Getting a website made: how to choose the right partner and get more out of your online presence

A professional website is often the first point of contact for customers. Whether you're a freelancer who needs an online business card, a small business owner who wants to generate more leads, or a fashion, beauty or lifestyle brand that's ready to sell online seriously: the choice of how and by whom you get your website made has a direct impact on your brand, your findability and your revenue. In 2026 a website is no longer "putting a page online"; it's an investment in the online growth of your business.

Getting a website made: the short answer

Building it yourself with a template, hiring a freelancer or working with a specialist agency: each of these routes has its place. But the impact on how professional you come across, how many potential customers you reach and whether your site actually brings in customers differs enormously. A low-code website builder like Wix or Squarespace can be a fine starting point for anyone who is still testing. But as soon as you seriously want to strengthen your brand, sell more or structurally improve your online visibility, having a professional website made is the smarter choice.

Design by Karina is a boutique studio in Rotterdam, specialising in Shopify stores and custom websites (Framer), with a focus on strategy, UX and conversion for brands in fashion, beauty, lifestyle and creative services.

The short answer: invest in having a website built by a specialist when you launch a new brand, go through a rebrand, move to Shopify, or notice that your existing site doesn't convert. In all other cases, building it yourself or hiring a freelancer can be a good first step, but know what you give up in branding, technical SEO and conversion.

What does "getting a website made" mean in 2026?

In 2026, making a website goes much further than putting a few pages of text and images online. It covers strategy, brand positioning, UX design, technology, conversion optimisation and often connections with other systems such as email marketing, CRM and ecommerce platforms. The goal of the website determines which features you need, from a simple contact form to a full webshop with inventory management.

In practice, this means that mobile-first design, fast loading times and being AI- and SEO-ready are no longer a luxury but basic requirements. The European Accessibility Act came into force in 2025, which makes accessibility a legal requirement for many webshops and other websites where you buy or book something (according to the ACM, the Dutch consumer authority, for businesses with 10 or more employees and/or more than €2 million in annual turnover). Legal obligations also require certain business details to be visible on the website. On top of that, pages need to be built so that generative AI models and search engines can pull clear answers from them. Think of clear headings, structured data and FAQ structures.

Building a website yourself or outsourcing it: the key differences

Many business owners hesitate: do I build my website myself with a WordPress theme or Wix, or do I have it done professionally? The answer depends on your ambition, budget, technical knowledge and the stage your business is in. Below we put both directions side by side on the factors that really matter: time, quality, brand, technology, findability and conversion.

Building a website yourself: what does it involve?

Building a website yourself usually means choosing from existing templates in systems like WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or a Shopify starter theme. You build your site with drag-and-drop or limited theme settings, without a designer or developer. This is a logical route for a business owner starting out on a small budget, a first version of a portfolio or a test of a new concept.

Pros:

• Low upfront costs, often live for less than €500

• Full control over your content and planning

• Quick start: having a website made can take 7 to 10 working days, but building it yourself is sometimes even faster

• No dependence on an agency or freelancer

• Suitable as an online business card or informational website

Cons:

• Hard to stand out: thousands of sites use the same templates

• Technical limits when you have specific wishes or integrations

• Often weak UX and SEO: a slow website costs visitors and conversion

• Limited scalability: as you grow, you hit walls

• No strategic brand or conversion thinking built in

Having a website made professionally: what can you expect?

A professional website is built on strategy, UX and design choices, not just technology. It starts with a brand and audience analysis, followed by wireframes, UI design, development (for example in Shopify, Framer or WordPress), testing, launch and optimisation. A professional web design agency can help you create a unique website that's fully tailored to your brand and goals.

A good agency thinks structurally about conversion, content structure and scalability. That means expanding into a webshop, multiple languages or new services is already built into the foundation. Custom websites are designed for specific audiences and goals, so they're not only visually appealing but actually build trust with visitors and attract customers.

Getting a website made: costs in 2026 explained

Prices for having a website made vary enormously, from a few hundred euros for a simple template site to tens of thousands of euros for a custom brand website or Shopify store. According to Trustoo, having a website made costs on average between €500 and €5,000 for standard solutions, while a custom website can cost €10,000 or more. Average hourly rates for web designers are between €65 and €105, also according to Trustoo.

