How Much Does a Website Cost?
Wondering , how much does a website cost?
- If you do it yourself, it can cost as little as $58 to launch.
- If you hire professionals, the average cost for a local business website is $5,000 to $10,000 to launch.
No site is really free, and calculating costs of your website can feel overwhelming, especially if you’ve never built a website before. It’s important to control expenses, especially if you want to invest in advertising, so it’s good to have a ballpark understanding of how much a website should cost.
Whether you’re starting a new business or your business has been around longer than the internet, you still need a modern and professional website to serve as the foundation for your digital marketing efforts.
The amount you’ll pay for a website depends on how you build it. For example, there are cost differences between using a free or paid website builder. A DIY website design is often cheaper than hiring a web developer, but isn’t always the right move in the long run.
In this article, we’ll break down the most common expenses associated with different types of website builds.
After reading this guide, you’ll have a better idea of how much a website will cost and what it takes to launch a winning site.
Table of Content
- Create a Plan That Gets Results
- The Factors That Affect Website Cost
- The Pros and Cons of Using Website Builders vs. a Web Developer
- How Much Does It Cost To Make a Website With a Builder?
- Free Content Management Systems (CMS) : Costs and Features
- The Costs of a Do-It-Yourself Website
- The Cost of Professional Web Design vs. DIY Website Builder
- Marketing Costs
- Summary of Costs
- How to Balance Website Cost With Business Results
- Take Action: Get an Effective Website That Boosts Sales
Create a Plan Around The Results You Want
First things first, you need some kind of direction for your website.
When you have a general idea, you’ll have an easier time calculating the cost and building a website that supports your business goals.
Your business needs an effective website that positions you as an authority and builds trust with potential customers. The whole point of a website is to earn more business, and these three factors can either help or hurt the quality of your website:
- Content: This is the text, images, and videos on your website, as well as the underlying plan that guides them. It can also affect off-site content, like social media.
- Design: This includes your website color palette and logo, as well as the look and feel of the website itself.
- Development: This is the technical side of your website that only search engines and developers will see, but it has a big impact on your website speed, search engine rankings, and user experience.
In our opinion, content is the number-one piece. This is what converts visitors into paying customers, clients, and buyers. Keep that in mind when you’re tallying up the costs of a website.
After all, there’s no point in launching a poorly-designed website that will hurt your business. Get your ducks in a row first and then price everything out to make the most of your website budget.
How Much Does a Website Cost?
The Top Five Factors:
Since every website is unique to what a business needs, it’s hard to find sample website pricing online.
Plus, it’s tough finding a professional web design agency that will openly share cost sample pricing without a phone call or meeting. To complicate matters, there’s a big gap between do-it-yourself and professional website pricing.
So, how much does it cost to build a website?
Several factors affect the final website costs. Generally, five factors affect the cost of a website:
- How you build and host the website
- Who designs and builds the website (you versus a web developer or web designer)
- Who creates the content
- The number of pages created
- The functions required (more advanced functions require more time to build, which makes complex sites more expensive)
It also depends on the type of website you’re building for your business. For example, a standard website usually starts out with five pages: Home, Services, Products, About, and Contact. An eCom website, on the other hand, might include those five pages but also have countless product pages.
Over time, you might need to add more features, content, and pages to your website to increase sales. That means you’ll likely have a cost every month for maintaining your website, too—regardless of how you initially build it.
The Pros and Cons of Using Builders vs. Web Developer
Many small businesses build their first site using a website builder to save on costs. Unless you’re building something completely unique, you probably don’t need custom hand-coding. In some cases, this is a great alternative for a small business.
They generally fall into the following categories: free and paid.
Should I Build With a Website Builder?
It’s a good idea to use a website builder if your local business:
- Has little to no budget to hire a web design firm.
- Already has someone on the team with web design and content experience.
- Wants to test an idea before investing with a larger budget.
- Is hosting a temporary or one-time event.
Even then, be sure to weigh the pros and cons of website builders before you take the plunge.
Website Builder Pros
- Typically a website builder is mostly drag-and-drop and requires little to no technical skills which lowers your cost.
- They include lots of free and paid design templates, as well as stock images.
- A website builder usually includes website hosting and a domain, so you pay one price for everything either per month or per year.
- If you need added functionality, builders often come with integration options to connect with third-party platforms.
