{"id":1155,"date":"2025-04-01T16:09:40","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T16:09:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pawelopitek.com\/?p=1155"},"modified":"2025-04-23T20:43:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T20:43:26","slug":"what-should-i-cook-this-website-from-differences-branding-and-real-life-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pawelopitek.com\/en\/blog\/media-en\/what-should-i-cook-this-website-from-differences-branding-and-real-life-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"What Should I Cook This Website From? Differences, Branding, and Real-Life Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;]<strong>How much does a website cost?<\/strong> That question comes back like a boomerang. And the answer is: it depends. On what the client brings, what needs to be created from scratch, and how close the project gets to full brand development.<\/p>\n<h2>There Are Two Types of Clients<\/h2>\n<p>One walks into the chef\u2019s kitchen with a ready-made recipe and says:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u2013 Here you go, I\u2019ve brought the ingredients \u2014 all fresh, portions worked out by a dietician, even the basil is from my garden.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The chef nods, peels, chops, mixes, serves. The client\u2019s happy, the dish is ready, the bill is fair.<\/p>\n<p>The second client comes with a different approach:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u2013 Hello, I\u2019d like something delicious. I don\u2019t know what exactly, but it should match my style. And I\u2019d like it by tomorrow. Oh, and my budget is kebab-level.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>Except\u2026 they didn\u2019t bring any ingredients, any recipe, or even mention whether they like rice.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>And here\u2019s the thing \u2014 I\u2019m that chef.<\/strong> Only instead of pots, I have a text editor, fonts, colours, layouts \u2014 and in this kitchen, I cook up websites.<\/p>\n<p>And I can often whip something up even without a full fridge. But <strong>the less I get \u2014 the more I have to create from scratch.<\/strong> And that\u2019s no longer just cooking. That\u2019s a <em>full-on creative process<\/em>, which costs time, energy \u2014 and yes, you guessed it \u2014 more money.<\/p>\n<h2>Designing a Brand Isn\u2019t Just Assembling a Website<\/h2>\n<p>You see, there\u2019s a difference between someone handing me a logo, colour palette, and fonts and saying:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u2013 Please make a decent layout out of this.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>and someone else saying:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u2013 We don\u2019t have anything, but make it look nice, modern, and make sure people like it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That\u2019s like assembling a car from ready-made parts\u2026<br \/>\n<em>or building it from scratch, without a blueprint, without components, and with questions like:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Will the seats be comfortable?<\/li>\n<li>Will the colour match my office?<\/li>\n<li>Can you add a \u201cBuy Now\u201d button that lights up and shines?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s when I sit down, look at the project and know one thing:<br \/>\n<strong>This is no longer \u201cjust putting a site together.\u201d This is brand design.<\/strong><br \/>\nAnd that\u2019s a <em>whole different ballgame<\/em> \u2014 and a completely different price tag.<\/p>\n<h2>How Much Does a Website Cost When the Client Brings Everything \u2013 and When They Bring Nothing?<\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes when I hear the question:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u2013 Why does it cost so much if it\u2019s just a website?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>I feel like replying with another question:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u2013 Why does sushi cost more than a hot dog?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Because what for one person is <em>\u201cjust a website\u201d<\/em>, for another is their <strong>entire company\u2019s face<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>No Branding Means No Foundation<\/h2>\n<p>When a client has no branding, it\u2019s not just that there\u2019s no leading colour. <strong>There\u2019s no font, no guidelines, no communication style either.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And then\u2026 guess who has to figure all of that out?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Exactly. The same person who was supposed to \u201cjust build the site.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s like going to a car body shop and asking:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u2013 Can you build me a car?<br \/>\u2013 Sure, do you have the parts?<br \/>\u2013 No, but I kind of like the colour red.<br \/>\u2013 And the engine?<br \/>\u2013 Something quiet, but accelerates like a Tesla.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>So, out of courtesy, we sit down, sketch things out, suggest solutions. We pick colours that suit the brand\u2019s character, fonts that don\u2019t look like they came straight out of Word 2003, layouts that make sense. Only then do we start to <strong>\u201cbuild.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>But that\u2019s no longer just assembling. That\u2019s full-on design.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>And if someone wants it to look professional, well \u2014 sorry \u2014 that\u2019s not a \u201cwebsite price\u201d anymore. <strong>That\u2019s the price for thinking, for the idea, for experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>A Real-Life Example (and a Wall Colour)<\/h2>\n<p>The client says:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u2013 I really love this website, the colours are perfect. I\u2019m planning to repaint my office \u2014 could you tell me exactly which shades these are?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And at that moment I know one thing:<br \/><strong>Yes, we\u2019ve created branding.<\/strong><br \/>The client just doesn\u2019t know yet that this is something people usually pay for separately.<\/p>\n<h2>So How Much Does a Good Website Cost?<\/h2>\n<p>Before anyone clutches their head or starts calculating in gold, platinum or two sacks of onions \u2014 <em>publication date: April 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Scenario 1 \u2013 The Client Comes Prepared<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Logo \u2013 ready.