Ask a few web agencies what an accountancy website costs and you will often get very different answers. Usually each agency has quoted for a different site, with different assumptions about pages, writing, features and support.
This guide is for partners and practice managers in Manchester and the North West who want to understand what actually drives the cost of an accountant website, so they can compare quotes fairly and spot the ones that will cause trouble later.
Why quotes for the same brief vary so much
A brief that says "a new website for our practice" leaves a lot open. Is the copy written for you? Are there separate pages for each service and each town you cover? Does the site need to work with Xero or your practice management software? Who looks after it once it is live?
Each choice changes the work involved, and knowing which ones matter makes quotes far easier to read.
The main things that drive the cost
The number and type of pages
A small brochure site with a home page, services, about and contact is a modest job. A practice that wants a separate page for each service, sector and location is asking for something bigger, because each page needs its own structure, copy and search setup.
More pages is not automatically better. A few well written pages usually beat lots of thin ones.
Who writes the copy
Writing is often the part practices underestimate. If you supply finished text, the agency mainly lays it out. If the agency interviews you, writes the service pages and explains things like Making Tax Digital in plain English, that is real work and it should show in the quote.
Good copy for an accountant has to be accurate, so ask who checks it for technical correctness before it goes live.
Custom design or a template
A template site uses an existing layout with your logo, colours and text. It is quicker to build, but your site may look like many others. A custom design is planned around your practice, your clients and the way you want enquiries to arrive. It takes longer and needs more decisions from you.
Neither is wrong. What matters is whether visitors can see who you help and how to get in touch.
Integrations and client tools
This is where quotes differ most. Common requests from practices include:
- Enquiry forms that feed into your CRM or practice management software
- Onboarding forms that collect client details securely
- A link to, or embedded access for, a client portal
- Workflows that work with Xero or QuickBooks, such as passing new client details along
- Booking tools for discovery calls
Each one needs planning, testing and some thought about client data. A simple contact form is a small task. A secure onboarding flow that works with your existing systems is a project in itself.
SEO setup
Some quotes include proper search foundations: page titles, descriptions, headings, internal links, a sitemap, structured data and a Google Business Profile that matches the site. Others include almost none of this and treat SEO as a separate service later.
Google's Search Central guidance on site moves makes clear how much planning a change of URLs needs. It is far easier to build search foundations in from the start than to add them afterwards. If you are weighing up SEO help separately, our guide on how to choose an SEO agency for accountants covers what to ask.
Accessibility
An accessible site works for people using screen readers, keyboard navigation or larger text, and it tends to be clearer for everyone. The recognised standard is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) published by the W3C.
Building to that standard means checking colour contrast, headings, form labels and alt text. Ask every agency how they test for it.
Cookies and privacy
If your site uses analytics or marketing tools that set non essential cookies, you need consent first. The ICO explains the rules in its guidance on cookies and similar technologies. A proper consent banner and a privacy page take a little time to set up correctly, and they matter for a regulated profession.
Migration from your old site
If you already have a website, moving to a new one is not just a rebuild. Existing pages need to be mapped to new addresses and redirected, so you keep the search visibility you have built up. Someone also has to check nothing breaks on launch day.
Hosting, maintenance and support
Ask what happens after launch: who hosts the site, who applies updates and security fixes, who backs it up, and who you call when something stops working. Some agencies include this, some charge monthly, and some leave it to you.
How to compare quotes fairly
Put the quotes side by side and check they cover the same things. For each one, note:
- How many pages are included, and which ones
- Whether copy writing is included or expected from you
- Whether the design is custom or based on a template
- Which integrations are included and which are extra
- What SEO setup is part of the build
- How accessibility is tested
- Whether migration and redirects are covered
- What hosting, maintenance and support look like after launch
- Who owns the site, domain and content at the end
A quote that looks lower is often missing items another agency has included. A clear, fixed price agreed before work starts is far easier to plan around than an open ended estimate.
Red flags to watch for
- Hourly billing with no cap or agreed scope
- Hidden monthly fees that only appear after launch
- No mention of redirects when you already have a site
- Claims of first place rankings or certain results on Google
- The agency keeps ownership of your domain or content
- Vague answers about who writes and checks the copy
- No examples of previous work you can look at yourself
Questions to ask any agency
- What exactly is included, and what would count as extra?
- Who writes the copy, and who checks it is accurate?
- How will the site work with Xero, our practice software or our client portal?
- How do you test accessibility?
- How will you protect our current search visibility during the move?
- What support do we get after launch, and on what terms?
- Can we see sites you have built for other professional firms?
How we price at Dawn Studio
We build websites for accountancy practices, and we keep pricing simple: a fixed price agreed after a free call, before any work starts. You will know what is included, what is not, and what happens after launch. You can see examples of our work to judge the quality for yourself.
If you would like an honest view of your current site and what is worth fixing first, ask for a free review and include your website address.