A Guide to Small Business Website Cost

Slug

small-business-website-cost

Excerpt

What's the real small business website cost? Our guide breaks down pricing for DIY, freelancers, and agencies to help you budget with confidence.

So, what's a new website really going to cost you? The honest answer is: it depends. You could be looking at a few hundred dollars a year for a simple DIY site, or upwards of $7,000 for a professional build. It all comes down to the features you need, how complex the design is, and most importantly, who is building it.

Research from GoodFirms found that most small businesses land somewhere between 7,000, with projects taking anywhere from one to twelve weeks. That's a huge range, but it gives you a ballpark to start with.

Answering Your Big Question: Website Costs at a Glance

Trying to nail down a budget can feel like throwing a dart in the dark. But it really boils down to one big decision: are you building it yourself, hiring a pro, or partnering with a team?

Getting a handle on this choice is crucial. A bit of background reading on some essential web development tips for small businesses can shed light on why this is such a foundational part of your business's online presence.

Think of it like building a house. You could grab a DIY kit from the store (a website builder), hire a talented local contractor (a freelancer), or bring in a full-service architectural firm (an agency). Each path has a completely different price tag, timeline, and final result.

Website Cost Snapshot: DIY vs Freelancer vs Agency

To help you figure out which path makes the most sense for your business, I've broken down the three main approaches. This isn't just about the initial cost—it’s about finding the right fit for your goals, your timeline, and your sanity.

Approach	Typical Cost Range	Estimated Timeline	Best For
DIY Builder	600 (annually)	1–3 weeks	Startups, freelancers, and businesses with tight budgets and simple needs.
Hiring a Freelancer	8,000 (one-time)	4–8 weeks	Small businesses needing a custom design and specific features without the overhead of an agency.
Partnering with an Agency	25,000+ (one-time)	8–16+ weeks	Growing businesses requiring a comprehensive strategy, ongoing support, and complex functionality.

Choosing the right option means you won't overspend on features you don't need or, even worse, end up with a site that can't do what you need it to do.

This image gives you a great visual breakdown of where your money actually goes during a typical website project.

As you can see, the bulk of the cost is wrapped up in the initial design and development. But don't overlook ongoing maintenance—it's a real, recurring expense that many people forget to budget for. This quick overview should give you a much more realistic starting point for planning your own website budget.

Understanding the Foundational Costs of Any Website

Every single website, whether it's a simple one-page brochure or a sprawling e-commerce empire, has a few costs that are just part of the deal. Getting your head around these core expenses is the first real step to building a realistic budget for your business website.

I like to think of it like setting up a new brick-and-mortar shop. You absolutely need an address, the physical space itself, and a good lock on the door. It's no different online. These are the recurring fees you'll pay just to keep the lights on and your digital doors open. They aren't the flashy, exciting parts, but they're the bedrock everything else is built on.

Your Website's Digital Address: Domain Names

Your domain name is your website’s unique address on the internet—think yourbusiness.com. It’s how people find you, and it’s a massive part of your brand identity. A good domain name builds credibility and helps you stick in people's minds.

This isn't a one-time purchase; you're essentially leasing it. For common extensions like .com, .org, or .net, you can expect to pay an annual fee of around 25 per year. Some of the newer or trendier extensions (like .io or .ai) might run a bit higher.

Once you have it, it's also crucial to secure and manage your website's domain properly. The last thing you want is for it to expire by accident or get scooped up by someone else.

The Plot of Land for Your Website: Web Hosting

If the domain is your address, web hosting is the actual plot of land where your website "lives." This service stores all your site's files—the text, the code, the images—on a server and makes sure they're available 24/7 to anyone who types in your address. A domain name without hosting is just pointing to an empty lot.

Hosting costs can vary wildly, a bit like renting a small studio apartment versus an entire office building.

Shared Hosting: The most budget-friendly route, typically costing 15 per month. You're sharing server resources with other websites, which is perfectly fine for brand-new sites that don't have a ton of traffic yet.

VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting: This is a solid step up. You get your own dedicated slice of a server, which means better performance and more control. Prices usually fall between 80 per month. It's a great middle ground for businesses that are starting to grow.