Website Builder Cons
- This is the big one. Your business only owns the words and images, but not the website design and website design files. The design and website files are part of the website-building platform. It’s similar to social media platforms. It’s your content, but you don’t own the Facebook or Instagram page. If you choose to move your website, you can export the words, images, and videos but you’ll need to re-design and re-develop it elsewhere.
- If you move your website, you may lose your search engine ranking and have to restart your search engine optimization efforts.
- Design options and customization are limited.
- Website builders don’t address your website strategy or guide you on how to organize pages or create content.
What You Need To Know About Using a Website Builder (e.g. Wix)
Using a website builder costs anywhere from a few bucks a month to hundreds of dollars a year. There are so many website builders out there, so it usually comes down to the platform you like the best.
The most popular paid website builders are:
The downside is that it’s a lot of trouble to migrate away from a website builder, so make sure you understand what you’re getting into. Choose wisely.
Let’s do a deep dive into website builders and how much they could cost your business.
Wix
Founded in 2006 and is a publicly-traded business. According to its website, there are over 200 million users as of 2023. It’s a popular website builder and for good reason. There are lots of integrations and hundreds of website design templates to choose from so hiring a designer is not needed. It even offers a free version—as long as you’re okay with displaying ads on your website. Every plan includes the cost hosting and a domain for either per month or per year.- Starts at $16 to $32 a month (discounted when paying the year).
- E-Commerce starts at $32 to $159 a month (discounted when paying the year).
Squarespace
Squarespace was founded in 2003 and is a privately held business. According to its website, millions of businesses use Squarespace. Squarespace isn’t as big, but it offers the same features, more or less.
If you’re trying to choose between these website builders, go with the platform that you find more helpful or intuitive.
Every Squarespace plan includes hosting and a domain for either per month or per year.
- Starts at $16 to $23 a month (discounted when paying the year).
- E-Commerce starts at $27 to $49 a month (discounted when paying the year).
Shopify
Shopify was founded in 2006 and is a publicly-traded business. As one of the premier website tools for eCommerce companies, millions of websites run on Shopify.
While the other two options both offer standard and eCom websites, Shopify focuses on eCom only.
This makes it an ideal builder for small businesses that need help with product pages and payment processing.
Every Shopify plan comes with a free 14-day trial.
- E-Com starts at $39 to $399 a month (discounted when paying the year).
- Additional fees vary, but they’re about 3% per transaction.
Free Content Management Systems (CMS) Website Builder
Content management systems (CMS) offer a way to make it easy for non-technical users to do website maintenance, add design features, and even integrate their website with social media—all without hiring a web designer.
Joomla and Drupal are common options, but they aren’t nearly as popular or user-friendly as WordPress.org.
WordPress is a different type of builder. Initially released in 2003, it’s free and open-source. This means no one organization or business owns it.
Some businesses sign up for a WordPress.com website without realizing it isn’t the same as WordPress.org. WordPress.com is a private company that cleverly bought the domain name very early on (around 2005) and built a business around the name.
WordPress.org is popular with local businesses that:
- May or may not have the experience or a budget, but want a user-friendly builder.
- Want to own their website and files outright.
- Need a custom look and feel to their site.
- Want to add specific functions that other paid website builders don’t offer.
- Want to boost organic search engine results through blogging and other marketing strategies.
- Need a customized domain for branding purposes.
Pros of WordPress Websites
- WordPress is open-source, which means it’s free.
- Because you have access to the core files, there is no limit to the customization or features you can add later.
- Nearly unlimited integration and template options (both free and paid).
- Excellent results for Google search engine optimization and digital marketing.
Cons
- While it has drag-and-drop options, WordPress has a steeper learning curve than website builder alternatives.
- Your business may need to hire a professional web designer to customize your website’s layout or function.
- You’ll need to update the website software every month. See how to do that here.
- WordPress websites don’t help you create a strategy for organizing your website navigation or crafting marketing content.
- You may need to sign up for a GoDaddy website or a similar business to manage your hosting and domain.
How Much Does it Cost to Make a Website by DIY?
Wondering how much a website will cost if you do it yourself and avoid hiring a designer?
