Website development cost in 2026: what drives it and how to calculate it

"How much does a website cost?" — this is the first question every business owner asks when looking into a website order. The honest answer is usually one word: "it depends". In this article we unpack that "it depends": which factors shape the price of website development, what figures you can roughly expect on the market, which costs come after the order, and what a website really costs over two years.

The main idea is simple: compare websites not by the upfront price, but by the total cost of ownership — the sum of building, running and updating the site.

10 factors that shape the price of a website

1. Type of website

A one-page promo site (landing page), a corporate website, a product catalogue, an online store or a portal with user accounts — these are completely different amounts of work. The type of site has the biggest impact on price.

2. Number of pages

Every new page means its own layout, text, images and testing. Simple pages like "About" and "Contact" take little time, while a detailed page for each service multiplies the workload.

3. Design

Design based on a ready template is faster and cheaper. Custom design from scratch — several mock-ups, alignment with your brand and rounds of revisions — raises the price noticeably. The key question: how many revision rounds are included?

4. Languages

Each extra language is more than translation. Menus, forms, SEO titles and every future update must be done in several languages. A three-language site (AZ, EN, RU) costs more than a single-language one, both to build and to maintain.

5. Catalogue and products

A product catalogue, filters, search, a cart and an order form require extra development. There is also a big difference between 50 and 1,000 products — especially in who uploads them to the site and how.

6. Integrations

Online payment, accounting software (such as 1C), a CRM, a delivery service, a Telegram bot — every integration means extra work and testing. The most forgotten question: where does a form enquiry end up — in an email inbox or in a sales system?

7. Content

Who writes the texts and who prepares the images? If you bring ready content, the price is lower. Copywriting, translation and photography are separate costs and often the longest stage of the project.

8. SEO

In some offers "SEO" only means writing page titles; in others it includes site structure, speed, a sitemap and connecting Google Search Console. Same word, different scope. Ask what exactly the SEO in an offer covers.

9. Hosting, domain and SSL

A website needs a server (hosting), an address (domain) and a secure connection (SSL). These are often not included in the website price and are paid separately every year.

10. Support and updates

After launch, who makes the edits, how fast and at what price? This factor is invisible on day one, but over two years it can make up a large share of the total cost.

Approximate market price ranges

The figures below are approximate market ranges for a one-off website build in the Baku market. Actual prices may fall outside these ranges depending on the contractor, the scope and the requirements:

One-page promo site (landing page): about 300–1,200 ₼;
Corporate website (5–10 pages): about 1,500–5,000 ₼;
Product catalogue or online store: about 3,000–10,000 ₼ and more;
Custom portal, user accounts, complex integrations: usually from 8,000 ₼, quoted per project.

These ranges usually cover only the build. Hosting, domain, SSL, content and later support are often charged separately.

Hidden yearly costs

Costs that recur every year after the site is delivered:

Hosting — about 100–400 ₼ a year for a good server;
Domain — a .az or .com address, about 30–80 ₼ a year;
SSL — free options exist, but someone has to install it and keep it renewed;
Edits — every change is a separate order and a separate payment;
Maintenance — updates, backups, a broken form or module;
Business email, licences, extra modules — depending on the project.

None of these looks big on its own, but over two or three years they can approach the original price.

Worked example: total cost over 2 years

Say a service company needs an 8-page, two-language corporate website with a blog. On average there are 2–3 changes a month: new prices, a promotion, new images.

One-off build (approximate example):

development — 2,800 ₼;
hosting — 2 years × 200 ₼ = 400 ₼;
domain — 2 years × 40 ₼ = 80 ₼;
edits — on average 60 ₼ a month × 24 months = 1,440 ₼.

Total: about 4,720 ₼, of which 2,800 ₼ is paid on day one.

SBT Web "Şirkət" plan (subscription):

paying monthly — 159 ₼ × 24 months = 3,816 ₼;
paying yearly (12 months for the price of 10) — 1,590 ₼ × 2 years = 3,180 ₼;
hosting, SSL, the domain for the first year and 3 edits a month are included; from the second year the domain renewal is added.

At the start you pay only the first 3 months — 477 ₼. Prices in both options exclude VAT, and the one-off figures are an example based on market ranges. Your numbers may differ — the point is the method: compare offers by their 2-year total cost.

There is also a difference money does not show: on a subscription every website enquiry lands in SBT CRM as a lead, a task goes to the responsible employee, and at month end you see how many enquiries the site brought in.

Why a cheap website sometimes ends up expensive

The lowest-priced offer looks attractive, but the difference often shows up later: the site loads slowly on phones, the form sends enquiries to spam, the domain is registered in the contractor's name, and every small change means weeks of waiting. A year or two later the site is ordered again, and the cost doubles.

There are real ways to lower the price without hurting quality:

start in phases — first the core pages and one language, then the blog, catalogue and extra languages;
prepare content in advance — when texts and images are ready, work moves fast and extra rounds are fewer;
use a proven design system — custom design is not essential for every business;
split features into "now" and "later" — online payment and integrations often make more sense in a second phase;
agree on support upfront — the price and turnaround of edits should be in the contract.

Questions to ask before ordering a website

How many pages and languages are included in the price?
Is the design custom or template-based? How many revision rounds?
Who prepares the texts and images?
Are hosting, domain and SSL included, and for how long?
In whose name is the domain registered?
After launch, how much does an edit cost and how many days does it take?
Where do form enquiries go — to email or to a CRM?
How does the site look on a phone and how many seconds does it take to load?
What exactly is done under "SEO"?
When the cooperation ends, how are the site files and access handed over?

When you have these answers in writing, you can genuinely compare different offers.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most affordable type of website?

A one-page promo site. For a small business or sole trader it is often enough: services, advantages, reviews and a contact form on one page. At SBT Web this is the "Vitrin" plan at 63 ₼ a month.

How long does it take to build a website?

A landing page or a corporate site usually takes 1–3 weeks; online stores and projects with integrations take longer. Most delays come from texts and images arriving late. At SBT Web a site is usually ready in 7–14 days.

Who owns the website on a subscription?

The domain is registered in the customer's name and stays with the customer. After the subscription ends, the site files can be handed over for a one-time fee.

Can I cancel the subscription at any time?

The contract has a 12-month minimum, and the first 3 months are paid in advance. After 12 months you can stop in any month with 30 days' notice.

What do I get with website and CRM together?

Every website enquiry becomes a lead in SBT CRM and goes to the responsible employee as a task. When the website and CRM are subscribed together, both subscriptions get 20% off.

If you want to run the numbers for your own business, see the SBT Web plans — prices are public, exclude VAT, and paying yearly gets you 12 months for the price of 10.