By Abhishek Sharma · Guerilla Marketing & Technology
The five factors that decide your price
Design depth
A template-based site costs far less than a fully custom design with unique layouts, illustrations and animations for every page.
Features and logic
Logins, dashboards, booking systems, calculators, search filters and payments each add design, development and testing time.
Integrations
Payment gateways, CRM, WhatsApp, ERP, Shopify, Amazon, Flipkart and quick-commerce platforms all require extra engineering.
Content and SEO
Copywriting, photography, multilingual content and technical SEO setup are often underestimated but decide whether the site actually brings business.
Performance and security
Fast loading, accessibility, security hardening and compliance needs for fintech or healthcare raise the quality bar and the effort.
Business and company websites
A professional company website with five to ten pages, contact forms, WhatsApp integration and basic SEO is the most affordable option and usually takes two to four weeks. Premium custom design, CMS editing, animation and multiple languages increase the effort. For most service businesses this is the right starting point.
E-commerce stores
Shopify stores launch faster and suit most D2C brands. Custom e-commerce built on React or Next.js costs more upfront but makes sense for complex catalogues, B2B pricing, custom checkout flows or deep integrations with inventory and marketplaces. Budget separately for product photography, catalogue entry and payment gateway setup.
Web apps, CRM/ERP and mobile apps
Custom web apps and CRM or ERP systems require backend architecture, databases, user roles, reporting and thorough testing. Mobile apps add platform-specific work for Android and iOS, app store submission and ongoing updates. Cross-platform frameworks can reduce cost when both platforms are needed.
Fintech and data-heavy products need extra care. VIA Capital, a live learning platform we built with a market desk and financial calculators, is an example where performance, data accuracy and clear compliance messaging mattered as much as design.
India vs UAE budgets
Agencies based in Dubai generally charge more because of higher local salaries and office costs. Many UAE businesses work with India-based teams for the same engineering quality at a lower total cost, with overlapping working hours and English communication. The key is a clear scope, regular demos and a team that has delivered similar projects.
Hidden costs to plan for
Plan for domain and hosting, paid plugins or app subscriptions, email, SSL, content creation, maintenance and security updates, analytics setup and marketing after launch. A website without traffic is a cost; a website with SEO and ads is an asset. Ask every agency to list these items clearly in writing.
How to get an accurate quote
Share your business goal, must-have features, nice-to-have features, examples you like and your timeline. A good partner will break the project into phases, recommend what to launch first and give you a fixed scope estimate. GMT builds custom websites, e-commerce stores, mobile apps and CRM/ERP systems for businesses in India and the UAE.