What a business website should cost in Pali or Jodhpur, and what you should get for it

Most owners I meet in Pali and Jodhpur have already been quoted for a website at least once. The quotes range from a few thousand rupees to a few lakhs, and it is rarely clear what the difference buys. Here is how to read a quote.

The four things you are actually paying for

1. The pages and the writing. A business site needs a home page, a page for each thing you sell or do, an about page, and a contact page. Somebody has to write those pages in clear language, in English and often in Hindi too. If the quote does not mention writing, assume you will be doing it yourself.

2. Photos. A textile unit with real photos of the looms and the finished cloth will beat a competitor using stock images every time. Budget for a half-day of photography or plan to take good phone photos in daylight. I resize and optimise whatever you send.

3. Being found on Google. This is where cheap sites fail. Each page needs a proper title, a description, the right headings, fast loading on a mobile connection, and a Google Business Profile linked to it. Ask the vendor directly: "Will my site show up when someone in Jodhpur searches for what I sell?" If they cannot explain how, keep looking.

4. Hosting and upkeep. The domain and hosting cost money every year. Somebody needs to renew them, install updates, and fix the contact form when it breaks. Ask who does this and what it costs after the first year.

What you do not need to pay for

• A custom design from scratch. A clean, well-structured layout is enough. Spend the money on photos and writing instead.
• Animations and sliders. They slow the site down on mobile data and nobody reads the third slide.
• "SEO packages" sold monthly without a clear list of what is being done each month.
• A mobile app, unless customers will genuinely open it every week. A fast mobile website does the job for most businesses.

A fair way to price it

I quote a fixed price after a 30-minute call, based on the number of pages, whether you need an admin panel to edit content yourself, whether there is a product catalogue or a store, and how much writing and image work is involved. A business site goes live within one week. A store with payments, shipping and Cash on Delivery takes longer because every one of those has to be tested with real orders before you spend on ads.

Whatever you decide, ask for three things in writing: the list of pages, who owns the domain (it should be you), and what happens after launch.

If you are in Pali, Jodhpur, Jalore or nearby and want a second opinion on a quote you already have, send it to me on WhatsApp. I am happy to tell you if it is fair.