Dedicated Hosting: Here, you get the whole server to yourself. This means maximum power, speed, and security. It's also the priciest, often starting at 300+. This is really for high-traffic websites with very specific needs.

For most small businesses, shared hosting is the perfect place to start. You can always level up as your website gets more popular.

Key Insight: A lot of all-in-one website builders roll hosting costs right into their monthly plans. It definitely simplifies things, but it's good to remember you're still paying for it as part of the package. If you're looking at no-code tools, checking out their https://sotion.so/pricing can give you a clear picture of what’s included.

Securing Your Digital Front Door: SSL Certificates

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is absolutely non-negotiable today. It's the digital lock on your front door. It encrypts the connection between a visitor's browser and your website, protecting any sensitive data they share, like contact forms or credit card numbers. You know a site has one when you see the little padlock icon and "https" in the address bar.

If you don't have one, modern browsers will often slap a big "Not Secure" warning on your site. That's a surefire way to kill trust and send potential customers running. Plus, Google actually uses SSL as a small ranking signal, so skipping it can ding your SEO.

The good news? Most reputable hosting companies and website builders now include a basic SSL certificate for free with their plans. For businesses that handle more sensitive data, you can opt for premium SSL certificates that offer higher levels of validation, which might cost anywhere from 200 per year.

Choosing Your Builder: DIY vs. Freelancer vs. Agency

Okay, with the foundational costs out of the way, you’ve landed at the biggest fork in the road for your website budget: who is actually going to build this thing? This isn't just about picking a service; it's a strategic choice where you're trading time for money, convenience for control, and simplicity for custom features.

Think of it like furnishing a new office. You could grab some flat-pack furniture and build it yourself (DIY), hire a talented local handyman to create custom pieces (freelancer), or bring in a full-service interior design firm to handle everything from the blueprints to the final coat of paint (agency). Each path gets you a place to work, but the cost, timeline, and final result will be wildly different.

This screenshot from Wix is a perfect example of the polished, professional look you can pull off with a modern DIY builder. With drag-and-drop tools and slick templates, you can create something visually impressive without ever touching a line of code.

The DIY Route with Website Builders

Going the Do-It-Yourself route with platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify is easily the most budget-friendly way to get online. For a simple monthly or annual fee, they hand you all the tools: templates, hosting, and an editor to piece it all together.

The catch? The primary cost isn't money—it's your time. While these builders are designed to be user-friendly, you instantly become the designer, the copywriter, and the project manager. Be prepared to sink some serious hours into learning the platform, arranging your content, and nudging pixels until everything looks perfect.

Key Takeaway: The DIY approach is a fantastic fit for startups, solopreneurs, and any business with straightforward needs and a tight budget. You're basically trading your own "sweat equity" for a much lower upfront cost.

Hiring a Freelance Developer

Hiring a freelancer is the classic middle ground, giving you a nice balance of custom work without the massive price tag of a big firm. A good freelancer can build a site that's truly unique to your brand, add specific features you need, and give you a much more personal experience.

The main challenge here is finding the right person for the job. A great freelancer brings serious expertise and efficiency, but you’ll still need to be involved to provide direction, feedback, and content. Costs can swing wildly depending on their experience and location, but a typical small business website often lands somewhere between 8,000. This generally covers a custom design, the essential pages, and integration with a content management system (CMS).

To get the most bang for your buck, it's smart to explore resources that review the best website builders specifically for small businesses. Sometimes, a high-end DIY tool might actually serve you better than a lower-cost freelancer.

Partnering with a Web Design Agency

Going with an agency is the premium, all-inclusive package. You’re not just hiring a developer; you’re getting a whole team—strategists, designers, developers, copywriters, and project managers. They don't just build a website; they craft a complete digital strategy that’s wired directly into your business goals.

That high price tag reflects the comprehensive, hands-off approach. Agencies manage everything from market research and user experience (UX) design to development, launch, and ongoing support. This is the ideal path for established businesses that see their website as a critical engine for marketing and sales and need a strategic partner to manage all that complexity.

