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How much does a small business website cost?
Small business website cost depends on pages, design and features. A clean 5 to 8 page site with a contact form is the most common starting point. Our WordPress Starter website starts from $600, and you should also budget for a domain, hosting and maintenance every year.
Most owners ask about small business website cost before anything else, and the honest answer is that it depends on what the site has to do. A site that explains your services and collects enquiries costs much less than one that takes bookings, payments or logins.
Below is a simple way to work out your budget, with the one-time and yearly costs separated so nothing surprises you later.
What a typical small business site includes
For most local and service businesses, the first website needs only a few pages:
- Home page that explains what you do and who you help.
- Service pages, one for each main service.
- About page with your story and team.
- Contact page with a form, phone number and map.
- Reviews or case studies to build trust.
That is usually 5 to 8 pages. Our WordPress Starter website covers this scope and starts from $600, with a custom design, mobile layout, on-page SEO setup, Google Analytics and 30 days of support.
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What raises the small business website cost
The price goes up when the site needs more pages or more work behind the scenes. Common extras are:
- Online booking or appointment scheduling.
- Online payments or a small shop.
- A blog with several starter articles.
- Multiple languages or locations.
- Copywriting and professional photos.
- Connections to a CRM, email tool or accounting software.
None of these are required on day one. Many owners launch with the core pages and add features once the site starts bringing enquiries.
Yearly running costs
| Item | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | Yearly | Register it in your own name |
| Hosting | Monthly or yearly | Choose a plan with backups and SSL |
| Maintenance | Monthly | Updates, backups and security checks, from $25 a month with us |
| Paid plugins or apps | Yearly | Only if your site needs them |
Adding these to the build price gives you the real small business website cost for the first year, which is the figure worth comparing.
DIY builder or a developer?
Website builders look cheaper at first. They suit very simple sites, but monthly fees add up, design control is limited and moving away later can be hard. A developer-built WordPress site costs more upfront, but you own it, it can grow with you and any developer can work on it later.
Whichever route you choose, make sure the site loads fast on phones. Google explains why in its Core Web Vitals guide, and slow pages lose enquiries.
How to keep your small business website cost low
- Write a one-page brief listing pages, features and examples you like.
- Prepare your text, logo and photos before work starts.
- Launch with the pages that bring enquiries first.
- Ask every provider for a written scope, so quotes are easy to compare.
Our web developer brief guide shows what to include, and the WordPress cost calculator gives a quick estimate for your scope.
A worked example of small business website cost
Imagine a local accounting firm that needs a home page, three service pages, an about page and a contact page. That is six pages on one design system, which fits a starter package. The small business website cost for year one would be the build price plus the domain, hosting and an optional maintenance plan. If the firm later adds online booking and a blog, those become a second phase with their own quote. Splitting the small business website cost into phases like this keeps the first payment manageable.
Related questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a realistic first-year budget?
Add the build price, the domain, a year of hosting and maintenance. That total is a more honest small business website cost than the build price alone.
Do I need a blog from the start?
No. A blog helps with search over time, but it can be added after launch when you are ready to write regularly.
Can I update the site myself?
Yes. WordPress lets you edit text, images and prices without code. We show you how at handover.
Is a one-page site enough?
For a very new business it can work, but separate service pages usually rank better and convert better.
Not sure where your site stands?
Send us the details and we will reply within 24 hours with a clear next step.