2026-10-03 · Agentic Realism
How much does a website cost for an independent in French-speaking Switzerland?
Orders of magnitude, yearly costs and five questions to ask before signing
Between 900 and 3,500 francs for the same “brochure site”: the offers are not talking about the same thing. Four ways to get a website, what makes the price vary, the costs that come back every year — and the five questions that finally make two quotes comparable.
The short answer
For a three-to-six-page brochure site built by a professional in French-speaking Switzerland, expect in general between CHF 1,300 and 4,000, then from a few dozen to a little over a thousand francs a year depending on care. The starting price matters less than three questions: who owns the domain name, who writes the texts, and what one more year costs.
The situation
You ask three providers for a price. One answers 900 francs, another 3,500, the third “it depends”. The three offers are not talking about the same thing: one leaves out hosting, another includes copywriting, the third adds a monthly subscription whose total only shows after two years.
This article will not tell you which provider to choose. It gives orders of magnitude, what makes the price vary, the costs people forget, and the questions to ask before signing — so you can finally compare offers that look alike.
Four ways to get a website
The amounts below are orders of magnitude observed on the French-speaking Swiss market, not a price list. They help place an offer, not judge it.
- ONLINE BUILDERYou do itCHF 15–40 / monthWix, Squarespace, Jimdo… Little money, a lot of your time, and a site that stays with the platform.
- THEME + FREELANCERAn adapted templateCHF 800–2,500Fast and affordable. Quality depends mostly on the texts you supply.
- SMALL STUDIOA tailored siteCHF 1,300–4,0003 to 6 pages, structure and copy worked out with you, technical SEO checked.
- ESTABLISHED AGENCYA full projectCHF 5,000 and upStrategy, visual identity, several languages, advanced features. Rarely needed by an independent.
For most independents, the choice is between the second and the third column. An online builder suits you if you enjoy doing it and have the time; an established agency is rarely justified to present a one-person business.
What makes the price vary
The texts
This is the most underestimated item. A site for which you supply ready texts costs much less than one where the offer has to be clarified and every page written. It is also what separates a site that exists from a site that brings in enquiries. And that work outlasts the site: an offer that has been clarified and written down will serve again for your quotes, your Google profile or a future assistant. Make sure you get those texts back, not just the pages.
The number of pages
Home, services, about, contact: four pages are often enough. Each service that deserves its own page — to be found on Google, in particular — adds writing work more than technical work.
Features
An appointment or quote request, a blog you update yourself, a connection to your diary or client tool: each adds work at the start and sometimes a subscription afterwards. Ask which ones are truly useful in the first year.
Languages
A site in French and German, or French and English, is not just a translation: it is a second set of pages to keep up to date. Count it in the yearly budget as much as in the quote.
The costs that come back every year
This is where two offers with the same starting price can end up at very different totals over three years.
| Item | Per year | Check |
|---|---|---|
| .ch domain name | CHF 10–25 | That it is registered in your name |
| Hosting a brochure site | CHF 0–250 | Where, and who has access |
| Professional email address | CHF 50–150 per address | Often separate from the site |
| Updates and care | CHF 0–1,200 | What is included, and how often |
Add the one-off costs people forget: professional photos, a few hours to write or proofread, and a privacy notice if your site collects data — a contact form is enough, under Swiss data protection law.
Five questions to ask before signing
1. Who owns the domain name? It must be registered in your name, with access you hold. It is the point that causes the most trouble when changing provider.
2. Who writes the texts, and how many rounds of review are planned? An offer without copywriting is not necessarily cheaper: it moves the work to you.
3. What does the second year cost? Hosting, updates, subscriptions, support: ask for the yearly total, not only the launch price.
4. Will I be able to edit the site myself? Hours, prices, news: what changes often must be editable without calling the provider.
5. What happens if we stop working together? The answer should be simple: you leave with the domain, the content and the access. If it is not, that is a signal.
What it costs with us
To be transparent about our own prices: a three-to-six-page brochure site costs CHF 1,300 to 2,400 depending on the number of pages and the texts to write, an advanced site (blog, booking request, connection to your tools) CHF 3,200 to 5,500. Care is optional, at CHF 90 a month. The domain and hosting are in your name and re-billed at cost. The price is fixed by quote before we start, and you only pay if you approve it.
The limits
You may not need a website right away. If clients mostly find you by word of mouth and on Google Maps, a complete Google profile already does the essentials — see our Google profile checklist. A site becomes useful when you need to explain how you work, detail your services or receive structured enquiries.
Conversely, if you want to sell online — payment, stock, delivery — that is a different project, with different costs, which the ranges in this article do not cover.
Frequently asked questions
Is a builder like Wix a bad choice?
No. It is a good choice if you have the time and the taste for it, and if the yearly subscription suits you. The limit shows the day you want to leave: the site stays with the platform.
How long does a brochure site take?
Two to four weeks in most cases. The timing depends less on technology than on when the texts and photos are ready.
Do I need to pay extra for SEO?
The technical basics — titles, descriptions, speed, indexing — should be included in any professional site. Deeper local SEO work is a separate service, useful mostly when competition is strong in your trade and town.
Going further
If you are an independent and the website is only part of what takes up your time, the independents and creators page shows how to connect it to the rest: enquiries, quotes, reminders. And to compare an offer you have already received, the 30-minute diagnostic is free.