Almost every web design company sells website design packages, usually three of them, usually labelled something like Basic, Standard and Premium.
Packages exist for a good reason. They make pricing predictable and stop small projects disappearing into open-ended hourly billing. But they also make comparison harder than it looks, because two packages at the same price can contain very different amounts of work.
This guide explains what the line items on a typical package actually mean.
What a Package Usually Includes
Most small business packages are built from the same components:
- A set number of pages
- A design applied to those pages
- Mobile responsive build
- A contact or enquiry form
- A number of stock images
- Basic on-page setup
- Deployment to your hosting
- A defined number of revisions
- A support or account contact
The differences between tiers usually come down to page count, whether a CMS is included, and whether the design is templated or bespoke.
The Page Count Is the Most Misread Number
When a package says five pages, ask what a page means.
There is a large difference between:
- Five unique page designs - five genuinely different layouts, each designed and built
- Five pages using one template - one layout, with your text dropped into it five times
Both are legitimate. The first costs considerably more. Many packages are deliberately vague here, so ask directly: how many unique templates am I paying for?
Also confirm what happens when you need a sixth page later, and what that costs.
What "CMS Included" Should Mean
A content management system lets you edit your own site without a developer. That is valuable, but the phrase is used loosely.
Clarify:
- Which CMS is it?
- Which parts of the site can I edit, and which are locked?
- Can I add new pages myself?
- Will I be trained, and is documentation provided?
- Are there licence costs for the CMS or any plugins?
A CMS you cannot actually use, or one where every meaningful change still requires the agency, is not delivering the benefit you paid for. Our CMS website page covers this in more detail.
Revisions: The Most Common Source of Friction
Packages typically include a set number of revision rounds. Disputes arise because clients and agencies count differently.
Agree in advance:
- What counts as one round? A batch of consolidated feedback, or each individual comment?
- At which stages do revisions apply - design only, or development too?
- What is the hourly rate once included rounds are used?
- What happens if you change direction after approving a design?
Consolidating your feedback into a single clear list per round is the simplest way to stay inside a package.
What Packages Usually Exclude
These are the items most often outside the headline price:
- Copywriting. Most packages assume you supply the text. Writing it for you is normally extra.
- Professional photography. Stock images are included; a shoot is not.
- Logo and brand identity. Usually a separate service.
- Ongoing SEO. Basic setup may be included; a campaign is not.
- Hosting and domain. Sometimes bundled for year one, then billed.
- Maintenance. Updates, backups and security patching after launch.
- Data migration. Moving content from an existing site.
- Integrations. CRM, booking, payments, email platforms.
Again, none of this is dishonest. It only becomes a problem when it is discovered after signing.
Ownership: The Question People Forget
Before paying anything, establish in writing who owns what after launch:
- The domain name, registered in your name
- The hosting account
- The website files and code
- The content and images
- Analytics and Search Console properties
If you cannot take your site elsewhere, you do not really own it. This single question separates good suppliers from ones you will regret.
How to Compare Two Packages Fairly
Put the quotes side by side and normalise them against the same checklist:
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Unique templates, not pages | The single biggest driver of design cost |
| Who writes the content | Frequently the largest hidden cost |
| Revision rounds and definition | Where overruns usually begin |
| Technical SEO included | Expensive to retrofit later |
| Mobile testing depth | Most of your traffic |
| Year-two recurring costs | Changes the real total |
| Ownership and portability | Determines your future options |
| Post-launch support terms | What happens when something breaks |
Once both quotes are described in the same terms, the better value is usually obvious, and it is not always the cheaper one.
Which Tier Should a Small Business Choose?
As a rough guide:
- Entry tier suits a new business that needs a credible presence, a clear description of services and a way to be contacted.
- Middle tier suits an established business with several services to explain, that wants to be found in search.
- Top tier suits businesses needing a CMS, more depth, and room to expand.
Buying more pages than you have content for is a common and avoidable mistake. Empty pages do not help you, and thin pages can actively hurt search performance.
You can see how this maps to real tiers on our plans and pricing page.
When a Package Is the Wrong Tool
Packages work when requirements are predictable. They break down when you need customer accounts, booking with live availability, marketplaces, dashboards or genuine business logic. At that point you are commissioning software, and it should be scoped as web application development rather than squeezed into a page-count package.
Summary
A website package is only comparable once you know how many unique templates it contains, who writes the content, how revisions are counted, what recurs annually, and who owns the result. Ask those five questions of every supplier and the choice becomes straightforward.
If you want help working out which tier fits what you are trying to achieve, talk to us.
Frequently asked questions
What does a website design package usually include?
A set number of pages, a design applied to them, a responsive build, a contact form, some stock imagery, basic on-page setup, deployment and a defined number of revisions. Copywriting, photography, branding and ongoing SEO are normally extra.
What does “five pages” actually mean in a package?
Ask directly, because it can mean five unique designs or one layout reused five times. The first costs considerably more. The number of unique templates is the single biggest driver of design cost.
How are revisions counted?
Agree it in advance. Disputes arise because clients count a batch of consolidated feedback as one round and agencies sometimes count each comment. Confirm what a round is, which stages it applies to, and the rate once included rounds are used.
