How to Create a Budget for a Website and Maintenance

One of the most common questions we get is: 'How much does a website cost?' The answer depends on many factors — project size, functionality, design, and goals. But regardless of complexity, there’s a logical way to form a budget that covers both development and maintenance without overspending.

🎯 1. Define the purpose of your website — Do you need a simple company presentation, a product catalog, or a full-featured online store? The clearer your goal, the easier it is to set a budget. Basic presentation websites (up to 5–6 sections) are usually the most affordable, while sites with integrations, databases, and multiple languages require a larger budget.

💻 2. Website development cost — In Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, professional website prices typically range from €400 to €1500 for standard sites, while advanced e-commerce systems can reach €3000 or more. The KOD approach uses modular architecture (Next.js + serverless), which significantly reduces hosting costs and speeds up development.

🔧 3. Hosting and domains — The annual cost of a domain (.ba, .com, .hr) is around €20–40, and hosting can be free (Vercel, Netlify) or professional (AWS, DigitalOcean) in the range of €5–20 per month. Serverless hosting reduces costs because you only pay when someone visits your site — no fixed monthly fees for unused resources.

📈 4. Maintenance and security — A website is not a one-time investment. After launch, regular updates of plugins, libraries, and SSL certificates are necessary. Maintenance includes backups, technical updates, and basic support. The standard monthly maintenance package in the region ranges from €30–100 depending on site complexity.

🧩 5. SEO, content, and analytics — After the technical setup, you should also plan a budget for content and promotion. Writing articles, social media posts, and basic SEO-optimized blog content are investments in visibility. A minimal marketing package (see the previous article) may cost €100–200 per month and brings long-term results.

📸 6. Photos and visual materials — If you’re using professional photography, budget an additional €100–200 for a photographer or quality stock images. High-quality visuals are key to trust — and better Google ranking.

💡 7. Advanced functionalities — If you plan to add booking systems, e-commerce, CRM, or integrations (e.g., WhatsApp inquiries, email automation, online payments), costs increase proportionally with complexity. That’s why it’s important to plan modularly — start with the essentials and add features later as needed.

📊 8. One-time vs. monthly costs — Your budget should be divided into two parts: one-time costs (development, domain, initial setup) and recurring costs (maintenance, hosting, analytics). This model gives a clear overview of total expenses and helps you plan long-term without surprises.

🔁 9. Content updates — To keep your website fresh, plan at least 1–2 hours per month for adding news, blog posts, or images. This can be done internally or through a monthly agency contract. Active websites receive 40% more visits and 2× higher conversion rates than static ones.

🏗️ 10. Real-world budget example for a small business —
- Website creation (Next.js, design, setup): €800
- Annual domain: €30
- Serverless hosting: €10/month
- Maintenance and security: €40/month
- SEO and content: €100/month
➡️ Total monthly cost: around €150 for a stable, modern, and scalable system that pays for itself through new inquiries and clients.

KOD approach: we offer flexible packages based on your needs — from the 'Start' plan for small businesses to 'Pro' and 'Enterprise' options for companies with integrations and higher traffic. All include hosting, security, and support with no hidden costs.

Conclusion: a good website budget isn’t an expense but an investment that brings clients and streamlines your operations. The key is realistic planning and transparent maintenance — because a website isn’t a finished product, but a living system that grows with your business.