The Honest Guide to Websites: What You’re Really Paying For When You Hire a Web Developer

July 23, 2025 / 8 min read

A clear, non-technical explanation for people who just want a website that works, and makes sense.

Introduction: Two websites, one price tag ten times higher. Why?

Imagine walking into a car dealership and seeing two cars side by side.
They look almost the same.
Same color, same size, same fancy touchscreen.

But one costs €4,000. The other? €40,000.
Would you assume the cheaper one is just as good? Or would you ask: “What’s the difference?”

Websites are like that.

From the outside, two websites might look similar. A logo, a few images, some text, maybe a contact form. But under the surface, they can be built in completely different ways. Those differences affect everything from performance and security to flexibility, SEO, and your sanity six months from now.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why does a decent website cost more than I expected?”, this article is for you.
You don’t need to understand code. You just need someone to explain what’s really going on – honestly, clearly, and without the usual tech jargon.

Let’s get into it.

1. A website is not a digital brochure. It’s a living, working system

Think of your website not as a document, but as a machine.
It runs on code. It stores and retrieves information. It interacts with servers, browsers, databases, scripts. It responds to users in real time. It’s more like a car than a flyer.

And like a car, you don’t just want it to look good parked in the driveway. You want it to run smoothly, handle traffic well, respond when needed, and be easy to maintain over time.

The truth is, most people only think about how a website looks. But what you’re really paying for is what you don’t see: structure, stability, speed, flexibility, and quality of execution.

2. The theme isn’t just the “look”. It’s the frame of the entire house

In WordPress (and similar platforms), a theme controls more than colors and layout.
It defines how content is structured, how pages load, how mobile devices handle your site, and how flexible everything will be in the future.

Imagine two houses with identical wallpaper and furniture.
One is built on a solid concrete foundation. The other is sitting on sand.
That’s the difference between a custom, well-built theme and a bloated, poorly coded one downloaded for free.

A theme affects speed. It affects SEO. It affects what can go wrong and how hard it will be to fix.

3. Plugins aren’t magic. They’re dependencies

Think of plugins like adding appliances to your kitchen.
A fridge? Great. A coffee machine? Sure.
But if you start adding ten more devices, and each one needs its own wiring, and some of them don’t quite work together…
Eventually something sparks, shuts down, or catches fire.

Plugins are useful, but each one adds:

• weight to your site
• potential security vulnerabilities
• risk of conflict with others
• future maintenance tasks
• performance overhead

Some developers solve every problem by installing “just one more plugin.”
But good developers know when not to use one, and how to build a lean, reliable solution instead.

4. Page builders can build pages. They can’t build foundations

Page builders like Elementor or WPBakery are drag-and-drop tools.
They allow people to visually design a site without code.

At first, they seem amazing. You can create layouts quickly. Add animations. Customize fonts. All without touching code. Sounds perfect.

But under the hood?

They generate:

• messy HTML
• duplicated styles
• multiple layers of unnecessary code
• bloated pages that load slowly
• fragile layouts that break easily

Using page builders without knowing how code works is like trying to fix a car by repainting it.
It might look nice, but the engine still sputters.

5. A slow website doesn’t just annoy people. It costs you real money

Studies show that people leave websites if they take longer than three seconds to load.
Not only that — Google punishes slow websites in search rankings.

Speed affects:

• how long people stay on your site
• how likely they are to contact you
• how well your site works on mobile
• how much trust your business earns

And speed isn’t just about your internet connection. It’s about how the site was built:
Are images optimized? Is the code efficient? Are there too many scripts loading in the background?

A fast website feels effortless.
A slow one feels like something’s broken, even when it’s not.

6. SEO doesn’t start with keywords. It starts with structure

Search engine optimization is not something you “add later.”
It’s baked into the DNA of your website from day one.

Google cares about:

• how well your site is structured
• whether you’re using headings properly
• how fast your site loads
• whether it works on mobile
• if the code makes sense

If your site is built using visual tools that generate bloated, confusing markup, even the best-written blog posts won’t help you rank.

SEO plugins can help, but they’re not magic. They only work if the foundation is solid.

7. Hosting and domains are invisible. Until something goes wrong

Hosting is where your site physically lives. Your domain is just the address.

Cheap hosting can cause:

• long loading times
• security holes
• server errors
• frequent downtime
• bad customer support

And when something breaks, you’ll be on hold with a provider that doesn’t care or doesn’t speak your language.

Spending €50 more per year on quality hosting can save you hundreds in lost leads, broken pages, and panicked emails.

8. “Mobile-friendly” is not a checkbox. It’s an experience

Just because your site shows up on a phone doesn’t mean it works well.

Is the text readable? Are the buttons easy to tap? Does the layout adapt gracefully? Is the menu usable?

Responsive design is more than just scaling down. It’s about creating a pleasant experience for users on all devices.

Today, over 60% of all web traffic is mobile.
If your site frustrates people on their phone, you’re losing business without even knowing it.

9. Security isn’t for banks. It’s for you

Many business owners think: “Why would anyone hack my small site?”

Hackers don’t care about your size. They care about weaknesses.
And poorly built websites are full of them.

Common risks include:

• outdated plugins
• reused passwords
• weak admin access
• no backups
• cheap hosting

Security is not about being paranoid. It’s about being responsible.

10. A website is not a one-time project. It’s a living system

After launch, your site needs:

• updates
• backups
• tweaks
• content changes
• occasional fixes

If it’s built properly, these are easy.
If it’s built in a rush with duct tape and shortcuts, even a simple change can break things.

And when something goes wrong, who’s going to fix it?
Will your budget developer even pick up the phone?

11. Good websites grow with you. Bad ones hold you back

A cheap website might do the job today. But what happens in six months when your business grows?

Can you add features without rebuilding everything?
Can you change structure, integrate tools, expand content?
Can someone else take over and understand what’s been built?

A well-structured site is like good architecture.
It allows you to build on top, move walls, add floors — without everything collapsing.

So why do high-quality websites cost more?

Because they’re not just about what you see.
They’re about what you don’t see, but rely on every day.

You’re paying for:

• experience
• strategy
• quality of execution
• prevention of future issues
• performance
• long-term value

Anyone can build a cheap website.
But that website might cost you more in missed opportunities, lost leads, and future repair work than you ever imagined.

One last note about my own work

You might read this and look at my portfolio, thinking: “But not all of these websites follow everything you’ve just said.”

That’s true. And here’s why.

Every project has constraints. Budgets. Timeframes. Client decisions.
I always recommend the best possible approach: fast, stable, lean, scalable.

But ultimately, the client decides how far we go.
And that’s perfectly okay.

What matters is that the person building your website understands what’s behind a €300 site, and what makes a €3,000 site worth every cent.

Conclusion: What are you really paying for?

You’re not buying a bunch of pages. You’re investing in:

• peace of mind
• business credibility
• technical resilience
• flexibility for the future
• trust in the developer you hired

And above all, you’re buying time.
Because a good website works silently in the background, so you can focus on running your business.

That’s the real value.
And that’s what you deserve.