WiredTides · Practical design guide
Website pricing depends on what you need, not a fixed tier. WiredTides provides project-specific quotes; hosting, ongoing care, and future improvements are scoped separately.
What drives the price up
The biggest cost drivers in a Seattle web project, in order of impact:
1. Number of unique page templates (not page count — templates).
2. Custom integrations — booking, ecommerce, CRM, custom calculators.
3. Original photography or illustration commissioned for the site.
4. Multi-language or multi-location complexity.
5. Aggressive timelines that compress strategy and review.
A 10-page site with three unique templates costs about the same as a 5-page site with three unique templates. A 5-page site with five unique templates costs noticeably more.
What drives the price down
Reusing your existing brand assets. If you have a logo and brand guidelines you like, that's hours saved.
Writing your own copy — or at least the first draft. Most good studios will polish it. Few will write it from scratch without a copywriting fee.
A clear single goal. "Get more direct bookings" is easier to design for than "more bookings, more catering, more events, more reviews, more gift cards, more newsletter signups, more social followers."
Choosing a focused boutique studio over a mid-market agency. Same scope, lower overhead, often better craft.
Compare scope, not just totals
Ask what design, content, integrations, testing, handoff, and support are included. Confirm ownership and recurring costs in the written agreement.
Project scope, pricing, ownership, timing, and care are agreed separately. Examples are design guidance, not promises of results.