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Simple business website: $2,000-$5,000. Custom design with CMS: $5,000-$15,000. E-commerce store: $5,000-$25,000. Custom web application: $15,000-$100,000+. Ongoing maintenance: $100-$500/month. Get multiple quotes and compare portfolios.

Freelancers are typically 30-50% cheaper and work well for smaller projects. Agencies offer broader skill sets, project management, and continuity (if one person leaves, the project continues). For complex projects, agencies reduce risk. For simple sites, a good freelancer is usually the better value.

Simple business site: 2-4 weeks. Custom design: 4-8 weeks. E-commerce: 6-12 weeks. Web application: 3-6 months. These timelines assume prompt feedback — delays in content and approvals are the #1 cause of project delays.

Designers focus on visual design, user experience, and branding. Developers write code and build functionality. Many professionals do both. For a simple business site, a designer who uses WordPress/Squarespace is fine. For custom functionality, you need a developer.

Prepare: your logo and brand guidelines, examples of sites you like, a list of pages you need, your content (text, photos, video), your domain name, and a clear idea of your goals (lead generation, sales, information). The more prepared you are, the smoother the project.