And for those who want a powerful but more hands-on solution, you might find our guide on the Sotion Notion website builder an interesting alternative.

Ultimately, the right choice boils down to your resources. Take a hard look at your budget, how much time you can realistically commit, and your long-term goals to pick the path that will set you up for success.

Budgeting for Hidden and Ongoing Website Costs

Launching your new website can feel like crossing a finish line, but really, it's just the starting gun. A great website isn't a static brochure; it’s a living part of your business that needs regular attention to stay healthy, secure, and effective. The initial build cost is just one piece of a much larger financial puzzle.

Think of it like buying a new car. The sticker price is the big upfront cost, but you still have to budget for gas, insurance, oil changes, and the occasional repair to keep it running. Ignoring these ongoing needs won't save you money—it just leads to bigger, more expensive problems down the road.

Core Technical Maintenance and Security

First things first, let's talk about the absolute must-haves. These are the critical, non-negotiable costs that keep your site secure and functional. Forgetting about these is like never locking your shop's front door. It might be fine for a while, but eventually, you'll wish you had.

Here’s what you need to keep an eye on:

Software Updates: If you're using a platform like WordPress, your theme, plugins, and the core software itself all need regular updates. These aren't just for new features; they patch security holes and fix bugs.

Security Monitoring: This involves actively scanning for malware, suspicious activity, and attempted hacks. Many services offer this for a monthly fee, and it's money well spent for peace of mind.

Regular Backups: Your website needs to be backed up consistently. If your site ever crashes or gets compromised, a recent backup is your lifeline to getting back online fast.

Many hosting providers offer basic versions of these services, but for a serious business, a dedicated maintenance plan is a smart investment. A typical plan from a freelancer or small agency will run you anywhere from 200 per month. Going the DIY route is cheaper in dollars, but it costs you in time and technical know-how.

Recurring Subscriptions and Renewals

Beyond the core technical work, your website's functionality often relies on a stack of subscriptions. These are the little costs that are easy to forget about but can really add up, directly impacting the true small business website cost over a year.

Your annual renewal list will probably include a few of these:

Domain Name: This is the annual fee to keep your website address. It’s typically around 25 per year. If you're new to this, our guide on how to set up a custom domain explains the whole process.

Hosting Fees: Whether you pay monthly or annually, web hosting is a non-negotiable recurring cost, usually ranging from 500+ per year for most small businesses.

Premium Plugins or Apps: Many sites depend on paid tools for things like e-commerce, appointment booking, or advanced contact forms. These often come with annual license fees from 300+ per plugin.

SSL Certificate: While many hosts now offer a free SSL, some businesses opt for premium certificates for enhanced security and validation, which can cost 200 annually.

To keep everything straight, here's a look at what you might expect to pay each year to keep your site in good shape.

Common Annual Website Maintenance Costs

This table breaks down the common ongoing expenses to help you budget beyond the initial build, comparing a hands-on approach with hiring a professional.

Maintenance Item	DIY Annual Cost	Freelancer/Agency Annual Cost	Notes
Hosting Plan	500	500	This is a fixed cost regardless of who manages the site.
Domain Name	25	25	A simple annual renewal fee.
SSL Certificate	200	200	Free options are common, but premium certs have a cost.
Premium Plugins	300+	300+	License fees are the same; agency plans might bundle them.
Backups	100	Included in Plan	DIY might use a free plugin or pay for a premium service.
Security Monitoring	250	Included in Plan	DIY relies on plugins; agencies use premium scanning tools.
Updates & Labor	Your Time	2,400	This is the biggest difference—your hours vs. their expertise.
TOTAL	1,375+	3,425+	The DIY path saves cash but demands your time and expertise.

Remember, these numbers are estimates. Your final costs will depend entirely on the complexity of your site and the level of support you need.

Budgeting for Growth and Content

A website that never changes is a website that gets ignored. If you want to keep your audience engaged and rank well in search engines, you have to invest in growth. These costs are far more variable because they're tied directly to your business goals.

