Small business website cost has two parts. The build, for a site of about 5 to 10 pages, is $500 to $3,000 with us. Then come running costs: about $70 to $925 a year for hosting and a domain, using WebsiteSetup’s ranges, and $50 to $150 a month if you want someone to look after the site. Published agency guides put the build much higher: DesignStudioUIUX’s 2026 guide gives $5,000 to $30,000 for a small business site. A do-it-yourself website builder costs less up front but more of your time.
This guide breaks the cost into the build and the running costs, shows what you get at different budgets, and helps you decide between hiring someone and building it yourself.
Small business website cost: the build
| Budget | What it usually gets you |
|---|---|
| Around $500 to $1,000 | A few pages on a sound theme or template, set up with your text and images, a contact form, basic SEO settings |
| Around $1,000 to $2,000 | A custom design for your brand, 5 to 8 pages, phone layouts designed properly, a blog, speed and SEO set up |
| Around $2,000 to $3,000 | Up to about 10 pages from several templates, integrations such as booking or a CRM, help with copy structure, a more distinctive design |
These are bands within our small business range, not fixed packages. Where a project lands depends on the number of page layouts, who writes the content and the features it needs. Our custom website design cost guide explains each factor.
Running costs: every year
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | $10 to $25 a year | Renewal price, per WebsiteSetup |
| Hosting | $5 to $75 a month | Depends on platform and traffic, per WebsiteSetup |
| Security certificate (SSL) | $0 to $200 a year | Free with most hosts today |
| Paid plugins or apps | Varies | Only if your site needs them |
| Website management | $50 to $150 a month with us | Optional: updates, backups, fixes, small changes |
WebsiteSetup’s 2026 guide puts total small business maintenance at $30 to $250 a month, which matches this picture.
What you need, and what you can skip
You need:
- A clear homepage that says what you do, where, and for whom
- One page per main service, so each can be found in search
- A contact page with a form, phone and, if you serve customers in person, your address
- A site that works well on phones
- Basic SEO: titles, descriptions, a sitemap, and a Google Business Profile if you serve a local area
You can usually skip at the start:
- A blog, unless someone will actually write for it
- Animation and video
- A members’ area or customer portal
- Several languages, unless your customers need them
Starting with fewer, better pages is cheaper and often works better.
Hire someone or build it yourself?
Website builders such as Wix, Squarespace or Shopify let you build a site yourself for a monthly fee. They make sense when:
- Your budget is under a few hundred dollars
- You have time to learn the builder and write the content
- A template close to what you want already exists
Hiring someone makes sense when:
- Your time is worth more than the saving
- You need the site to rank in search or convert visitors, not just exist
- You want a design that doesn’t look like other sites on the same template
- You need something the builder doesn’t do well
A middle path: build it yourself on a builder now, and hire someone when the business grows.
How to keep the cost down
- Write your own content. Even rough drafts save time and money.
- Send good photos. Your own photos of your work beat stock images and cost nothing.
- Limit page layouts. Ten pages from three layouts cost less than six unique ones.
- Decide before the build starts. Changes after the design is approved cost more.
- Own your accounts. Register the domain and hosting in your own name, so you never pay to get them back.
Questions people ask
Is $500 enough for a website? For a simple, well-built site of a few pages on a template, yes. For a custom design with several features, no.
Do I need to pay monthly? Hosting and the domain, yes. Management is optional. If you are confident updating the site yourself, you can skip it.
How long does it take? A small site usually takes a few weeks from approved scope to launch. Content is the most common cause of delay.
What about the UK? We price in US dollars for every country; our UK website cost guide compares UK pricing in pounds.
Next step
Make a list of the pages you need and the features they need, then check our pricing page or ask us for a quote. If you will need help after launch, see what website maintenance costs.