What should a website quote include?

Give each supplier the same brief

“Five-page website” does not tell you whether the supplier writes the content, designs distinct layouts, configures enquiries or simply adds your text to a template. Before comparing totals, make the requirements comparable.

Share your audience, the action you want visitors to take, the pages needed, existing assets, required integrations and who will maintain the site. For a replacement site, include the current address and what must survive the move. business.gov.au’s website setup guide also starts with business goals and customer needs.

Check what is included, extra or yours to supply

Ask each supplier to mark every line included, extra, client-supplied or excluded. If an item is extra, request its price or the process for approving its cost.

Swipe across the table to see every column.

Website quote scope checklist
Requirement	What the quote should say	Evidence to request
Pages and design	Named pages, unique layouts, template or custom design	Page list and design review stages
Copy and images	Who writes, edits, supplies and approves each asset	Content list with responsibilities
Forms and bookings	Fields, destinations, confirmations and integration limits	Demonstration and delivery test
Mobile and accessibility	Devices, browsers and accessibility checks in scope	Test plan; any agreed standard and exclusions
Editing and training	What you can edit and what needs developer help	Editing demonstration and handover notes
SEO foundations	Named technical and content tasks, not just “SEO-ready”	Titles, indexing checks and agreed deliverables
Migration	Existing pages, URL mapping and redirect responsibilities	Old-to-new URL list and redirect test
Analytics	Business access and which actions will be measured	Account invitation and measurement test
Revisions and acceptance	Review rounds, approval stages and completion criteria	Written milestones and defect process
After launch	Care tasks, recurring fees, support limits and exit	Service schedule and handover list

For healthcare or allied health, add any booking system and content-review responsibilities to the brief. Ask how sensitive enquiries will be handled; do not assume a general contact form is suitable for detailed patient information. Our allied health web design page describes the service context.

Make SEO and migration deliverables specific

A quote can include page titles, crawlability checks and a sitemap without including ongoing content creation or search reporting. Ask which pages are covered, who supplies the content and what evidence you receive at handover. Search visibility is an outcome influenced by more than the website build.

Google’s hiring guidance cautions buyers about ranking guarantees. Treat a promised position as a reason to ask harder questions, rather than as proof of value. If you need continuing search work, compare its scope separately from the build.

When URLs change, ask for a map from each important old page to a relevant new page and tests of the redirects. Google’s site-move guidance recommends permanent redirects and updated internal links. “Redirect everything to the homepage” is not a meaningful migration plan.

Use a comparison sheet before choosing

Compare the 36-month cost once you understand the scope. Add your own work: writing every page, selecting photographs and learning the editor can be worthwhile, but it is still work.

Ask to see a relevant completed website and have the supplier explain what they delivered. A polished portfolio alone does not establish how your forms, content, migration or handover will be handled.

Resolve responsibilities and acceptance before paying

Timeline: what must you provide before work starts, who approves each stage, and what happens if content or feedback is late?
Payment: which milestone triggers each payment, and is the final milestone design approval, launch or completed handover?
Changes: how are new requests priced and approved before work begins?
Completion: what checks must pass, which defects will be corrected, and for how long is that work included?
Continuity: who controls the domain, accounts, code or exports, and what would a replacement supplier receive?

You do not need to become a developer to compare proposals. You need enough detail to understand the result, your responsibilities and the cost of changing your mind. Use the ownership and exit checklist below for the final part.

Put ownership and exit into the quote

Ask the agreement to spell out the rights to content, design and code, third-party licence limits, and the materials supplied at handover. The invoice alone is not a useful asset register. For questions about disputed rights, get advice on the actual contract.

auDA explains that a .au registrant holds a domain licence. Its third-party management guidance says a developer registering a .au domain on your behalf must record you or your organisation as the registrant. Check registration details, business access and where renewal notices go.

Ask what another supplier would need to operate the site. For a custom build, request source and build/deployment instructions. For a CMS, identify files, data, exports and paid extensions. For a hosted builder, distinguish an account transfer from changing platforms: Wix states that a working Wix site must run on Wix infrastructure.

For a move, inventory the assets first, prepare and test the receiving site, and have your provider preserve DNS and email dependencies. Map redirects if URLs change. Verify forms and essential workflows before cancelling the old service, then review access and billing. Price any handover fee before signing.

Ask what stops if you cancel an ongoing plan. Our maintenance guide helps you compare care responsibilities, support and recovery.

Sources and further reading

Official documentation supports the platform and search facts in this guide. The worksheets and recommendations are our practical editorial guidance.