The Biggest Cost Factor: Design Approach
There are two main ways to build a website: using a ready-made template or commissioning a fully custom design. Templates are fast and economical — pick a look, add content, and launch. With custom design, every screen, colour, and typeface is crafted from scratch to match your brand, which takes longer and costs more, but sets you apart visually from competitors.
A Closer Look at Each Cost Item
- Design and development: The largest item in any project. Template-based sites cost less; custom-coded sites cost more.
- Number of pages and complexity: A 5-page brochure site and a 50-page product catalogue are not priced the same.
- Special features: Contact form, appointment system, member portal, multilingual support, online payment — each one means extra work.
- Content production: Are the texts, photos, and videos coming from you, or is the agency producing them? The latter increases costs.
- Domain and hosting: Usually paid annually; varies based on site type and traffic volume.
- Maintenance and updates: After launch, the site still needs updates, security patches, and technical support.
Which Features Drive Up the Cost?
- Online payment and 3D Secure integration: Virtual POS connectivity requires technical infrastructure.
- Multilingual support (TR + EN + DE etc.): Each language means additional content production and technical setup.
- Reservation / appointment system: Calendar management and notifications require custom development.
- Membership and user portal: Registration, login, password reset — these look simple but extend development time.
- E-commerce (product listing, cart, order management): A far more comprehensive project than a standard brochure site.
- Animation and interactive design: Moving elements, effects, and custom transitions lengthen design time.
Technical Requirements to Watch Out for in 2026
These days, a website just "looking good" is not enough. Google uses mobile compatibility and page speed as ranking criteria — this is called Core Web Vitals. Additionally, HTTPS (SSL certificate) is now a mandatory standard, and a privacy policy and cookie notice are required for KVKK compliance. If these technical requirements are included in the project proposal, that's a good sign; if not, extra costs may arise later.