Prices depend on the number of pages, custom UX/UI, the choice of CMS (Shopify, WordPress, Framer), integrations (email, booking systems, payment providers) and who makes it: a student, a freelancer or an agency. Set a realistic budget that includes maintenance and marketing. Below we go through the different levels openly, with realistic price ranges for the Netherlands and Belgium in 2026.

Indicative price ranges for getting a website made

• < €1,000: Simple template site

• Template-based build in WordPress, Wix or Squarespace

• Minimal design changes, no strategic UX work

• Suitable as a first online business card or test version of a concept

• €1,000-€3,000: Neat business website

• Professional-looking design based on premium themes

• Basic SEO settings and responsive design

• A simple business website is cheaper than a custom webshop, but lacks in-depth strategy

• €3,000-€10,000: Professional brand website or webshop

• Custom design based on a brand and audience analysis

• Conversion structure, technical SEO basics, integrations

• Suitable for ambitious freelancers and small businesses

• €10,000-€20,000+: Fully custom website or Shopify store

• Extensive UX/UI, branding, multiple languages, complex integrations

• This segment is where Design by Karina's Bespoke sits (from €9,500). Our Brand Site (from €2,900), The Launch (from €4,500) and The Atelier (from €6,900) fall in the segments below it: brand websites and Shopify stores with strategy, custom design, conversion structure and technical SEO as standard

Compare quotes from at least three web designers before you choose, and always ask the web design agency for a clear quote.

The main cost drivers when you have a website built

The price of your website is set by a combination of factors. The more custom work and complexity, the higher the investment:

• Number of unique page templates: The homepage, category pages, product or service pages, blog structure and landing pages each need their own design and build.

• Webshop or not: A Shopify store with inventory management, payment providers and shipping options is a different project from an informational website. Decide which features you need, such as a webshop or a contact form.

• Custom UX/UI vs. existing themes: A custom website offers more flexibility than standard solutions, but needs more design work and development. Custom websites are unique and tailored to your brand.

• Integrations: CRM connections, email flows, payment providers, booking systems and inventory connections: the more features you need, the more complex it gets.

• Multiple languages: Websites in Dutch/English/German need extra content, translation and technical configuration.

• Strategy, copywriting and imagery: Make sure you have compelling copy, strong images and videos for the website. Strong content makes the difference between a site that informs visitors and one that converts.

• Monthly costs: Factor in recurring costs such as hosting and maintenance when you budget. Hosting ranges from about €5 to €50+ a month, plus a domain name (€10-20 a year) and maintenance.

Choosing the right partner to make your website

The choice of "who" makes your website is at least as important as the platform. There are roughly three categories: student/hobbyist, freelancer and (boutique) agency. Each category has its own price level, way of working and type of result. With so many providers, comparing carefully is essential.

Student or hobbyist

For business owners with a very small budget and minimal requirements, a student or hobbyist can be an option, for example for a first concept version or a simple online business card. The price is low, but continuity is limited: little strategic UX thinking, a risk of technical problems and no guarantee of good performance or SEO.

Tips if you still choose this route:

• Look at the portfolio and ask for references

• Make clear agreements about ownership of the domain name and source code: make sure you fully own the domain name and the source code after delivery

• Arrange backups and access to hosting and the CMS yourself

Freelance web designer or developer

A freelance web designer usually delivers sites in the €1,000 to €5,000 range: neat business websites, simple webshops or portfolios. The advantages are personal guidance, flexibility and often a sharp price. The downsides: you depend on one person, capacity can be limited, and not every freelancer has years of experience with strategy, UX or ecommerce.

Tip: ask about experience in your industry (fashion, beauty, services), mobile-first design and technical SEO. Good communication and clear planning are crucial: replying quickly to questions is a good sign.

A boutique agency like Design by Karina

A boutique agency stands out through a specialist focus, short lines and high involvement. At Design by Karina, everything revolves around Shopify, UX and ecommerce for brands with ambition. Projects that fit here: rebrands, migrations to Shopify, fashion and beauty brands that want to scale, and service providers who want more leads through their site.

