The cheapest quote and the best-value quote are not the same thing.
A low-cost site can be appropriate when the requirement is genuinely simple. It becomes expensive when weak structure, poor mobile behaviour, slow performance or unclear ownership forces an early rebuild.
What usually changes the price?
Page count matters, but complexity matters more. Custom design, content planning, conversion flows, e-commerce, multilingual requirements, integrations and migration work all increase scope.
What should a small business prioritize?
Clear positioning, strong mobile experience, fast loading, trustworthy presentation, easy contact actions, analytics and sound technical SEO foundations usually matter more than decorative features.
A useful way to compare proposals.
Compare scope, ownership, revisions, content responsibilities, hosting assumptions, maintenance, performance expectations and what happens after launch.