How much does a small business website cost?
There's no single price. The cost depends on how many pages you need, who writes the words, the design, and what the site has to do, such as bookings, payments or logins. Then there's the ongoing side: hosting, updates, backups and security. Over a few years, that can matter as much as the build.
The short version
- Pages, content, design and features drive the build price most.
- Bookings, payments and connections to other software add the most work.
- Hosting, updates, backups and the domain are ongoing costs.
- Compare quotes line by line: what’s included, who writes, who owns it.
- Our free estimator can give you a starting point.
What drives the cost of a website?
“A website” covers everything from one page to a full online store, so quotes vary widely. These are the things that move the number most:
- Pages and content. Five pages is less work than twenty-five. Who writes the words matters too; writing is real work, whoever does it.
- What the site has to do. A contact form is simple. Online booking, payments, member logins or links to other software take longer to build and test.
- Design. A custom design built around your business takes longer than adapting a template.
- Photos. Real photos of your work beat stock photos, but someone has to take them. See stock or real photos.
- Moving old content. Carrying pages and redirects over from an old site takes time, and it protects your search rankings. See whether a redesign will hurt your rankings.
Why does the ongoing side matter?
A site isn’t finished on launch day. It needs hosting, a domain renewal each year, software updates, backups, security checks and the occasional change. Someone has to do that, and either you pay for it or you spend your own time on it. See what website maintenance includes.
What are the common mistakes?
- Comparing totals without comparing contents. One quote may include writing and photos; another may not.
- Forgetting ownership. Make sure you’ll own the domain and can get a copy of the site. See who should own your domain.
- Choosing a builder to save money, then paying in time. A do-it-yourself builder can work for a very simple site, but someone still has to write, update and improve it.
- No plan for after launch. Ask who fixes things when they break.
What should I ask for in a quote?
- Exactly which pages and features are included.
- Who writes the content and supplies the photos.
- Who owns the site, the domain and the logins when it’s done.
- What hosting and care cost each month, and what that covers.
- What a change costs after launch.
Our questions to ask a web company goes further.
How long does it take?
That depends on the size of the site and how quickly content and approvals come together. Waiting on words and photos is the most common delay. See how long a redesign takes.
How does E-3 handle this?
We build custom websites and redesigns on WordPress or as static sites, and we look after them afterward with hosting and care. We don’t publish a one-size price, because the drivers above change it. A rebuild can be paid monthly if that’s easier. For a rough starting point, try our website cost estimator or get a free website check.
Related questions
Rather talk it through?
Call our team, or send a note and we’ll reply within one business day. No pressure and no jargon.