PIPELINEGuide
Having a website built: comparing providers — what really matters
Offers for having a website built are hard to compare because everyone includes something different. The questions that reveal the differences — and the warning signs.
When comparing providers for having a website built, the stated price matters less than the question of what happens afterwards: who maintains the system after go-live, and what does a later adjustment cost. That's the difference that only shows up after a few months.
01 — Criteria
How quotes differ
- What exactly is included. Two quotes with the same total can cover completely different deliverables. Ask for scope as a list, not as running text.
- Who delivers what. Content, images, data, access — if it's not specified, it becomes a point of conflict later.
- What operation costs. Calculated over three years, including licenses, hosting, and support.
- What happens if you want to switch. Do you get access, data, and documentation? The answer to this question says more about a provider than any reference.
- Who actually does the work. With small providers this matters: who sits in the meeting, and who then does it.
02 — Questions
Questions you should ask
- What happens if the project becomes more expensive than estimated — who bears that?
- Who owns data, access, and, if developed, the source code?
- What does operation cost in the second and third year?
- What does the documentation we receive at the end look like?
- How would you measure whether the project was successful?
- Is there a case in which you would advise us against this?
03 — Warning signs
When to be skeptical
- Guaranteed results. Anyone promising top Google ranking or a specific revenue increase is selling something they can't deliver.
- No pushback. A provider who thinks every project is a good idea has either not listened or is only selling.
- Time pressure. Limited-time discounts on project prices are a sales tool, not an offer.
- Unclear ownership. Anyone who won't clearly say who owns data and access doesn't have your interests at heart.
- No contact with technical expertise. If only sales sits in the first meeting, that's where misunderstandings arise.
04 — Scope
What's included
- Structure and copy based on what your customers actually search for
- Design in your corporate look, light and dark, without template appearance
- Technically sound: fast loading time, clean heading structure, structured data
- Accessibility according to WCAG 2.1 AA as standard, not as an extra charge
- Content management system so you can change content yourself
- Legal texts, cookie logic, and analytics set up in compliance with GDPR
05 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take?
Four to eight weeks is realistic if content and images arrive on time. The bottleneck is practically never development, but approval of texts and photos.
What does a website cost in Austria?
There's no serious way to answer that as a flat rate — the market ranges are huge because a one-pager and a multilingual company site with twenty pages are completely different projects technically. What matters most is how much content has to be created from scratch — that's almost always the biggest line item, not the technology. Send us a quick note about what you have in mind, and you'll get a proposal that fits your scope.
What happens to our old site?
The content is carried over as long as it's suitable, and old addresses are redirected to the new ones. Without these redirects, you lose the visibility built up over years — that's the most common mistake in a relaunch.
WordPress or something else?
Depends on the case. WordPress makes sense when many people manage content and standard features are enough. Where speed, security, or custom functions matter, we build leaner. We don't recommend what we like building most, but what you can still operate in three years.
What does ongoing operation cost?
Hosting, domain, updates, and backups are ongoing costs — how much depends on the size and requirements of the site, and we state that transparently in the quote. Anyone who skimps on that skimps until the first security incident.
Can we manage the site ourselves?
Yes. You maintain texts, images, and simple pages yourself. For structural changes you get in touch — or not, that's not a dependency we build.
Does our website have to be accessible?
Since 28 June 2025, the Accessibility Act (Barrierefreiheitsgesetz) applies in Austria. Mainly affected are online shops, bookings, e-ticketing, and banking services in consumer business; micro-enterprises are exempt for services. A pure information site generally doesn't fall under it — we still build to WCAG 2.1 AA because it makes the site better for everyone and the rules tend to get stricter.
06 — Next
Related pages
- Having a website created — Overview
- Having a website created — Common mistakes
- Having a website built — practical examples
- Having a website built — team and acceptance
- Having a Website Built — How It Works
- Having a website created — Where to start
- Having a website created — Funding
- Having a website created — Pros and cons
- Landing page
- SEO
- Website relaunch
- All guides
Having a website created by region
Next step
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