What should it actually cost?

Mostly because of who you ask and how clearly the need is described. A large agency carries overheads a one-person practice doesn't, and an unclear brief gets padded to cover the unknowns, or under-quoted and billed later as extras.

Somewhere for it to live online, the web address, any tools it leans on, and support for fixes and changes. For a simple site or tool that can be a few pounds a month, or close to nothing, so ask for the yearly running cost before you commit.

It can be. A few pounds a head looks tiny until you add your team and your volunteers, and then it's a few thousand a year before you've entered a single contact.

Not always. For a simple site or tool you often don't: pay the small running costs and handle the odd change as a one-off. For something you rely on every day, a modest retainer you're free to walk away from is fair.

Be clear about the problem before asking for quotes, check whether a ready-made tool already does the job, and compare the total cost over a few years, not just the build price.

Often the website. An app carries a yearly commitment on top of the build, so ask first whether a site that works properly on a phone would do the job.

Whether the problem is how the site looks or what it does. A fresh coat of paint is a very different job, and price, from a genuine rebuild.

No. They're honest ballpark ranges so you know what to expect. Every project is quoted after a free first conversation.