What does a digital project actually cost?

There is no single right answer. But there are honest ranges and a clear explanation of what drives cost in each discipline. Here is what you need to know before you start budgeting.

Asking what a digital project costs is a bit like asking what a car costs. The answer is: it depends on what you need it to do, who builds it, and what quality you are expecting. But that is not a satisfying answer when you are trying to budget. What follows is an honest account of what drives cost in each discipline I work across, with realistic ranges for typical projects.

Web design and development

A simple landing page built on an established platform (Squarespace or Webflow) typically starts from around £400 to £650. A full business website with multiple pages, a CMS, contact forms, and SEO setup typically ranges from £1,200 to £2,500. An e-commerce site with a product catalogue, payment gateway, and order management starts from around £1,800.

What drives cost up: custom functionality that falls outside standard templates, integrations with third-party systems (booking platforms, CRMs, membership databases), and large amounts of content to migrate from an existing site.

What keeps cost down: clear content ready before the project starts, a defined scope agreed at the beginning, and no significant changes to the brief mid-project.

Graphic design

A logo and basic brand elements (colour palette and typefaces, with a simple usage guide) typically starts from around £400 to £600. A full brand identity including logo variants, guidelines, typography, colour system, and a set of supporting assets typically ranges from £800 to £1,600.

For individual design deliverables, a brochure or leaflet design typically ranges from £300 to £600 depending on the number of pages and complexity of the layout.

Motion graphics and video

An animated logo reveal or a simple 15-second social media animation typically starts from around £300 to £500. A 60-second explainer video from script to delivery typically ranges from £600 to £1,400 depending on the complexity of the animation style and whether voiceover and music are included.

What drives cost up: complex character animation, multiple revisions after the storyboard has been approved, additional platform formats requested after delivery.

eLearning

A single 15 to 20 minute Rise 360 module from learning needs analysis to SCORM delivery typically starts from around £800 to £1,200. A Storyline 360 module with custom interactions and branching typically starts from around £1,400, with complex builds reaching £2,000 or more.

What drives cost up: complex branching scenarios, AI avatar or voiceover production, accessibility requirements beyond standard settings, and content that arrives late or changes significantly after the storyboard is approved.

The honest answer to the budget question

If you tell a designer your budget, they can tell you what is achievable within it. If you do not, they will propose what they think you need, which may be more or less than you can afford. Sharing your budget is not a negotiating weakness. It is the fastest route to a proposal that actually fits your situation.

The other honest thing to say is that the cheapest option is rarely the best investment. A website that costs half the price because corners were cut in the brief, the build, or the testing is a website that will require expensive fixes within a year. Good digital work, built properly, lasts significantly longer and costs significantly less over time than cheap work that needs to be redone.