Why do RV park website quotes vary so much?
Ask three companies for the same campground website and you will get $600, $3,500, and $9,000. None of them is necessarily lying.
SHORT ANSWER
Because "website" is not a fixed unit of work. The cheap quote is usually a template with your logo and photos dropped in, built in a few hours. The mid quote is a custom design with content written for your park. The expensive quote includes strategy, photography, copywriting, and often ongoing marketing bundled in. On top of that, some quotes bundle hosting, domain, SSL, and changes while others bill each separately, which can double a low number by month three. Compare quotes by asking each one the same five questions rather than by the headline price.
What drives the difference
- Template versus custom. Hours of work versus days or weeks.
- Who writes the content. If you write it, the quote drops and the launch slips.
- What is bundled. Hosting, SSL, domain, email, and changes, or four separate bills.
- Industry knowledge. A generalist charges for learning what you need. A specialist has built it thirty times.
- Ongoing work. Some quotes include marketing; most do not and it is not always stated.
The five questions to ask every quote
- What is the total first-year cost, including everything?
- Who writes the content, and what do I have to supply?
- Are hosting, SSL, and the domain included?
- What does a change cost after launch, and how long does it take?
- What do I own and keep if we part ways?
Line the answers up side by side and the quotes usually stop looking so different.
Why a specialist quote can be lower
Counterintuitively, a company that only builds for one industry can charge less than a generalist for a better result, because the discovery work is already done. We do not need three meetings to understand what a pull-through is, why rig length matters, or why the site map is the most-visited page on a campground site. That is thirty hours of learning a generalist bills you for.
The quote to be most careful with
The very cheapest one, when it comes from someone who has not asked you a single question about your park. A quote produced without looking at your current site, your competitors, or your booking system is a price for a template, and the gap between that and what you need will show up as change orders.
Related questions.
Is a more expensive website better for an RV park?
Not automatically. Past a certain point you are paying for agency overhead. What matters is whether the site states your facts clearly and is easy to find.
Why does a specialist cost less than a general web designer sometimes?
Because they have built the same thing many times and are not billing you for learning the industry.
Should I get multiple quotes for a campground website?
Yes, at least two or three, and ask each the same five questions so you are comparing the same thing.
What is a red flag in a website quote?
A price given without any questions about your park, your current site, or your booking system.
Want this handled for your park?
We build and run websites for RV parks and campgrounds, and nothing else. Websites from $85 a month, SEO from $250.