Why are websites so expensive?

Websites cost more than people expect because the price covers more than just building pages. Custom design, working code instead of a broken template, and time spent on structure and content all add up before the site even launches.

The rest comes from what happens after launch: hosting, security updates, and ongoing support don't stop once the site is live. A cheap upfront price that skips all of that usually just moves the cost to later, in the form of a slow, insecure, or outdated site.