Design by Karina works from Rotterdam with clients in the Netherlands, Belgium and Europe, and focuses on fashion, beauty, lifestyle and creative brands, plus coaches and studios. Strategy, UX/UI, conversion, branding and technical SEO are handled together, not as separate parts. That gives you a user-friendly website that not only looks professional but actually delivers results. The good collaboration and personal guidance make for an excellent experience.

Key choices when you have a website made

Besides the choice of "who", there are three crucial decisions: which platform, what the structure and UX look like, and how your branding comes to life on your site.

Choosing a platform: Shopify, WordPress or Framer?

The platform determines how you manage your site, how scalable it is and what's technically possible. Choose a content management system like WordPress or Shopify for flexibility.

• Shopify: Ideal for webshops in fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Focus on sales, conversion, payment options, inventory management and integrations. Design by Karina specialises in it. Shopify offers a wide range of apps for extra modules and features.

• WordPress: WordPress is the most widely used content management system in the world. WordPress is known for its flexibility and suits content-rich business sites, blogs and SEO projects. It can be extended with WooCommerce, but is less "native" ecommerce than Shopify. A WordPress website is easy to manage yourself. WordPress offers flexibility for both simple and complex websites.

• Framer: A modern, design-led platform for fast, very clean brand websites without a complex webshop. Ideal for creative studios and coaches who want a visually appealing online business card with full freedom in design.

Guideline: do you sell products online? Choose Shopify. Does your site revolve around content, blogs and SEO? WordPress. Do you want a compact, design-led brand site? Framer fits your ambition.

UX & structure: how visitors become customers

UX (user experience) and information architecture decide whether a website is just pretty or also sells. A good website has to work intuitively so you don't lose visitors. A good agency does the following:

• Audience research and customer journeys: How does someone get from social media to your site, and then to a purchase or booking?

• Logical structure and navigation: Clear navigation per service or product category, so visitors find what they're looking for right away

• Conversion points per page: CTAs, forms, booking buttons and shop buttons in strategic places

• Mobile-first design: In fashion, beauty and lifestyle, most traffic comes from smartphones. Make sure the design is fully responsive on mobile devices. In 2026 a responsive website isn't an option, it's a requirement.

Branding and positioning

Your website should tell your brand story, not just show information. It's the place where you radiate trust and set yourself apart from the competition. That starts with:

• Translating your brand strategy into colour, typography, photography and tone of voice

• Consistency with social media, packaging and campaigns: your website should have the same look as your Instagram or packaging

• Industry-specific elements: lookbook pages for a fashion brand, story pages for a beauty label, cases for creative studios

• Design by Karina helps sharpen your brand positioning during the web project, so your site isn't just beautiful but strengthens your brand

Getting a website made with a focus on findability (SEO) and AI

A website nobody finds brings in nothing. SEO and AI findability should be part of the project from the start, not an afterthought. Build the website to be findable for Google and other search engines from the ground up. SEO optimisation starts with a good website structure.

Technical SEO: the foundation of a findable site

Custom websites are often faster and better optimised for SEO. Technical SEO aspects that should be in order by default:

• Speed (Core Web Vitals): A fast website loads its main content in under 2.5 seconds (Google's LCP threshold). Fast loading times are crucial for keeping visitors. Choose reliable hosting.

• Clean URL structure and logical hierarchy: No cryptic URLs, but clear paths that search engines and visitors understand

• Internal link structure: Good links between categories, products/services and blogs

• Metadata and structured data: Schema markup for products, reviews and FAQs where relevant. Technical SEO also covers XML sitemaps and robots.txt files.

• A website has to be mobile-friendly for better Google rankings: mobile-first is a must

Design by Karina includes these technical SEO pillars as a standard part of Shopify and Framer projects.

Content & keywords: building for Google and for users

Having a website made usually also means thinking along about content structure and strong content. SEO copy is written while the website is being built, not afterwards. Concrete examples:

• Landing pages for important keywords: Think of "buy a sustainable dress", "holistic coach Rotterdam" or "branding studio Amsterdam". Every service or collection deserves its own optimised page.

• Collection pages in Shopify that are both inspiring and SEO-proof, with descriptions, filters and other content that's easy to find

• Guides, lookbooks and blog posts that answer search intent and strengthen your brand story at the same time

The process: getting a website made step by step

A structured approach helps keep the website project within budget and on time. Below we describe what a professional project looks like, so you know what to expect in lead time and your own input. A clear plan prevents surprises.

