If you've spent any time on Facebook Marketplace or a Kenyan business Telegram group, you've seen the ads: "Website in 24 hours, KES 3,000." Some of those builders are genuinely good. Many are not. The problem is that from the outside, a bad website and a good website can look almost identical for the first two weeks — right up until the domain lapses, the site breaks on someone's phone, or you realize nobody actually owns the code you paid for.
This guide is the version of that conversation we wish more business owners had before signing anything. Not a sales pitch dressed up as advice — a straightforward walkthrough of what actually separates a developer worth hiring from one you'll regret hiring, written by people who build websites for a living in Nakuru and beyond.
Why this decision is bigger than it feels
A website isn't a one-off purchase like a business card. It's closer to hiring a contractor to build a shopfront — except this shopfront is open 24 hours a day, and most of your customers will judge your entire business by it before they ever speak to you. Research on first impressions of websites consistently points to the same thing: people form an opinion in a few seconds, and that opinion is hard to undo.
Get the developer choice right, and you get a site that loads fast, ranks on Google, and quietly generates leads for years. Get it wrong, and you're paying twice — once for the broken version, and again for someone to fix or rebuild it.
The cheapest quote and the best value are rarely the same number — and telling them apart is the entire point of this guide.
Start with the job, not the price
Before you message a single developer, get clear on what the website actually needs to do. "I need a website" is not a brief — it's a feeling. A brief looks more like: "I run a plumbing business in Nakuru and I need people to find me on Google and message me on WhatsApp within a minute of landing on the page." That single sentence already tells a good developer more than most clients manage to explain in an hour-long call.
Different jobs call for different builds. A restaurant needs a menu, location, and photos that make people hungry. A real estate agency needs listings people can filter and share. A clinic needs trust signals and an easy way to book. If you're not sure where your business fits, our industries page breaks down what different sectors typically need — it's a useful gut-check before you start comparing developers.
Look past the portfolio screenshots
Almost every developer will show you polished screenshots. Screenshots are cheap to fake and easy to cherry-pick. What actually tells you something is a live site you can visit on your own phone, on your own data connection, today.
- Open it on mobile first. Many Kenyan customers browse and search on their phones. If their "flagship" project looks broken or slow on mobile, that's your answer.
- Check the load time. If a page takes several seconds to become usable, many visitors may leave before they see what you offer.
- Read the actual copy. Generic filler text ("We are a leading provider of quality solutions...") is a sign the developer treats content as an afterthought, not part of the job.
- Look for range, not repetition. If every project in the portfolio uses the identical layout with swapped colors, you're not looking at a portfolio — you're looking at one template with different logos.
Process and communication
A developer who can describe their process in a sentence or two, unprompted, is usually one who has actually delivered projects before. A developer who gets vague when you ask "what happens after I say yes?" is a warning sign, regardless of how good their sample sites look.
At Brakivo, we lay ours out plainly on our process page — discovery, planning, design, development, testing, launch, and support — because a client who knows what week three looks like is a client who isn't anxiously messaging us every day wondering if the project stalled. Whoever you choose, ask them to walk you through their equivalent before you commit.
Communication style matters as much as the steps themselves. Are they responsive before you've paid anything? That's often a useful signal of how communication may feel once the project is underway.
What web development actually costs in Kenya
Pricing in Kenya's web design market is genuinely all over the place, which makes comparing quotes confusing. As a rough anchor, here's what we charge at Brakivo for reference — not because every job fits neatly into a package, but because it gives you a real benchmark to hold other quotes against.
| Package | Best for | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | A single, focused page to get online fast | KES 10,500 |
| Professional | A full multi-page business site with SEO foundations | KES 15,500 |
| Business | E-commerce or advanced functionality | KES 30,500 |
| Enterprise | Custom web applications and integrations | KES 45,500+ |
You'll find our full breakdown, including what's included at each tier, on the packages page. The point of sharing these numbers isn't to say "this is the correct price everywhere" — it's to give you a sanity check. If someone quotes KES 2,000 for a full business website with e-commerce, ask yourself what corners are being cut to hit that number: hosting? Security? Mobile testing? Support after launch? Ask exactly what's included before assuming the low quote covers them.
