Hidden Costs to Watch Out for in Web Design Projects Building your first website? Exciting. Also, easy to underestimate. A lot of people think they just need a designer, a domain, and a few photos. Done, right? Not quite. Web design projects often come with extra costs no one tells you about up front. Some are small but add up. Others can seriously stretch your budget. And if you're working with a cheap website designer, these hidden costs can hit even harder — because corner s are often cut somewhere. Here’s what to look out for, so you don’t end up spending way more than you planned. 1. Domain and Hosting Aren’t Always Included You need two things to get your site online: a domain name (like yourbusiness.com) and web hosting (the server where your site lives). Some designers include these in their package. Many don’t. Domain names usually cost $10 – 20 per year. Hosting ranges from $5 a month for basic plans to $30+ for something more reliable. A lot of first - timers assume these are one - time fees. They're not. They're ongoing, and you need to renew both. 2. Template Limitations or Licensing Fees Using a website template seems like an easy, low - cost solution. And it can be — until you realize the template isn’t actually free. Or it’s not licensed properly. Or it doesn’t do half the things you thought it would. You might end up paying: • Extra to unlock basic features. • A higher price for commercial use. • A developer to customize a template that isn’t flexible. By the time you’re done “fixing” the cheap option, you may have spent more than if you'd started custom. 3. Stock Images Can Add Up Some designers will grab free images from the web. Others will assume you’ll provide your own. If you don’t have good photos, you’ll likely need to pay for licensed stock images. They’re not wildly expensive — maybe $10 – 30 each — but that adds up fast across an entire site. Even worse? Using unlicensed images without realizing it. That can lead to legal trouble. Not a fun surprise a few months after your site goes live. 4. Revisions Often Cost Extra Most web design packages include a certain number of revisions. Two rounds, maybe three. After that, you start paying hourly or per change. The problem? First - time site owners often don’t know what they want until they see it. So revisions are common. And if your designer charges for every tweak, those little changes can start to sting. It helps to ask upfront: How many revisions are included? And what happens if we go past that? 5. Basic SEO Might Not Be Covered Your site might look great. But will anyone find it? Search engine optimization (SEO) helps people discover your site in Google. Basic SEO includes things like meta titles, descriptions, alt text for images, and clear site structure. Some designers include this. Others don’t — or they charge extra for it. If you’re hiring a cheap website designer, SEO might not be part of the deal at all. And that’s a problem. A beautiful site that no one sees isn’t worth much. 6. Mobile Optimization Can Be Separate You’d think every new site is mobile - friendly by default. But surprisingly, some designers treat this as an add - on. You might get a site that looks fine on a laptop but falls apart on a phone. Then you're paying extra to fix something that should’ve been standard. Always check: Will the site be mobile - optimized from the start? 7. Content Writing Isn’t Always Included Designers handle layout and visuals. But who’s writing the actual words? You might assume they’ll take care of it. Many won’t. Or they’ll plug in placeholder text and wait for you to provide content — which often leads to delays. Hiring a copywriter later can be another $500 to $1,000, depending on the size of your site. Not impossible — but not something you want to be surprised by halfway through the project. 8. Ongoing Maintenance Isn’t Free Once your site’s live, it’s not just "set it and forget it." Software updates. Plugin fixes. Security patches. These things need attention. Some designers offer maintenance plans. Others don’t — and you’ll have to figure it out on your own (or pay someone else to do it). Letting a site sit untouched for a year is risky. Things break. Features stop working. Security holes appear. It’s cheaper to maintain than to fix later. But either way, it’s a cost. 9. Cheap Up Front Can Mean Expensive Later You might be tempted to go with the lowest price you can find. And sure, some cheap website designers do decent work. But there’s usually a catch. Maybe they don’t test on multiple browsers. Maybe they use outdated plugins. Maybe they vanish after the final payment. If something breaks or needs to be redone, you’ll end up paying a second person to clean it up. Suddenly that “cheap” site is your most expensive option. Final Thought: Ask Questions Before You Sign Anything You don’t need to be a tech expert. But before you commit to a web design project, get clear answers on what’s included — and what’s not. Ask: • Who buys the domain and hosting? • How many revisions do I get? • Will the site work on phones? • Do you write the content or do I? • Is SEO included? • What happens if I need help later? It’s your site. You deserve to know what you're really paying for. Bottom Line A website is an investment. Hidden costs don’t have to catch you off guard — but only if you know what to look for. Whether you're hiring a premium studio or a cheap website designer , stay sharp. Ask questions. Read the fine print. And remember: paying less upfront doesn’t always save money in the end.