You can get a website built for R2,000. You can also get a suit for R200. One of them will make you look professional. The other will cost you more in lost opportunities than you saved.
The Hidden Costs
- Lost conversions: A poorly designed site converts at 0.5% instead of 2.5%. On 10,000 monthly visitors, that is 200 lost leads per month.
- Speed penalties: Cheap hosting means slow load times. Google penalises slow sites and visitors leave after 3 seconds.
- Rebuilds: Most cheap sites need to be rebuilt within 12-18 months. You end up paying twice.
- No SEO foundation: Cheap builds skip technical SEO. You start from zero when you finally invest in search.
What Honest Pricing Looks Like
A professional website for a small business typically costs between R15,000 and R50,000 depending on complexity. This includes design, development, basic SEO setup, mobile optimisation, and content management training.
How to Evaluate Quotes
When comparing web design quotes, ask:
- Does it include mobile-responsive design?
- Is SEO setup included (sitemap, schema, page speed)?
- Who hosts it and what is the uptime guarantee?
- Can I edit content myself after launch?
- What happens if something breaks?
The Bottom Line
A website is a business investment, not a commodity purchase. The difference between a R2,000 site and a R25,000 site is not aesthetics — it is whether the site actually generates business.