<\/li>\n<li>Colours \u2013 defined.<\/li>\n<li>Fonts \u2013 selected.<\/li>\n<li>Texts \u2013 written.<\/li>\n<li>Photos \u2013 consistent.<\/li>\n<li>Structure \u2013 planned.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>My job? Assemble it all, add polish, ensure consistency.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Price: from \u00a32,000 to \u00a34,000<\/strong> \u2013 depending on refinement and extra features.<\/p>\n<h3>Scenario 2 \u2013 The Client Has an Idea and a JPG<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Logo? \u201cWe\u2019ve got something in JPG.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Colours? \u201cSomething blue-ish, but not too cold.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Fonts? \u201cThere are some cool ones in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canva.com\/\" rel=\"dofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Canva<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Texts? \u201cWe wrote a bit, but maybe you could tidy it up?\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Photos? \u201cPhone pics for now, but we\u2019re planning a shoot.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Structure? \u201cNot sure how many pages \u2014 could you suggest something?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>At this point, I\u2019m not just cooking. I\u2019m designing the kitchen, writing the recipe, doing the shopping, and guessing what the household might enjoy.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Price: from \u00a36,000 to \u00a39,000<\/strong> \u2013 sometimes more. And that still doesn\u2019t include full branding services.<\/p>\n<h3>Scenario 3 \u2013 Everything From Scratch<\/h3>\n<p>If we\u2019re talking about a full package:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>branding,<\/li>\n<li>strategy,<\/li>\n<li>visual identity,<\/li>\n<li>website design,<\/li>\n<li>copywriting,<\/li>\n<li>photo session,<\/li>\n<li>target audience analysis,<\/li>\n<li>conversion-optimised structure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>then welcome to the world of marketing agencies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Prices? From \u00a315,000 upwards.<\/strong><br \/>And they can go\u2026 well, as far as your budget does.<\/p>\n<h2>A Website \u2260 a Brand<\/h2>\n<p>A website isn\u2019t the same as building a brand from scratch.<\/p>\n<p><em>It\u2019s like walking into a bakery and ordering a wedding.<\/em><br \/>You can \u2014 but you\u2019ll also need to hire a few chefs and a DJ.<\/p>\n<h2>One Last Thing \u2013 Transparency<\/h2>\n<p>Before anyone grabs a calculator or rings their accountant \u2014 <strong>the prices I listed above are not my rates.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These are industry ranges, based on a review of competitor offers from different areas of the market \u2014 not necessarily in London, not necessarily freelancers, often teams or agencies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s just an attempt to show the scale. And the difference.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Because between \u201cI\u2019ve got everything, let\u2019s build a site\u201d and \u201cI have nothing, please build my online presence and identity\u201d \u2014 <em>there\u2019s a gap. And that gap has a cost.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>And One More Thing\u2026<\/h2>\n<p>Every time someone came to me \u2014 with a logo, without a logo, with a vision, or completely lost \u2014 we sat down together, mapped out the situation, figured out what was there and what was missing, and looked for a solution.<\/p>\n<p>I didn\u2019t send anyone away to an agency charging \u00a315k.<br \/>I never said, \u201cCome back when you\u2019ve got a full brand book.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>We just looked for a sensible way to build an honest website for an honest price.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Because any site can be built \u2014 you just need to know what it\u2019s made of.<br \/>And if something\u2019s missing, it can be named, added, completed.<br \/><strong>You just need to know what\u2019s an ingredient and what\u2019s a topping.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s exactly why this article was written.<br \/>Not to discourage anyone.<br \/><strong>But so that a client who comes in with three photos and an idea in their head \u2014<\/strong><br \/>knows what else might be worth sorting out before we jump into this creative ride together.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How much does a website cost? That question comes back like a boomerang. And the answer is: it depends. On what the client brings, what needs to be created from scratch, and how close the project gets to full brand development. There Are Two Types of Clients One walks into the chef\u2019s kitchen with a ready-made recipe and says: \u2013 Here you go, I\u2019ve brought the ingredients \u2014 all fresh, portions worked out by a dietician, even the basil is from my garden. The chef nods, peels, chops, mixes, serves. The client\u2019s happy, the dish is ready, the bill is fair. The second client comes with a different approach: \u2013 Hello, I\u2019d like something delicious. I don\u2019t know what exactly, but it should match my style. And I\u2019d like it by tomorrow. Oh, and my budget is kebab-level. Except\u2026 they didn\u2019t bring any ingredients, any recipe, or even mention whether they like rice. And here\u2019s the thing \u2014 I\u2019m that chef. Only instead of pots, I have a text editor, fonts, colours, layouts \u2014 and in this kitchen, I cook up websites. And I can often whip something up even without a full fridge. But the less I get \u2014 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":870,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pawelopitek.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pawelopitek.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pawelopitek.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pawelopitek.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pawelopitek.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pawelopitek.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1155\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pawelopitek.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pawelopitek.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pawelopitek.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pawelopitek.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}