Price website design by calculating your actual costs, then positioning based on client size and project complexity. A basic WordPress site for a local contractor might run 20–35 hours all-in (design, development, content entry, SEO setup), which at $100–150/hour lands you in the $2,500–$5,000 range. A custom Shopify build with 50+ products, brand strategy, and conversion optimization could hit 80–120 hours, justifying $10,000–$18,000. Enterprise work with stakeholder management, custom integrations, and compliance requirements goes higher. Three pricing models work: hourly (safest when scope is unclear, typically $85–$200/hour depending on market and expertise), fixed project (requires tight scoping, prevents scope creep with change orders), and value-based (charge based on business impact—a site generating $500K in annual leads justifies more than one generating $50K). Most agencies use fixed projects with tiered packages because clients want certainty and it's easier to sell. Factor in these cost drivers: number of unique page templates, e-commerce functionality, custom integrations (CRM, booking systems, APIs), content creation, photography, copywriting, multilingual requirements, and ongoing maintenance. A 5-page brochure site is fundamentally different from a 40-page service site with lead magnets and marketing automation. At Ottawa SEO, we price projects around the 40–60 hour mark for typical small business builds because that's what it actually takes to deliver something that ranks and converts—discovery, wireframes, design iterations, development, on-page SEO, speed optimization, and training. We don't compete at $1,500 because that's not enough time to do it properly. We also don't pitch $50,000 websites to businesses doing $200K revenue. Avoid the race to the bottom. Cheap sites attract clients who don't value quality and will nickel-and-dime every revision. Charge what your time and expertise are worth, communicate the scope clearly, and use contracts that define revisions and deliverables. If someone balks at $5,000 for a professional site, they're not your client.