The scope of the project determines how much your business will pay, but here’s an overview of what a DIY website will usually cost:
- Paid website platform (without eCom): $22 to $63
- Paid website platform (with eCom): $33 to $314 (plus 3% credit card processing fees)
- Free Content Management System (CMS) (without eCom): $17 to $33
- Free Content Management System (CMS) (with eCom): $17 to $33 (plus 3% credit card processing fees)
But this is just the immediate cost for your site framework. You also need to consider how much you’ll spend on:
- Domain name
- Website hosting
- A website builder
Let’s look at how much your business will need to spend to build a fully functional website.
Domain?
Cost: $10 to $15 per year
You can order your domain name from lots of different places. If
possible, try to buy your domain from the same business that manages your hosting. This isn’t required, but it certainly saves time.
Web Design Hosting?
Cost: $75 to $500 per year
Hosting costs for websites have a wide range because this depends on the level of service you pay for based on your needs.
Low-cost web hosting have abysmal support, so don’t go with the lowest prices.
If you’re using a paid builder like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify, your hosting is included in the plan.
If you’re using WordPress, you need to pay for hosting separately. We recommend Siteground, but you’re free to choose whoever you want. Just make sure the hosting business offers:
- Daily rolling 30-day backups
- Free SSL
- Free domain email
- Great support from human beings
Security Certificate
Cost: Free
An SSL certificate is a verification step that creates a secured link for your website (i.e. https://yourwebsite.com). This allows your website to load on all browsers as it’s been verified as trusted by your host. Without it, your website will almost never load on modern browsers today.
While it’s still possible that your web host could charge for the SSL certificate, most reputable hosting do not.
Cost for a Website Builder?
- Wix, Squarespace or Shopify: $16 to $48 a month (discounted when paying the year upfront)
- Wix, Squarespace or Shopify with ecom: $39 to $399 a month (plus 3% credit card processing fees)
- WordPress: Free. With eCom: 3% credit card processing fees through a third party.
Professional Web Design vs. DIY
Here’s what an advanced website could cost if you hire a web design agency.
Website Costs Breakdown
- Cost without eCom: $4,000 to $15,000
- Cost with eCom: $5,000 to $50,000 (plus 3% credit card processing fees)
- Average: $4,000 to $10,000
The short answer is that there is no recommended minimum or maximum dollar amount for a professionally-designed site cost. It comes down to balancing your goals with your budget and finding professionals you trust to design and build your website.
There are four core cost areas to consider when hiring a professional web designer or agency:
- Website design and development costs (template or custom)
- Search engine optimization costs
- Logo and brand style costs
- Content creation costs
Investment ranges can also vary if the web design agency is using a template to design your website or if it’s a custom design.
Professional Template-Designed Website
- Template-designed website (logo, brand style guide, and content): $4,000 to $10,000
- Template-designed website (eCommerce, logo, brand style guide, and
content): $6,000 to $15,000 (plus 3% credit card processing fees through a third party)
Professional Custom-Designed Website
- Custom-designed website (logo, brand style guide, and content): $6,000 to $15,000
- Custom-designed website (eCommerce, logo, brand style guide, and content): $6,000 to $50,000 (plus 3% credit card processing fees through a third party)
Website Design and Development
Need a general idea?
Here are the average costs you can expect with a pro web designer:
- Template-designed website costs: $2,000 to $5,000
- Template-designed website costs with eCommerce: $3,000 to $7,000
- Custom-designed website cost: $3,500 to $15,000
- Custom-designed website with eCommerce: $3,000 to $40,000
When hiring a professional, the bulk of your budget will go toward design and development. Even with today’s technology, designing and building a site can take 20 to 60 hours, or longer, depending on the scope of the project, the number pages, and features.
Business is very competitive, so when in doubt, get a unique website design. If your budget allows for it, custom designs typically get better business results.
Marketing for Websites
Search Engine Optimization
This is a must-have for any website. Even if you’re using different marketing channels to boost traffic and sales, almost every shopper will do their own research online before buying anything.
Your agency should offer this as part of your website design and development costs.
Walk away from any “professional” if they don’t.
Logo and Brand Style Guide
Cost: $1,000 to $10,000
This informs the design direction and feel of the website. A professionally-designed logo and brand style guide increase the perceived value of your website and business. Before hiring anyone, make sure to review their portfolio. Every logo designer has their own style, so choose someone whose style complements your brand vision.
If you hire a web design agency or independent logo designer, make sure the logo comes with a brand style guide. You can get your logo from the same company as the website or you can get them from separate sources if you prefer.
