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Website costs can't be summed up in a single number. The total is made up of the domain, hosting, design/development, content and maintenance. A simple brochure site can go live on a small yearly budget, while an e-commerce project with custom software costs far more. What really drives the price is the site's purpose and scope.
In this guide we break down the items that make up the cost of a website, explain how each decision affects your budget and what to look for when you ask for quotes.
What Makes Up the Cost of a Website
| Item | Billing | What drives the price |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | Yearly | Extension (.com, .com.tr, .net), promotions and renewal price |
| Hosting / server | Monthly or yearly | Traffic, number of sites, resources (CPU/RAM), disk type |
| Design and development | Usually one-off | Ready-made theme or custom design, number of pages, custom features |
| Plugins / licences | One-off or yearly | Premium themes, forms, SEO and e-commerce plugins |
| Content | One-off / ongoing | Copy, images, product entry, translation |
| Maintenance and security | Monthly / yearly | Updates, backups, technical support |
| Business email | Monthly / yearly | Number of accounts and storage |
1. Domain Name Cost
A domain is renewed every year. You may see a promotional price at registration, but what really matters is the renewal price. For example, at the time of writing, a .com domain at ViHyper costs ₺655.13 per year for both registration and renewal. You can see all current prices on the domain page.
2. Hosting Cost
Hosting is the server service where your site's files are stored. Options depend on your needs:
- Shared hosting: enough for company brochure sites and blogs. For example, ViHyper's entry-level hosting plan is ₺44.90 per month (list price at the time of writing).
- WordPress hosting: plans optimised for WordPress; the entry plan is ₺54.90 per month.
- VDS / virtual server: for high-traffic sites, e-commerce and custom software. Resources are dedicated to you and the price rises with cores, RAM and disk.
To compare plans, see the web hosting and WordPress hosting pages. Longer (yearly) billing usually lowers the monthly cost.
3. Design and Development Cost
This is the most variable item in the budget.
- Ready-made theme + content management system (e.g. WordPress): the most economical route. You pay for setup and customisation work.
- Custom design: an interface unique to your brand. The number of pages and revision rounds set the price.
- Custom software: features such as bookings, memberships or integrations (ERP, shipping, payments) significantly increase development time and cost.
4. Content, SEO and Maintenance
Launching the site is only the beginning. Being visible in search engines requires regular content and technical SEO. Security updates, backups and SSL monitoring are ongoing costs too. When you get a quote, always ask whether these services are included.
Budget Logic by Site Type
| Site type | Typical scope | What increases the budget |
|---|---|---|
| Brochure / corporate site | 5–10 pages, contact form | Custom design, multilingual structure |
| Blog / content site | Category structure, post templates | Regular content production, SEO work |
| E-commerce | Products, cart, checkout, shipping | Number of products, integrations, payment gateway |
| Custom application | Membership, dashboard, bookings | Development hours, security requirements |
8 Questions to Ask When Getting a Quote
- In whose name will the domain and hosting be registered? (It should be yours.)
- How many pages and how many revisions are included in the price?
- Will a ready-made theme or a custom design be used?
- Do the plugin/theme licences have renewal costs?
- Will the site be mobile-friendly and fast? How will that be measured?
- Are basic SEO settings (titles, descriptions, sitemap) included?
- How long will post-launch maintenance and support last, and what does it cost?
- Will you receive the site's admin panel and all its files?
Ways to Reduce the Cost
- Don't buy a bigger plan than you need; upgrade as traffic grows.
- Consider yearly billing options.
- Launch with a ready-made theme and move to a custom design as revenue comes in.
- Prepare the content (copy, photos) yourself to cut labour costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the fixed yearly costs of a website?
Domain renewal, hosting fees and any licence or maintenance fees. If you use business email, a business email plan is added to the yearly costs too.
Is it possible to build a website for free?
Some platforms offer free plans, but you usually get a subdomain of the platform, ads may be shown and features are limited. For a professional look, your own domain and hosting are a better fit.
Is it cheaper to have a site built with WordPress?
Usually yes; ready-made themes and plugins shorten development time. For very specific needs, however, custom software can be healthier in the long run than a pile of plugins.
Do prices include VAT?
That depends on the provider. Always check whether VAT is included on quotes and plan pages.