On the other end, if an agency quotes six figures for a simple one-page site with no custom functionality, you're likely paying for overhead that has nothing to do with your actual project. Reasonable pricing sits in the middle, scoped to what the site genuinely needs to do.
Freelancer vs. agency vs. DIY builder
There's no universally "right" choice here — it depends on your budget, your timeline, and how much of your business already runs through the website.
| Option | Strengths | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, etc.) | Cheapest option, fastest to start, full control over edits | Time-consuming to get right, limited customization, weaker SEO out of the box |
| Freelancer | Lower cost than agencies, direct one-on-one contact | Availability can be unpredictable; if they move on, support often disappears with them |
| Agency or studio | Defined process, testing, ongoing support, someone accountable after launch | Often costs more than a solo freelancer; quality still varies a lot between studios |
If your website is a small side project, a DIY builder or a freelancer may genuinely be enough. If the website is meant to be your main source of leads or sales, the reliability and support that come with a studio tend to pay for themselves — see our why choose Brakivo page for the specific things we think matter most once a site is live and working for you.
Questions to ask before you sign anything
Ask these before any money changes hands. A confident, specific answer to each one tells you far more than any portfolio.
- Can I see two or three live sites you've built, not just designs?
- Who owns the domain name and hosting account once the project is done?
- What's the realistic timeline, in writing, from deposit to launch?
- What happens if I want to change the copy or add a page six months from now?
- Is the site mobile-responsive by default, or is that an extra cost?
- Do you handle basic SEO setup, or is that a separate add-on?
- What does support look like after the site goes live — and for how long?
- What's included in the price, and what counts as "extra scope"?
Red flags that should end the conversation
A few patterns come up again and again with projects that go wrong. None of these are automatically disqualifying on their own, but two or more together are a reason to keep looking.
- No written scope or quote. If everything is agreed over WhatsApp voice notes with nothing in writing, disputes later have nowhere to land.
- Full payment upfront. For larger projects, being asked for 100% before any work starts is worth questioning. A clear deposit or milestone structure is usually easier for both sides.
- They keep the domain in their own account. Your domain and hosting should be registered under your name or business, even if they manage it for you.
- Vague or missing post-launch plan. "We'll figure it out" is not a support plan.
- Pressure to decide immediately. A rushed decision on a multi-year asset for your business is rarely a good one.
What happens after the site goes live
This is the part most business owners forget to ask about, and the part that separates a good experience from a frustrating one. Websites need occasional attention — content updates, security patches, the odd bug after a browser update. Before you hire anyone, know exactly who you call when something needs to change, and whether that's included or billed separately.
Whichever developer you go with, treat the relationship the way you'd treat any other business vendor you depend on: get it in writing, ask about the boring parts, and don't be shy about following up during the project. If you'd like a second opinion on a quote you've already received, or want to talk through what your business actually needs, our contact page is the fastest way to reach us — no obligation, no pressure.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost in Kenya?
At Brakivo, a simple one-page site starts around KES 10,500. A full multi-page business website with SEO foundations and lead capture starts around KES 15,500, while e-commerce and more advanced builds start around KES 30,500 and can go higher depending on features and integrations.
How long does it take to build a website?
A focused one-page site can have a first draft ready in about a day once content is provided. Multi-page business sites typically take one to three weeks, and larger web applications or e-commerce builds can take four to eight weeks depending on scope.
Should I hire a freelancer or an agency?
Freelancers are often cheaper and fine for very simple, low-stakes sites. Agencies or small studios usually offer more reliability, a defined process, testing, and ongoing support — which matters more once the site is generating real leads or sales for your business.
What should I ask before hiring a web developer?
Ask to see live sites they built, ask who owns the domain and hosting after launch, ask for a timeline in writing, and ask what support looks like once the site is live. If a developer gets defensive about any of these, treat that as useful information.