Content Creation
- Photography/Videography: $50 to $300 per hour
- Photography (Headshots): $100 to $300 per session
- Website Content Writer: $250 to $1,000 per page
Don’t treat content as an after thought. This is the true value of your website to your customers.
It’s what they will rely on to decide whether they want to buy from you or not.
Some web design agencies will create all of the content for you, while others won’t. Providing the content yourself may save you money, but you might get better results by leaving it to the professionals. Hire content writers that have experience writing for conversions to boost your site performance.
Summary of The Two Options
Do-It-Yourself Website Costs
Paid Website Building Platform
- Without eCommerce: $22 to $63
- With eCommerce: $33 to $314 (3% credit card processing fees paid separately)
Free Content Management System (CMS)
- Without eCommerce: $17 to $33
- With eCommerce: $17 to $33 (3% credit card processing fees paid separately)
Professional Website Costs
- Cost without eCommerce: $4,000 to $15,000
- Cost with eCommerce: $5,000 to $50,000 (3% credit card processing fees paid separately)
- Average: $4,000 to $10,000
Check out our upfront costs here.
How to Balance The Website Cost With Desired Business Results
While every business has a budget, your business will be better off if you consider your website as a marketing investment instead of a business expense. This is a tool for growth: a thoughtfully-designed website will help your business thrive while managing costs.
Try to aim for the most unique and effective website your budget will allow. But before deciding on your budget (and whether you should DIY or hire a pro), clarify what you need from your website.
Frame your decision-making with these things in mind:
- Expectations
- Scope
- Time
- Budget
- Action
Ditch Making a “Perfect” Website
Your goal is to launch a winning website that you can build on over time. But the longer you take to launch this website, the more money you’ll lose and the more it will cost you.
While you should want and expect the best possible website, avoid getting stuck in the “perfection loop.”
One of the ways business owners get stuck in this loop is by continually revising their sites without ever launching them.
The perfect website doesn’t exist. Liberate yourself from this impossible expectation.
Instead, set a deadline and launch the best possible website during that window. A good timeframe from start to launch is 30 to 90 days, depending on the size of your website.
Another way to avoid perfectionism is to keep things simple. Avoid generating a bunch of ideas; that will only overwhelm you.
Once you launch your site, you can add more pages, products and blog posts. You can always make updates and optimizations based on what you learn about your shoppers, so don’t worry: there’s time to add to the site in the future.
Clarify Your Website Design Project With the Right Questions
Not sure where to start? Ask yourself these questions to clarify what you need from a site:
- Does my business need eCommerce?
- How many products will I launch with?
- How many services will I launch with?
- Would I consider myself “tech savvy” when it comes to software and computers?
- Do I know how to design a site or should I hire someone?
- Do I know how to design a logo and brand style guide or should I hire someone?
- Do I know how to write for more visitors and conversions or should I hire someone?
- Do I know how to take great photos and videos or should I hire someone?
- Do I need any extra features, like membership logins or recurring customer billing?
- Do I know how to add that extra feature or should I hire someone?
Design a Website Map
Based on how you answer these questions, calculate the number of pages you need based on the products and services you launch with.
But don’t list all of them on one page. Each product or service for your business should have its own page for the following reasons:
- Search engine rankings: Search engines rank pages that focus on one product or service higher than pages with multiple.
- Visitor conversions: Prospective customers need help solving a problem. If they visit a webpage with every product/service listed in one long list, it creates confusion. The visitor becomes overwhelmed and doesn’t make a decision. Instead, they leave.
Organize your website pages something like this:
- Home
- About
- All Offers (links to individual service and/or product pages)
- Product/Service #1
- Product/Service #2
- Contact
Building this sitemap out ahead of time will narrow your focus and help you build a launch-ready site in less time.
Stick To Your Budget and Timeframe
With the information above, you’re ready to set a reasonable budget based on your project scope.
It’s also good to give yourself a deadline within the next 30 to 90 days to complete this project.
Time is money, after all. Every day your website isn’t live is another day of lost revenue and the possiblity of increased costs.
Setting a deadline and budget at the start makes it easier to design an effective site that offers value to your business.
Take Action and Launch Quickly To Get More Sales Sooner
Learning about “how much does a website cost?” is an important part of building a website for your business.
If you aren’t sure where to start, of course we’re happy to help.
Our custom website packages help small businesses get more of their favorite customers faster.