It's the first question every business owner asks before launching their digital project. And unfortunately, the answers found on the internet range from "0€ with Wix" to "15,000€ with a specialized agency". Here is finally some transparency on prices to help you make the right choice.
The illusion of the "Free" website
Platform builders like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify promise you a free or very cheap site. The reality? You spend dozens of hours figuring out how it works, the design looks amateurish, the site is poorly referenced on Google, and the hidden monthly fees add up quickly. Worse still: you do not own your site. If you stop paying the subscription, you lose everything.
The traditional Web Agency (from 3000€ to 10000€+)
Agencies have significant structural costs (offices, project managers, salespeople). Even for a simple 5-page showcase site for a restaurant or a shop, the budget rarely drops below 3000€. The result is often good, but the return on investment can be very long for a local business.
The modern alternative: monthly subscription
This is a formula I offer and which appeals to more and more people: instead of paying a large sum upfront, you pay a fixed monthly subscription (e.g. around 150€/month). This includes the creation of the site, domain name, hosting, and above all unlimited modifications thereafter. You thus perfectly control your budget.
Profitability: seeing the website as an investment
It is crucial not to see the creation of a website as a simple expense, but rather as a marketing tool intended to bring you money. A showcase site optimized for local SEO will work for you 24/7, attracting prospects who are looking for exactly your services on Google. If a 1500€ site brings you 10 new regular customers in the first month, it is instantly profitable. This is why choosing the cheapest quote (or entrusting the creation to "the nephew who knows a bit about computers") is often the worst calculation: an unprofessional, slow, or poorly referenced site will generate no traffic, and will ultimately be a useless expense.