Website extras that are rarely in the first quote

Key takeaways

The website extras most often missing from first quotes are copywriting, photography, stock images, plugin and app licences, content loading, SEO redirects, tracking, training and post-launch changes. Together they commonly add 20% to 40% to a small business website budget. Ask suppliers to price each one before you compare quotes.

• Copywriting: about £100 to £400 a page.
• Photography: often £300 to £1,500.
• Licences: about £100 to £600 a year.
• Content loading, redirects, training: often extra.

Which website extras are often missing from quotes?

The extras most often missing are copywriting, photography and stock images, plugin and app licences, loading content into pages, migrating old content with SEO redirects, analytics tracking, accessibility testing, staff training and changes after launch. Each can be reasonable to exclude, but should be priced.

• Why website quotes range from £500 to £15,000
• How much does a business website cost in the UK?

How much do the extras add?

Indicative UK prices for common extras: copywriting £100 to £400 a page, photography £300 to £1,500, plugin and app licences £100 to £600 a year, content loading £150 to £800, SEO redirects £300 to £1,500 and training £100 to £400. Together they often add 20% to 40%.

• Copywriting: about £100 to £400 a page.
• Photography: about £300 to £1,500.
• Content loading: about £150 to £800.
• Redirects: about £300 to £1,500.
• Training: about £100 to £400.

• Website copywriting cost in the UK, page by page
• Stock photos, icons and fonts: website licence costs

Why are extras left out?

Extras are left out to keep the headline price competitive, because the supplier expects you to provide them, or because nobody asked. None of these is wrong in itself, but it makes quotes hard to compare.

Which extras should you never skip?

Never skip SEO redirects when replacing an old site, tracking of enquiries, or a fix period after launch. Skipping redirects can lose search traffic built over years; skipping tracking leaves you unable to judge results.

• SEO setup for a new website: what it should cost

When can you supply extras yourself?

You can supply copy, photos and content loading yourself if you have time and skill, saving cash. Plan the time realistically: content is the most common cause of delayed launches.

What does this look like in practice?

At Global Bridge Labs (GBL), a UK joinery firm's £3,500 quote grew to £4,900 after launch with copy edits, image licences, content loading and redirects. A second business we advised priced those extras upfront at £1,200 and chose a supplier whose all-in quote was lower than the cheapest headline price.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Extras checklist

• Ask about copy and photography.
• List licences and yearly fees.
• Check content loading is included.
• Confirm redirects and tracking.
• Ask about training.
• Ask the rate for post-launch changes.

• Website scope creep: how projects go over budget
• How to negotiate a website price without losing quality

Next step

Send suppliers the list of extras above and ask for each to be marked included, excluded or priced. Compare the totals.