What you are buying when you order promotion
Providers use the word promotion to mean different things. For some it is SEO, meaning work on rankings in Google and Yandex. For others it is paid search. Some mean Instagram targeting or ads in Telegram channels that send people to your site. Most often it is a mix, so two proposals with the same title can describe very different amounts of work.
Before comparing figures, define the goal. It might be leads from Tashkent, payments through Click or Payme, orders from the regions, or calls to your sales team. The goal decides the channels, and the channels decide the budget.
What makes up the cost of promotion
There is no single price list, and that is normal: two sites in different niches need different effort. We deliberately give no figures here, because without looking at the niche and the site they mean nothing. What we can do is list what moves the final number.
- Competition in the niche. Promoting flower delivery in Tashkent is a different job from promoting specialised industrial equipment.
- Site size: the number of pages, products and language versions. Russian, Uzbek and English versions each need their own work.
- Technical audit and fixes: loading speed, structure, mobile usability.
- Content: copy, product descriptions, photos, articles. In many niches this is the largest part of the work.
- External signals: mentions, directories, company profiles on maps and marketplaces.
- Ad spend. Money that goes into Google Ads or Meta Ads is not part of the agency fee and is paid separately.
- Analytics and reporting: goal setup, tracking calls and leads, regular reports.
Why the site itself affects the price of promotion
If a site was put together in a hurry, promotion costs more. Part of the budget goes not to attracting customers but to fixing what stops them from buying: pages load slowly, there is no Uzbek version, the enquiry form never reaches a manager, analytics is not connected. Ads bring a visitor in and the site loses them.
That is why it is sometimes smarter to improve the site or build a new one first and pay for traffic afterwards. At markdev we build websites turnkey, and we often begin the conversation with a simple question: is your site ready for the visitors you are about to pay for?
How to compare quotes from different providers
Tashkent has freelancers, small teams and full-service agencies. The difference between them is not only price. What matters more is how specifically a provider describes the work and whether they will answer for results with numbers. Ask everyone the same questions:
- Which exact tasks are covered by the monthly fee, and what happens in the first month?
- Which metrics will you track: leads, cost per lead, rankings, sales?
- Will I have access to analytics and ad accounts?
- What is included in the fee and what is billed separately?
- How often will reports arrive, and in what form?
- What happens if there are no results after several months?
Warning signs in a proposal
Be careful with promises of first place in search: rankings are controlled by the search engine, not the provider. A price named in the first message without a single question about your business is another red flag. So is a proposal with no description of the work, or reports that say little more than we did a lot of work. And if you are refused access to your own ad account or analytics, think twice.
It also helps to remember that SEO does not deliver instant results. Ads bring leads faster but stop when the budget stops. Combining both often makes sense, though the proportions depend on your niche and goals.
Where to start
Gather your starting data: how many leads the site brings now, where they come from, your average order value and the share of leads that turn into sales. With this a provider can sketch a realistic budget, and you can judge whether it will pay back. If you want to discuss your task, send a request to markdev: we will look at the site, talk through your goals and say honestly what to do first and what can wait.
FAQ
Why don't agencies name an exact price straight away?
Because the budget depends on the niche, the condition of the site, the number of pages and the chosen channels. Without an audit any number is a guess. A reasonable provider first asks about your business and looks at the site.
Which is cheaper, SEO or paid search ads?
There is no universal answer. Ads start faster but need constant spending on impressions and clicks. SEO works more slowly, but the rankings you build keep bringing visitors. The choice depends on your niche, timeline and budget.
Is ad spend included in the cost of promotion?
Usually not. The agency fee for setup and management and the money spent inside ad platforms are counted separately. Confirm this before you sign a contract.
Should I update my website before starting promotion?
If the site is slow, awkward on mobile or fails to capture enquiries, promotion will be less effective. In that case it is better to fix the main problems or rebuild the site first, then bring in traffic.
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