Think about setting aside a budget for:

SEO Services: Ongoing Search Engine Optimization is what gets you found on Google. A monthly retainer with a freelancer or agency can start around 2,500+, depending on how aggressive you want to be.

Content Creation: Whether it's writing blog posts, shooting videos, or designing graphics, fresh content keeps people coming back. This could cost a few hundred dollars a month for a freelance writer or several thousand for a full content strategy.

Paid Advertising: If you plan on running Google Ads or social media campaigns to drive immediate traffic, this will be a significant and continuous part of your marketing budget.

By planning for these "hidden" and ongoing expenses from day one, you protect your initial investment and ensure your website remains a valuable, high-performing asset for your business long after launch day.

How Specific Features Affect Your Final Website Cost

Ever wonder why one website quote comes in at a neat 20,000? The answer, almost every time, is features. Your website's "wish list" is the single biggest factor that determines its final price, because every feature translates directly into development time, complexity, and ultimately, cost.

Think of it like buying a new car. The base model has a pretty attractive sticker price. But then you start adding things—the sunroof, the premium sound system, the fancy driver-assist tech. The total climbs with each addition. Building a website works exactly the same way.

A simple brochure site with a few pages and a contact form? That's your base model. It’s clean, it’s effective, and it’s relatively inexpensive. The moment you want the site to do more, you start moving into higher price brackets.

The Impact of Interactive and Custom Features

The real budget jump happens when you go from a static, informational site to one that’s interactive. A developer can probably slap a pre-built contact form onto your site in under an hour. But what if you need a complex appointment booking system? That’s not an hour-long job; that could be days or even weeks of work.

A booking system has to do so much more than just collect information. It needs to talk to a calendar, manage availability in real time, handle different types of services, send out automated emails, and maybe even take payments. Each of those functions adds another layer of complexity, which directly bumps up your small business website cost.

Here are a few common comparisons to put it in perspective:

Basic Contact Form vs. Advanced Quoting Tool: One grabs a name and email. The other might use complex logic to calculate a custom price based on a dozen user inputs.

Simple Image Gallery vs. Custom Portfolio: A standard gallery is a simple plugin. A filterable portfolio with unique hover effects and detailed project pages requires custom design and coding.

Embedded Google Map vs. Interactive Store Locator: One is a copy-and-paste job. The other needs a database of all your locations, search functionality, and API integration to provide directions.

E-commerce Functionality: A Major Cost Driver

Want to sell products online? That’s one of the biggest cost multipliers you can add to a project. The price and complexity scale up fast depending on just how deep you want to go with your e-commerce setup.

A small online shop with a handful of products and a basic checkout is one thing. A massive e-commerce platform is a completely different animal.

Key Insight: Building an online store isn’t like adding a new room to your house. It’s more like building a fully equipped warehouse next door. It needs its own logistics, security, and management systems to run right.

These are the kinds of e-commerce features that really drive up development costs:

Inventory Management: Syncing your stock levels between your online and physical stores.

Customer Accounts: Letting users create profiles, see their order history, and save payment info.

Advanced Shipping Logic: Calculating shipping rates based on weight, dimensions, and customer location.

Third-Party Integrations: Connecting your store to tools like accounting software, email marketing platforms, or a CRM.

Design, CMS, and Integration Costs

It’s not just the flashy, user-facing features that affect the price. A lot of behind-the-scenes decisions play a huge role in the final cost, too. These foundational choices determine how your site is built and how easily it can grow later on.

Take the choice between a pre-made template and a fully custom graphic design. A template gives you a ready-made framework, which is faster and cheaper. A custom design, on the other hand, is a whole process involving strategy, wireframing, and creating a unique visual identity from the ground up. It simply requires far more time and expertise.

Your choice of a Content Management System (CMS) also matters. A simple website builder might have a low upfront cost, but a more powerful platform like WordPress offers way more flexibility at the cost of more complex development. And finally, if you need to connect your website to other business tools—like a Salesforce CRM or a Mailchimp account—that requires specialized API work, adding another layer of cost.

Once you understand how all these pieces contribute to the total, you can start making smart decisions, prioritizing what you truly need, and building a budget that actually aligns with your business goals.

