Website quotes: how to read them and avoid the traps

Getting three quotes for a website often means getting three documents you can’t compare: one is a single line, another runs ten pages, the third doesn’t cover the same things. Here is how to read a quote and spot what’s missing.

What a good quote contains

1. Scope: number of pages, list of pages, languages.
2. Features: form, WhatsApp, booking, store, payment, client area.
3. Content: who writes the copy, who supplies photos, how many photos are edited.
4. Design: adapted template or custom design, number of proposals and revisions.
5. Technology: what it runs on (WordPress, static site, Shopify…), hosting, domain, SSL.
6. SEO: what is included (titles, Google profile, structured data) and what isn’t.
7. Timeline: mockup date, delivery date, what happens if it’s late.
8. Price: total, payment schedule, yearly fees and renewal prices.
9. Ownership: domain in your name, transfer of logins and rights at the end.
10. Aftercare: warranty, training, maintenance offered.

The 10 most common traps

• The one-line quote: "Website: 250,000 FCFA". No way to know what’s included.
• The domain in the provider’s name: you are renting your own address.
• Copy "to be supplied" with no help: the site is delivered empty or with placeholder text.
• "Unlimited" revisions… not in writing: every change becomes billable.
• "Free" hosting that renews at three times the price.
• No deadline: the project drags on for months.
• 100% upfront: you lose all leverage.
• Mobile Money "possible" without naming the aggregator or fees.
• No backups planned after delivery.
• No transfer of logins: you can’t switch providers.

Clauses to demand

Add or ask for these sentences in the quote:

• "The domain name is registered in the client’s name."
• "On delivery, the client receives all logins (hosting, admin, domain)."
• "The delivered site and its content belong to the client after full payment."
• "The mockup is approved by the client before development."
• "Delivery is X weeks after receipt of content."

We go deeper into ownership in Website ownership: who owns the code, domain and content?.

How to compare three quotes

Put them in a table using the ten points above. The cheapest quote that mentions neither timeline, ownership nor renewal is often the most expensive in the end. For equal services, pick the provider who replies fast, shows live work and explains their choices clearly.

How we do it

At NTG Studio Web, every quote lists pages, features, timeline, revisions, payment schedule (50/50 for an Essential site, 40/60 or three instalments for Premium) and domain ownership in your name. You can estimate your project in one minute on the Pricing page.