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How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website for My Small Business?

You run a business. You need a website. And every time you ask what it costs, you get "it depends."

That answer drives me crazy too. So here's the straight version. Real ranges, what you actually get, and what to watch out for.

The Short Answer

A small business website can cost anywhere from about $200 a year to $25,000 or more. That's a huge gap. The price depends on who builds it and how much you need it to do.

For most local businesses, a contractor, a salon, a home care agency, a restaurant, you don't need the top of that range. You need a clean site that loads fast, looks good on a phone, and gets people to call you.

Here's how the three main routes break down.

Option 1: Build It Yourself (DIY Website Builders)

Tools like Wix and Squarespace let you build a site yourself with templates.

  • Wix paid plans run about $17 to $159 a month, billed yearly.
  • Squarespace runs about $19 to $99 a month, billed yearly.
  • Most business owners land somewhere around $200 to $600 a year for a builder plan.

The good: It's the cheapest way in. You're in control.

The catch: Your time isn't free. Building a decent site yourself can eat 40 hours or more. That's time you're not on a job, cutting hair, or running your kitchen. And a template site built in a rush usually looks like a template site built in a rush.

DIY works if you've got time, patience and an eye for design. If you don't, it can cost you more in lost customers than you saved.

Option 2: Hire a Freelancer

A freelancer is one person who builds sites for a living.

  • On marketplaces like Fiverr, a basic small business build can run about $175 to $1,000.
  • Independent freelancers commonly charge about $1,500 to $8,000 for a custom small business site.
  • Many charge $50 to $150 a month for upkeep after launch.

The good: You get a real person, real design, and usually a better result than DIY.

The catch: Quality is all over the place. Some freelancers are great. Some disappear halfway through. You usually pay a deposit before you see anything.

Option 3: Hire an Agency

An agency is a team: designers, writers, developers, a project manager.

  • A typical 5 to 10 page small business site runs about $5,000 to $25,000.
  • Bigger or more complex projects can go $35,000 and up.
  • Ongoing care plans often cost $100 to $300 a month.

The good: Strategy, custom work, and a whole team behind it.

The catch: For a two-chair salon or a local roofing crew, that's usually way more than the job needs. You're paying for overhead, meetings and process.

The Costs Nobody Tells You About

The build price isn't the whole bill. Every website has a few ongoing costs. Know them up front.

  • Domain name (yourbusiness.com): about $10 to $20 a year. Watch out for the "first year cheap" trick. Some registrars charge almost nothing year one, then jack up the renewal.
  • Hosting (where your site lives online): basic shared hosting starts around $2 to $6 a month, then often renews at $8 to $18 a month. Website builders bundle hosting into their monthly plan.
  • Maintenance and updates: changing hours, adding photos, fixing things that break. Either you do it, or you pay someone monthly.
  • Extras: business email, booking tools, online payments, plugins. Each one can add a few bucks a month or a cut of every sale.

Most small businesses end up paying somewhere around $10 to $30 a month just to keep a site online once it's live. Ask anyone you hire exactly what you'll pay after launch. In writing.

What Makes a Website Cost More (or Less)

Same question, different answers. Here's what moves the price:

  • Number of pages. A one-page site costs less than a 10-page site with a page for every service.
  • Writing. If you hand over your own text and photos, it's cheaper. If the designer writes everything, it costs more.
  • Forms and booking. A simple contact form is basic. Online booking, quote requests or appointment calendars add work.
  • Selling online. An online store with products, payments and shipping is a whole different level.
  • Custom features. Anything built from scratch, like a client portal or special calculator, pushes the price up fast.

Keep it simple at first. You can always add more once the site is making you money.

Red Flags to Watch For

Before you pay anybody, look out for these:

  • No price until you "hop on a call." If they won't give you even a ballpark, ask why.
  • Big deposit, nothing to show. You hand over money and wait weeks to see anything.
  • They own your site, not you. Make sure your domain is registered in your name. Ask what happens if you leave.
  • Locked-in contracts. Monthly website deals with long terms can cost you thousands over a few years.
  • No mobile version. Most people will find you on their phone. If the site's ugly on a phone, it's broken.
  • Promises of page-one Google rankings. Nobody can guarantee that. Anyone who does is selling you something.

How I Do It: See Your Site Before You Pay

Here's how Attention House works. Most business owners have to pay first and hope it turns out good. I flipped that.

I build your website first, for free. I put together a preview of your site and send you the link. You click it. You look at it on your phone. You show your spouse, your crew, your best customer.

If you like it, we launch it. Launch pricing runs about $249 to $1,249, depending on what your business needs. If you don't like it, you walk away. You don't owe me anything.

That's it. No deposit. No guessing. No paying for something you've never seen.

Compare that to the ranges above. Freelancers often start in the thousands. Agencies start even higher. And with both, you usually pay before you see a thing.

Ready to See Yours?

If you run a local business and you're tired of "it depends," let me build you a free preview. You'll see exactly what you're getting before you spend a dollar.

Get your free mockup — tell me your business name and what you do. I'll take it from there.

FAQ

How much should a small business spend on a website? It depends on the route. DIY builders run about $200 to $600 a year. Freelancers often charge $1,500 to $8,000. Agencies commonly charge $5,000 to $25,000. Most local businesses don't need agency-level spending to get a site that works.

Is a free website builder good enough for my business? Free plans usually put the builder's branding and address on your site, like yourbusiness.wixsite.com. That looks less professional. Most businesses need at least a paid plan and their own domain.

What are the yearly costs after my website is built? Plan on a domain (about $10 to $20 a year), hosting or a builder plan, and any upkeep. For most small businesses that's roughly $10 to $30 a month.

Do I own my website if someone else builds it? You should. Make sure your domain is in your name and ask up front what happens to your site if you ever switch designers.

Can I really see my website before I pay? With Attention House, yes. I build a free preview and send you the link. You only pay if you want to launch it.

Sources

Market numbers in this post come from these pages, checked Oct 31, 2026.

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