It’s usually the first question business owners ask, and the honest answer is: it depends on what the website needs to do. A simple site that tells people who you are and how to reach you is a very different project from a site that books appointments, takes payments or sells products.
This guide breaks down what actually drives the cost of a small business website, the ongoing costs people forget about, and how to compare quotes so you end up with a site that pays for itself.
The three ways to get a website
Most small businesses end up choosing one of three paths. Each one has a very different price and a very different result.
1. Do it yourself with a website builder
Builders like Wix, Squarespace or GoDaddy let you put a site together yourself for a monthly subscription. The cost is low, but the real price is your time. You’ll design it, write it, fix it and keep it updated yourself, and the result usually looks like a template because it is one.
DIY makes sense if you’re just starting out and need something online this week. It rarely makes sense once your website needs to bring in customers.
2. A template site from a freelancer or low-cost provider
Someone takes a pre-made theme, swaps in your logo and text, and launches it. It’s faster and cheaper than custom work, and it can look decent. The trade-off is that your site looks like thousands of others, it’s built around the template’s layout instead of your business, and changes outside the template can get complicated.
3. A custom-designed website
A custom website is designed around your business, your customers and what you need visitors to do, whether that’s calling, booking, buying or requesting a quote. It costs more up front because a designer is planning, designing and building every page for you, not filling in a template.
At Dream Web Digital, every site is custom. No pre-made themes, unlimited revisions, and the full package of setup, security, training and support is included. You can see what that looks like in my portfolio.
What drives the price of a website
Whichever path you choose, the same things move the price up or down.
- Number of pages. A five-page site is a smaller project than a thirty-page site. Each page needs to be designed, written, built and tested.
- Features. Contact forms are standard. Online booking, payments, an online store, member areas, or connections to your CRM or email marketing add time and complexity.
- Content. If your text and photos are ready, the project moves faster. If you need help writing copy or sourcing images, that’s additional work.
- Design depth. A clean, simple design takes less time than a highly custom one with unique layouts, illustrations and interactions.
- Redesign or new build. A redesign of an existing site often includes moving content over and protecting your current search rankings.
- Revisions. Some providers cap revisions and charge for more. Ask before you sign.
The ongoing costs people forget
The build is only part of the picture. Every website has running costs.
- Domain name. Your web address renews every year.
- Hosting. The server your site lives on. Cheap shared hosting is inexpensive but often slow, and support is usually a ticket queue. Managed hosting costs more but includes updates, backups, security and real support. Learn more about managed WordPress hosting.
- Updates and maintenance. WordPress, themes and plugins need regular updates. Someone has to apply them and make sure nothing breaks.
- Email. Business email on your own domain, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, is usually a separate monthly cost.
- Changes over time. New services, new photos, seasonal updates. Either you make them yourself or you pay someone to.
Cheap websites often cost more
A website that doesn’t bring in customers isn’t cheap at any price. The most expensive website is the one you pay for twice: once for the quick version, and again when you replace it a year later because it doesn’t look trustworthy, doesn’t show up in search or doesn’t work on phones.
When you compare options, compare what you’ll actually get:
- Is the design custom or a template?
- How many rounds of revisions are included?
- Will it work properly on phones and tablets?
- Who sets up security, backups and updates?
- Will you be trained to update it yourself?
- What happens after launch if something breaks?
How to get an accurate quote
The fastest way to get a real number is to describe what you need. Before you talk to a web designer, write down:
- What your business does and who your customers are.
- What you want visitors to do on your website.
- Roughly how many pages you need.
- Any features, such as booking, payments or a store.
- Two or three websites you like, and why.
If you’re working with me, my onboarding form walks you through all of this, but you don’t need it to get a quote. A quick Zoom call is enough to give you a clear price and timeline. Get in touch and tell me about your business.