Step 1: Introduction and strategy

At Design by Karina it starts with a short conversation about your situation: a free, no-obligation call. In it, you discuss:

• Your brand, goals, audience, products and services

• Your current website (if you have one) and what isn't working now

• Ambitions such as launching a webshop, growing internationally or rebranding

• Deciding the main goal of the website, such as direct sales or generating leads

Step 2: Concept, UX and design

After the strategy phase, wireframes and a first visual concept are made. This includes:

• Information architecture: menu, new pages, flows and a logical structure

• UX sketches for key pages (home, product/service, checkout/contact)

• Moodboards and custom design aligned with your branding, so the end result fits your brand and specific needs

Step 3: Development and content

The design is turned into working pages in the chosen platform (Shopify or Framer):

• Setting up templates, pages, navigation and basic settings

• Setting up connections: payments, newsletter list, booking system, analytics

• Adding content: copy, photos, collections and blogs, possibly together with the client

• If you'd like, you get updates along the way so you always know where the project stands

Step 4: Testing, optimising and going live

Test the website thoroughly on different browsers and devices. The testing phase includes:

• Checks on mobile and desktop: speed, forms, checkout, error pages

• An SEO check: metadata, sitemaps, redirects from the old site where needed

• Regular updates of plugins and security software are needed to prevent hacks. This is already checked before launch

After approval the site goes live, usually with minimal disruption. Clear communication throughout the process means there are no surprises.

Step 5: Aftercare, training and further development

A good partner offers support and clear explanations after launch:

• A short training so you can make updates yourself: edit pages, collections, blogs and images without technical knowledge

• Monitoring behaviour through Google Analytics or Shopify analytics, plus first optimisations

• The option of ongoing optimisation: A/B tests, UX improvements, extra landing pages and small changes

Design by Karina builds websites so that clients without technical expertise can manage content themselves, with the studio as a partner for further development and the latest updates. Small changes? They're sorted quickly.

When is it time to renew your website (or have it renewed)?

Many businesses wait too long with a redesign, while the existing site hasn't matched the brand or the goals for years. Recognisable signs that it's time:

• You're a little embarrassed by your current site and would rather point people to Instagram than to your domain

• The site isn't mobile-first and loads slowly on a phone, which costs visitors and conversion

• No clear structure per service or collection; visitors get lost

• Few or no enquiries, bookings or sales through the site: your site isn't up to date

• Your brand has evolved (new branding, new audience), but the website is still the "old version"

• You want to move to Shopify or start selling internationally

• Your current site doesn't meet the accessibility law or modern performance standards

Examples of getting a website made with strategy and UX at the centre

These aren't full case studies, but scenarios that show what's possible when you look beyond a standard template and use professional web design:

• A fashion or lifestyle brand that migrates from a WooCommerce site to a Shopify store with conversion-focused collection pages, lookbooks and story sections. Result: better performance, easier management and more conversion.

• A beauty or skincare label that has a brand website plus webshop made, focused on storytelling, ingredient information, reviews and subscriptions: a site that builds trust and brings in customers.

• A coach or creative studio that has a Framer or professional WordPress site built with strong personal branding, a clear service structure and a booking flow. Online visibility in an accessible way.

• An existing business that rebrands with a new visual identity and a website that serves both B2C and B2B audiences clearly: our new website as the starting point for online growth.

Getting a website made: what suits you?

The right choice depends on your ambition, budget and the stage your business is in:

• Choose to build it yourself with a template if your concept is still in the testing phase, your budget is under €1,000 and you want to set up a website yourself as a first step. A website builder like Wix or Squarespace is then a logical option.

• Choose a freelance web designer if you need a neat, simple site without complex ecommerce or brand strategy. Quick turnarounds and personal contact are the advantages here.

• Choose a boutique agency like Design by Karina if you're building a brand or want to scale seriously with a Shopify store or custom website that sells. You then get a website that's fully tailored to your specific wishes, looks professional and converts.

A website is an investment in the online growth of your business. Want to know what's possible in your situation? Book a free intro call and talk through your wishes, goals and ambitions, with no obligation.