost](https://mediaaccess.no/en/insights/how-much-does-a-website-cost/)

What a website costs depends on what it needs to do, what already exists, and who will keep it running. A quote for design and publishing cannot automatically be compared with one that also includes copy, integrations and ongoing work.

Here you get a method for understanding website pricing and assessing quotes on the same basis. The amounts in the cost example are illustrative and are not Media Access prices or a summary of market rates.

## What you will learn

- Ask every supplier to quote for the same content, features and responsibilities.
- Calculate setup and ongoing costs over an agreed period.
- Clarify what changes, migration and termination will involve.

## The required tasks determine the scope

The number of pages is part of the calculation, but it does not tell the whole story. Ten pages with the same structure may require less development work than one page with booking, payment and connection to a customer system. Ask which parts can be reused and which need to be clarified or built separately.

Content also affects the workload. Should existing copy be moved, rewritten or created from scratch? Are new images needed? Who quality-assures product data? Clarify this before comparing final prices, and include the time your own business will need to spend.

Typical cost drivers that should be specified

| Area | What needs to be clarified | Ask for this in the quote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Design and page types | How many different layouts and customisations are needed? | Named page types and number of revision rounds. |
| Content | Who creates and approves copy, images and product data? | Deliverables, volume and the customer's responsibilities. |
| Features | Will the site need booking, payment or login? | Description of the feature and testing. |
| Integrations | Which systems and data need to be connected? | Setup, assumptions and maintenance. |
| Migration | What should be preserved from the old site? | Mapping, transfer and verification. |
| Operations | Who keeps the solution available and up to date? | Ongoing price, what's included and response times. |

## Send the same brief to everyone

A simple requirements brief makes prices easier to compare. Describe your goals, the most important user tasks, page types, content responsibilities and the systems that need to be connected. Also specify what you want to be able to change yourselves. If you are unsure about the solution, ask the supplier to separate necessary work from optional extras.

Ask for the assumptions behind the price. One quote may assume completed copy, a single decision-maker and a limited number of revisions. Another may include interviews, copywriting and several clarification meetings. The difference may be reasonable, but it needs to be visible.

- Which pages and features are included at launch?
- What do we need to deliver, and by what date?
- Which subscriptions or third-party costs are additional?
- How are changes priced after the agreed scope has been approved?
- Are training, documentation and launch support included?

## Calculate the total cost over three years

Choose a comparison period and add together setup, fixed operating costs, licences, agreed maintenance and expected further development. Also include internal hours if the options require different amounts of staff time. Keep VAT and any transaction costs clearly separate in the comparison.

The cost example below assumes that the two options meet the same needs and that the monthly fee remains unchanged for 36 months. All amounts exclude VAT. This calculation is not a quote, a price indication from Media Access or a forecast.

Illustrative cost example: setup plus 36 months

| Cost | Option A | Option B |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Setup | NOK 30,000 | NOK 60,000 |
| Agreed monthly fee | NOK 1,800 | NOK 800 |
| Monthly fee over 36 months | NOK 64,800 | NOK 28,800 |
| Total over three years | NOK 94,800 | NOK 88,800 |

## Look at what the calculation does not show

The example shows why a low setup price does not determine the total. It does not show which option offers the best value. If one agreement includes content work, bug fixes or more updates, this needs to be made clear before you draw a conclusion. Ask the suppliers to price the missing part or describe the responsibility that will remain with you.

Also do a simple sensitivity check: What happens if you need to add a service page every month, change CRM or translate the site next year? You do not need to order everything now. You do need to know how such changes are handled, and whether the solution gives you reasonable room to act.

Compare contract length and termination terms. A monthly fee may cover operations, financing of the initial build, or a combination. It should be clear what you are entitled to keep and move when the agreement ends.

## Set aside budget for the transition and quality

When an existing website is replaced, important old web addresses should be mapped and linked to new addresses where necessary. Google describes URL mapping and redirects as parts of a site move. Ask who will do this work and how it will be checked.

Accessibility should also be part of the project. W3C recommends planning, clear responsibility and ongoing assessment throughout production. Ask for the agreement to describe what will be reviewed and how findings will be fixed, rather than settling for a general quality promise.

Include a launch checklist for the contact form, any purchases, tracking and integrations. A finished site must work with the actual recipients and systems. This check should be a defined deliverable with an owner, not a task you discover after launch.

Source: [Google Search Central: site moves with changed URLs](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/site-move-with-url-changes)

Source: [W3C WAI: Planning and Managing Web Accessibility](https://www.w3.org/WAI/planning-and-managing/)

## Choose the scope you actually need

Split the project into an initial version and later improvements. The first version should solve the most important user tasks well and give you a foundation for further work. This can make the investment more manageable, as long as postponed needs do not make the first version unusable.

Before approving the quote, write down three things: what is being delivered, what the total includes and what happens after launch. If anything is still unclear, ask for a written clarification. A good website proposal makes it easy to understand both the payment and the responsibilities that come with it.

## Questions and answers

### Can I get a website at a fixed price?

A fixed price may be possible when the scope, assumptions and responsibilities are clearly defined. Ask to be told which changes fall outside the price, and how additional work must be approved.

### Is a subscription website more expensive than a one-off payment?

That depends on the time period and what is included. Compare the total cost, agreed maintenance, support, ownership, and how easily you can move. A lower upfront cost may mean higher ongoing payments, but it may also cover more work.

### How can I get a relevant quote from Media Access?

Send over your current website, the main goal of the new site, the functionality you want, and who can provide the content. That makes it easier to define a concrete scope before pricing is assessed.

## Sources and further reading

- [Google Search Central: site moves with changed URLs](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/site-move-with-url-changes)
- [W3C WAI: Planning and Managing Web Accessibility](https://www.w3.org/WAI/planning-and-managing/)

## Read more

- [Web development for businesses: from needs to a website that works](https://mediaaccess.no/en/insights/web-development-for-businesses/index.md)
- [Systems development and integrations: when should a business build a custom solution?](https://mediaaccess.no/en/insights/software-development-and-integrations/index.md)
- [How to choose a marketing agency for your business](https://mediaaccess.no/en/insights/how-to-choose-a-marketing-agency/index.md)

[Request an assessment of your website project](https://mediaaccess.no/en/contact/)