| Included | Added only if you ask |
|---|---|
| Page designs for desktop and mobile | Ongoing content writing |
| Brand colours, fonts and imagery applied consistently | Product photography |
| Site structure and navigation | Paid ads and social media management |
| Build on Next.js, Webflow, WordPress or Shopify | Custom software or CRM (scoped separately) |
| Speed tuning and handover so your team can edit the site | Monthly SEO retainers |
Service — Website Design
Website designer in Addis Ababa and worldwide.
Looking for a website designer near you in Addis Ababa? Rylo Agency designs and builds business websites from our studio in the city, and we work with clients in Ethiopia and abroad. The same senior team does the work wherever you are, in English and Amharic.
01Key takeaways
Website design for businesses in Addis Ababa and around the world.
- Design and build in one team — a website designer plans how your site looks, reads and converts, and a developer builds it. At Rylo one team does both, so nothing is lost in handover.
- Based in Addis Ababa — you get agency-grade website design without London or New York overheads.
- Fast and editable — sites are built to load in under two seconds, and your own team can edit them without calling us.
02The role
What does a website designer actually do?
Website designer, web designer, web site designer: three names for one role. Webdesign, web design, website design: whichever spelling you search, the work is the same. In practice the job covers six things.
01
Structure and navigation
Planning site structure and navigation so visitors find what they need quickly.
02
Look and feel
Designing layouts, typography, colour and imagery that fit your brand.
03
Mockups first
Creating mockups before anything is built, so you approve the look early.
04
Every screen size
Making every page work on phones, tablets and desktops.
05
Design and message together
Working with writers and developers so design and message match.
06
Launch details
Handling domain, hosting and launch details.
03Design vs development
Website design vs web development: what is the difference?
Design is the front end: what visitors see and how they move through the site. Development is the back end: the code, the content system, speed and security.
Many agencies split the two between different people or even different companies. We keep them in one team so the design you approve is the site that goes live. If you need custom software, a CRM or an app rather than a website, see our web development service.
04Scope
What is included in a website design project?
05Process
How does a website design project run?
01
Audit
We review your current site, analytics and competitors. You keep the findings whether or not you hire us.
02
Strategy
One page: the pages you need, the goal of each, the timeline and the budget.
03
Design
Wireframes first, then full designs for the key pages. You approve before we build.
04
Build
Delivered in stages so you can see progress and give feedback early.
05
Launch and improve
Testing across devices, launch, then regular optimisation and plain-language reporting. No lock-in.
06Pricing
What does a website designer cost?
| Project | Typical scope | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Business website | Up to 18 pages, custom designed, mobile-first, editable content | From ETB 64,800 |
| Lead-generation website | Up to 30 pages, landing pages, conversion tracking | From ETB 238,500 |
| E-commerce website | Shop, Telebirr and card payments, product pages | From ETB 82,800 |
| Bilingual or custom build | English and Amharic, or bespoke features | Quoted after the free audit |
What moves the price: number of pages, custom features, platform, number of languages, and whether your content is ready. We quote after the free audit so the number matches your actual scope. Full package details and any current offer are on our web development packages.
07AI
AI website designer: where does it help and where does it not?
AI tools can produce a layout in minutes. That is useful for a first draft or for testing ideas quickly.
What they do not replace is judgment: positioning your brand against competitors, structuring headings and page speed so search engines can read the site, accessibility, security, and the small details that make a site feel like yours. The practical approach is to let AI speed up the first draft and have a designer decide what ships.
Want to try building it yourself first? Our guide on how to make a website compares the do-it-yourself routes with hiring a pro.
08Addis Ababa
Why work with a website designer in Addis Ababa?
- Meet in person or online — our team is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm EAT.
- English and Amharic — we design with Ethiopic script in mind: font support, line length and spacing. Our own site has an Amharic version.
- Built for how local customers pay and reach you — Telebirr and card payments on online stores, plus contact forms, WhatsApp, phone and Google Maps on every site.
- Found by nearby customers — we can set up and correct your Google Business Profile and other listings so people searching for services in Addis Ababa find you. See our guide to local SEO in Addis Ababa.
- Local proof — we designed the site for ESCVSEC, a chartered valuation and engineering firm working across Ethiopia and East Africa. See it and our other builds on our work page.
09International
Do you work with international clients?
Yes. EAT (UTC+3) overlaps working hours across Europe, the Middle East and East Africa. For the Americas we agree call windows at the start.
Our cost base is a fraction of a London or New York agency's, and we pass that on instead of pocketing the difference.
10Why Rylo
Why choose Rylo as your website designer?
- Senior people do the work — not a handover to juniors.
- No lock-in — and a standing invitation to cancel if the numbers stop working.
- Plain-language reporting — you see what changed and why it matters.
- Working since 2020 — previously LT Digital Marketing, same team.
11Questions
Website design questions.
A website designer's cost depends on the number of pages, custom features, platform and languages. At Rylo a custom-designed business website starts from ETB 64,800 and an online store from ETB 82,800, both one-time fees. Bilingual and custom builds are quoted after scoping. We give a fixed quote after the free audit, so the price matches your actual scope.
Check that their past work matches your type of site, that they know the platform you want, what is included (revisions, mobile design, handover), and who will actually do the work. Ask to see results, not only screenshots, and ask who owns the site, domain and accounts once the project ends.
A landing page is much quicker than a multi-page business site. A marketing website typically takes four to eight weeks from audit to launch, and most of that time goes on content and approvals. Custom features or a bilingual English and Amharic build add time. We agree the exact dates in the strategy step, before design starts.
For a simple personal page, maybe not. For a business site that has to win customers, rank in search and look like your brand, a designer saves time and avoids rebuilds. AI tools and drag-and-drop platforms are fine for a first draft; a designer decides the structure, speed, accessibility and details that make the site yours.
Yes. We build both language versions and set them up so search engines serve each to the right audience. That includes fonts with full Ethiopic script support, checked line length and spacing for Amharic text, a separate address for each language, and hreflang tags so Google shows the Amharic page to people searching in Amharic.
Yes. We work with clients worldwide and agree meeting times around your time zone. East Africa Time (UTC+3) overlaps working hours across Europe, the Middle East and East Africa, and for clients in the Americas we agree fixed call windows at the start of the project, so feedback and approvals never wait for days.
Next step
Ready to start?
Book a free 30-minute audit of your site and search presence. You keep the findings either way.