How to compare website redesign quotes fairly

Two redesign quotes can describe completely different work. Before choosing, compare what happens to the existing site as well as what the new one will look like.

Start with a shared inventory

Give both suppliers your current URL list, required pages and known integrations. Mark content that must stay and problems that must be fixed. Include any existing search or enquiry evidence you are authorised to share. Do not ask suppliers to infer the entire scope from the homepage.

Separate the workstreams

Use rows for discovery, content preparation, design, development, URL migration, testing and handover. For each, ask who does the work and what deliverable you receive. A low price may reflect that you must write the content or prepare the redirect map yourself.

Examine migration assumptions

Ask whether existing URLs can be retained, what happens to removed pages and how important links will be checked. If the platform changes, ask about downloads, image paths, forms and external integrations. Record the fallback plan and who decides whether to use it.

Normalise the costs

Compare one-time charges separately from recurring hosting or maintenance. Check page counts, revisions, licensed assets and taxes in the written quote. Ask for a price for a likely extra request, such as another service page, so a smaller initial scope is not mistaken for a lower total project cost.

Use a scenario to clarify ambiguity

Try: “An old service page receives enquiries and must move. Who records its old URL, chooses the destination and tests the redirect?” The answer should identify responsibility and an acceptance check. “SEO included” is too broad to settle that question.

Choose the proposal that addresses the required work with understandable boundaries. Keep outstanding assumptions in a decision log and resolve them before payment. A redesign can affect search visibility, so no supplier can use a ranking guarantee to replace migration planning. The signed scope should show exactly what you are commissioning, not merely a package label.

Practical guidance with illustrative examples. Read our editorial standards or send a correction.