If you’ve been searching for web design in Athens, GA, you’ve probably noticed that pricing is all over the place. One agency quotes you $4,000. Another comes in at $15,000. A freelancer on a platform like Fiverr offers to do the whole thing for $300. So what’s going on, and what should you actually expect to pay for a website that does what it’s supposed to do?
We’re going to give you a straight answer, because we think you deserve one before making this kind of investment.
What Drives the Cost of a Website
The biggest factor in website pricing is scope. At MORE, we price websites primarily based on the number of pages, and most of the sites we build fall somewhere between 1 and 15 pages, but some are 100s. Here’s a general sense of what that looks like in practice.
A smaller site in the 6-page range (think homepage, about, services, a few supporting pages, and contact) typically comes in around $4,500 to $5,000. That’s a solid, custom-built website that covers the essentials and gives your business a professional presence online.
As you move into the 10 to 15-page range, you’re often looking at $7,000 to $8,500 or more. This tier commonly includes dedicated location pages to help you rank in specific cities or neighborhoods, additional service pages, and more content overall. If you’re a business that serves multiple areas around Athens, this is where investing in those extra pages pays off in search visibility. We saw this firsthand with TopDawg Junk Removal, where building out 30+ targeted location pages contributed to a 64% growth in organic traffic.
More complex builds (sites with technical integrations, custom functionality, e-commerce, or larger page counts) can range from $15,000 to $20,000 or more. The more moving parts, the more time and expertise go into making sure everything works correctly.
These aren’t arbitrary numbers. They reflect real hours spent on strategy, design, development, content structure, and testing.
Why You Should Be Skeptical of Very Low Quotes
If an “agency” (notice the quotes around it) quotes you $500 or $800 for a complete website, it’s worth asking some hard questions. A price that low almost always means one of a few things: your site is being built on a premade template, it’s not being optimized for search engines, it may not be fully mobile responsive, you may not be able to give feedback or review before the site is published, or it could have security vulnerabilities that make it an easy target for hackers.
In a world where most people are searching on their phones, a site that isn’t built for mobile isn’t just aesthetically frustrating; it’s actively losing you customers. Google has made mobile-friendliness a ranking factor, which means a non-responsive site doesn’t just underperform for users, it underperforms in search results too.
At MORE, you’ll never get a template. Every site we build is custom-built in WordPress, designed around your content and your business. We don’t take an existing layout and squeeze your information into it. We build the structure around what you actually need to communicate. Every company is different, and how your website is organized, written, and designed should reflect that. Before building out a website, we design a detailed, complete mockup for you to review and make as many changes as you’d like, which ensures that your site has exactly the impact you want it to have!
Ask Every Agency About Hosting
This one comes up less often than it should. Hosting is where your website actually lives on the internet, and it has a direct impact on how fast your site loads, which in turn affects your SEO performance.
Page speed is a confirmed Google ranking factor, and slow sites consistently see higher bounce rates, meaning visitors leave before they even see what you offer. According to SEMrush, even a one-second delay in load time can significantly impact conversions.
MORE handles hosting for every WordPress website we build. We manage it ourselves and charge a small monthly fee to keep your site fast, secure, and running reliably. If you’re talking to another agency and they’re vague about where your site will be hosted (or they leave it up to you to figure out), that’s a red flag. Bad hosting is one of the most common and most avoidable reasons a website underperforms.
Look at Their Portfolio Before You Commit
Pricing is only part of the picture. Before you sign with any web design agency in Athens, spend real time on their portfolio. You’re looking for a few things: Do the sites look high-quality and varied, or do they all feel like variations of the same template? Are there real results attached to the work, or just screenshots? Does the agency seem to understand different industries and audiences?
You can browse every website we’ve built at MORE here. We’re proud of the range of clients we work with, from law firms to medical practices to junk removal companies, and we think our results speak for themselves.
Don’t Overlook What Comes After Launch
A website isn’t a one-time transaction. Once your site is live, it needs to stay updated, secure, and optimized to keep performing well over time. Plugins need updating, content needs refreshing, and as your business grows, your site should grow with it.
MORE offers ongoing website maintenance, updates, and SEO support long after your site launches. We’re not a one-and-done service. We want to be your creative partners for the long haul, which means we’re invested in your site actually working for your business, not just looking good on launch day.
So What Will Your Website Actually Cost?
The honest answer is: it depends on what you need. But now you know what drives the number, what corners get cut when the price is suspiciously low, and what questions to ask before you commit.
If you’re ready to find out exactly what a custom website build with MORE would cost for your specific business, reach out and request a quote. We’ll talk through your goals, your content, and what makes sense for your budget, no pressure, no fluff.