Having a website built — the guide

Having a website built: from the idea to running it.

Anyone who wants a website built chooses between a site builder, a freelancer and a web agency. This guide shows what each of the three involves, what belongs in a complete project, what drives the cost and how to recognise a good offer. We are a web agency from Ulm and work for clients in Germany and across Europe.

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The routes

Site builder, freelancer or web agency: three routes to your own website.

  • Site builder, do it yourself

    The cheapest way in if you have the time and the site stays small. You build, maintain and optimise everything yourself, and the template often looks like many others. Load time and findability are yours to handle too.

  • Freelancer

    One person who designs and builds. That can work very well if they also cover SEO, copy and the running of the site. Settle beforehand who looks after the site if that person is ill or fully booked.

  • Web agency

    A studio that holds concept, web design, engineering, visibility and operation together. You get one contact instead of several suppliers. Check that the agency fixes its scope in writing before design begins.

The comparison

What matters to you? We show which route fits.

Tap what counts for your project. Below you see right away how well doing it yourself, a freelancer and a web agency fit.

Your priorities

Do it yourself

–

Fit: –

Freelancer

–

Fit: –

Web agency

–

Fit: –

Nothing chosen yet. Pick at least one point and the comparison starts calculating.

A general reading of the three routes, not a measurement. In a given case it depends on the person, the offer and the scope.

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What belongs in it

From the idea to running it: everything that belongs in a website.

When you have a website built, an offer should name these points clearly. If one is missing, you pay for it later or do it yourself.

How to spot a weak offer

  • A price with no described scope
  • A bought theme sold as a bespoke solution
  • Hosting with a minimum term and no right to leave
  • 01Concept and page structure: which pages exist and which question each one answers
  • 02Web design: layout, typography and colour to fit your brand
  • 03Copy and images: who writes them, supplies them and signs them off
  • 04Engineering: fast load time, mobile layout, accessibility
  • 05SEO: technical basics, page titles, structured data, sitemap
  • 06GEO: building content so AI answers can understand it and use it as a source
  • 07Legal pages: imprint, privacy policy and, where needed, cookie consent
  • 08Management and hosting: who runs, secures and updates the site
  • 09Handover: domain, code, copy and every access credential end up yours
Comparing offers

Five points that say more than the total at the bottom.

The difference between two offers is rarely how they look. It is who is responsible after launch. A site nobody looks after gets slower, less secure and out of date.

So lay your offers side by side and ask each of them the same five things. Whoever cannot answer them usually has not planned for them.

Scope
Fixed in writing before the design begins
Contact
One person or team for web design, SEO and operation
Ownership
Code, copy, domain and access credentials go to you
Operation
Hosting, backups, updates and are covered
Visibility
SEO and GEO are planned in from the start
What it costs

What the cost of a new website depends on and what is fixed with us.

What decides it: the number of pages, how individual the design is, which functions are needed (shop, booking, several languages) and whether copy and images are supplied. Running costs for management and hosting come on top. With us the price is fixed after the briefing, with no minimum term.

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Common questions

What to know before you have a website built.

What does it cost to have a website built?

That depends on the scope. What decides it: the number of pages, how individual the design is, which functions are needed and whether we supply copy and images. Running costs for management and hosting come on top. With us the price is fixed after the briefing and moves only if the brief moves. The packages are in the pricing section on the home page.

How long does it take to have a website built?

With us four to six weeks from briefing to launch. A project slows down most when copy and images arrive late.

What do I need before I have a website built?

A goal (for example more enquiries), an idea of who the site should reach, and material such as logo, images and copy, as far as you have it. We settle everything else in the briefing, which takes about an hour of your time.

Site builder or web agency: which fits me?

A site builder is usually enough for a small, simple site if you look after it yourself. If the site should be found, load fast and lead to enquiries, a web agency helps because web design, engineering and SEO are planned together.

What is GEO and does my website need it?

GEO stands for generative engine optimisation: building content so AI answers can understand it and use it as a source. At its core it is good SEO with clear structure, backed statements and clean structured data. We plan it in from the start. A mention in AI answers cannot be guaranteed.

Who owns the website in the end?

You do. Code, design, copy, domain and every credential transfer to you. You are not tied to a platform or to a contract with us, and you can move to another provider whenever you want.

What happens after launch?

For four weeks we stay your direct contact for corrections and questions, free of charge. After that you decide: maintain it yourself, or book Management & Hosting with us. There is no minimum term and no automatic renewal.

Do I have to come to Ulm?

No. We are based in Ulm and work for clients across Germany and Europe. The briefing runs over a video call. We are happy to meet in person, but it is not necessary.

Elsewhere in the house

Want to have a website built? Let us talk.

Write a few lines about what you need. Within 24 hours you get a first assessment: what is possible, what it costs, how long it takes. No obligation and no sales pitch.

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