How to Get a Website Quote You Can Trust

Ever get a website quote and just stare at it, completely baffled? It happens all the time. One agency quotes you 15,000 for what feels like the exact same project.

This huge gap isn't because someone is trying to pull a fast one. It almost always boils down to a single issue: a lack of clear communication about what you actually need.

To get a solid, trustworthy quote, you have to hand the developer or agency a clear roadmap. Without it, they're left guessing, and that guesswork often leads to inflated prices just to cover the unknown risks. A little bit of prep work on your end makes sure everyone is on the same page and lets you compare your options apples-to-apples.

Create a Clear and Concise Project Brief

Before you even think about emailing a single developer, you need to put together a project brief. Think of it as the blueprint for your website. It doesn't need to be a formal 50-page document—a few well-organized pages can make a world of difference.

Putting together a good brief forces you to turn those vague ideas floating around in your head into concrete requirements.

Your brief should answer these core questions:

Who is this website for? Describe your ideal customer. Are they tech-savvy millennials glued to their phones, or an older crowd that's less comfortable online? This detail impacts everything from the design to the navigation.

What's the #1 goal? What is the single most important thing you want a visitor to do? Is it to fill out a contact form, buy a product, or book an appointment?

What are the must-have features? Make a list of your non-negotiables. Things like e-commerce functionality, a blog, a photo gallery, or an event calendar.

What websites do you love? Provide links to 2-3 websites you admire, even if they're competitors. More importantly, explain what you like about them. Is it the clean design, the super-simple navigation, or a specific feature they have?

Ask the Right Questions to Vet Your Options

Once your project brief is ready, you can start reaching out for quotes. But don't just attach the file and hit send. The first conversation is your chance to interview them and see if they really know their stuff. How they answer these questions will tell you everything you need to know about their process and whether they're the right partner for you.

Here are a few essential questions to ask any developer or agency you talk to:

Can I see some examples of similar sites you've built? You're looking for projects that had goals or features similar to yours.

What does your development process look like? A great partner will have a clear, structured process for discovery, design, development, and launch. You shouldn't be left wondering what's next.

Who will be my main point of contact? Knowing who you'll be talking to throughout the project is key for a smooth ride.

What, exactly, is included in your quote? Does it cover design, development, putting in the initial content, and basic SEO? What about revisions? Get specific.

What are the ongoing costs I should plan for after launch? Ask about their maintenance plans, hosting fees, and any software licenses that might have recurring costs.

When you arm yourself with a detailed brief and ask smart questions, you completely change the conversation. You'll get back clear, justified proposals that actually match your vision. This makes it so much easier to understand the true small business website cost and pick a partner you can genuinely trust.

Common Questions About Website Costs

When you start digging into the financial side of building a website, a few questions always seem to pop up. Getting straight answers to these is key to planning your budget and making choices you won't regret later.

One of the big ones is whether you can really get a professional website for free. While you’ll see "free" website builders advertised everywhere, they're not a realistic option for any serious business. These free plans usually plaster ads all over your site, stick you with a clunky subdomain (think yourname.wixsite.com), and lock away most of the useful features. It just doesn't look professional, and it can seriously undermine your brand's credibility right out of the gate.

Redesigns And Custom Builds

People also ask a lot about the cost of a redesign. A website redesign can run anywhere from 50% to over 100% of what you paid to build it in the first place. If you're just giving your site a visual facelift while keeping the same content and platform, you'll be on the lower end of that range. But if you’re moving to a whole new platform, completely overhauling your content and strategy, and bolting on major new features, it’s easy to see how the cost can climb higher than your original investment.

Finally, business owners often wonder why a custom web design is so much pricier than just using a template.

That custom process involves deep-dive strategy sessions, user experience (UX) research, creating one-of-a-kind visuals, and writing custom code. It’s a completely different ballgame that requires a ton more time and expertise, which is why it's a bigger investment for a site that's truly built to help your business win.

Ready to build a professional, branded website without the high agency costs? With Sotion, you can transform any Notion page into a stunning, secure website in minutes. Get started with Sotion today