Website development stages: why it can't cost €500

Introduction

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"How much does a website cost?" — probably the most common question I hear. And when I name real numbers, I often see surprise. Because somewhere online, someone promises a website for €500 or even less. In this article, I'll walk you through my entire workflow — from the first call to launch. And it will become clear why a quality website can't be cheap

How the process works

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Discovery and brief

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Where does website development begin? Usually it's complex work running in parallel across several directions to deliver the best possible tool to the client. Everything starts with an introductory call. There might be several — every specialist or agency works differently. The goal is simple: understand what needs to be done, what tasks there are, what the client already has, their wishes and expectations. And most importantly — to see if there's a "match," when both sides are genuinely interested in working together. After the meetings, a commercial proposal is prepared — documenting exactly what we're doing, the cost, and timeline. When the client agrees, we sign a contract, and after partial payment, work begins

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Research and structure

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The first stage is research and gathering information. Everything depends on deadlines and tasks — some stages can sometimes be shortened. But ideally, this includes:

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• Competitor analysis
• User journey on the site
• Personas — target audience profiles
• Site structure across all pages
• Detailed structure for each individual page

This is the foundation. Without it, the design might look "nice" but won't serve business goals

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Design

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Once the structure is approved, the most exciting part begins — design. If the client doesn't have a brand identity, we start with a moodboard. I search for ideas, visual references, metaphors — everything we can use in practice. Then we move to concepts to confirm the direction and make sure we're heading the right way. After concept approval, full design development begins for all pages. Everything happens in Figma with 24/7 access — the client sees progress in real time

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Development

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With design complete, we move to development — turning the mockup into a live working website. This includes coding, responsive adaptation for all devices, animations, integrations, and CMS setup. After launch, I record video instructions for the client — how to work with the site, how to update content

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Marketing (on request)

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If requested, promotion begins after launch. This can be organic traffic through SEO or paid advertising through Google Ads. This is a separate stage with its own budget and timeline

Additional stages

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Of course, stages can vary depending on the project. Additional work might include:

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• Copywriting and content creation
• Brand identity development from scratch
• Photoshoot or visual sourcing
• Integrations with CRM, payment systems

Every project is unique, and the approach adapts to specific needs

How long does it take

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Now let's do the math. Approximate work on one project takes one to two months — assuming quick feedback from the client. Let's take a minimum rate of €10 per hour. This is truly the minimum — junior designers work at roughly this rate:

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• 8 hours per day × €10 = €80
• 5 days per week = €400
• 4 weeks = €1,600

And that's just one specialist. If a team works on the project — designer, developer, copywriter — each needs to be paid for their part. And we're already talking about amounts from €3,000 and up. So when someone offers a website for €500 — it's either a template with minimal changes, someone working at a loss, or the quality will match the price

What about AI?

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Many people say now: "Why pay when AI can generate a website?" Let's be honest. AI can indeed generate a design. But it doesn't account for real user behavior scenarios on the site. It doesn't understand your business, your audience, your goals. It doesn't ask questions, doesn't analyze competitors, doesn't build user journeys. Even if you get a generated website — it needs to be launched somewhere. If it's code, you need a developer to make changes. If something breaks — you need a specialist too. And if the site doesn't bring clients because the structure wasn't thought through — that's already lost money and time

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AI is a tool that I use myself in my work. It helps, speeds up some processes. But it doesn't replace experience, strategy, and understanding of how a website should work for a business

Conclusion

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Website development isn't "make something pretty over the weekend." It's complex team work that takes time and requires expertise. You can save money and do something cheap. But a cheap website often means expensive rework later, lost clients, and a ruined first impression. If you need a tool that actually works and delivers results — it's worth investing in quality from the start