The first half has published prices. These are third-party rate cards, and anyone can check them.
press release $700, or $900 with promotionsponsored story, up to 800 words $1,500interview article, regional outlet $3,500newswire, same day $500 to $2,000rush tier-1 placement $5,000 to $7,000homepage banner $1,000 per day, three-day minimumup-top placement $7,200 per weekinfluencer mention, 50k to 100k followers $500 to $1,500speaker, one hour around $500Every number above is a purchase, not a service. An agency buying these for you is passing through a cost, and you are entitled to know the markup.
The second half has no published price, and no honest person will give you one before scoping.
Site and landing pages. Copy. Whitepaper. Audit. Design system. Video. Localisation. Moderation coverage.
What these share is that the price is set by decisions you have not made yet. How many pages will exist in a year. Whether the copy is finished before the build starts. Whether the contract is one file or twelve. Whether a language needs a person behind it or only a translation.
This is why "how much does a website cost" has no answer and "how much does a homepage banner cost" has an exact one. The first is a scope question wearing a price question's clothes.
The practical method. Price the first half from the rate cards, precisely, because you can. For the second half, do not ask for a number. Ask what decisions move it, make those decisions, then ask again. The quotes converge sharply once the scope stops moving.
the reason this matters a budget built entirely from the first half looks complete and covers perhaps a third of what a launch actually spends. The remaining two thirds arrive as separate invoices from people you have not met yet.Build the list before you build the plan.
