Ask five web designers what a small business website costs and you may get five very different answers. That isn't because anyone is hiding something. A "website" can mean a single page you build yourself over a weekend or a large custom project with booking, payments and dozens of pages. The useful question is not "what does a website cost?" but "what will this website cost me over the next few years, and what do I get for it?"
This guide breaks a website down into the costs it actually carries, explains the three common ways small businesses pay for them, and gives you a short list of questions to ask before you sign anything.
The costs every website has
Whoever builds your site, and however you pay, the same handful of costs are always there. Sometimes they are bundled together, sometimes they arrive as separate bills.
- The domain name. Your address on the web, such as yourbusiness.com. Domains are renewed every year with a registrar. Make sure the domain is registered in your business's name, not a designer's.
- Hosting. The server that stores your site and delivers it to visitors. Hosting is an ongoing cost for as long as the site is online.
- Security certificate (HTTPS). The padlock in the browser bar. Browsers warn visitors about sites without it. Certificates are often free today, but someone still has to install and renew them.
- Design and build. Planning the pages, writing or tidying the words, choosing photos and building it so it works on phones and computers.
- Edits and upkeep. New hours, prices, photos and services; software updates; fixing anything that breaks. This is the cost most owners forget, and it never stops.
- Your time. Every hour you spend learning a website tool, writing copy or chasing a designer for a change is an hour not spent on paying work.
You can read more about the ongoing pieces in our guide to website hosting and maintenance.
Three common ways to pay for a website
1. Build it yourself on a website builder
Hosted builders let you pick a template and drag in your own text and photos. You pay a recurring subscription, which usually covers hosting and the security certificate. The money cost is predictable. The hidden cost is your time: you do the design, the writing, the mobile checks and every future edit. For some owners that's a fair trade. For others, the site gets built once and then quietly falls out of date. Our comparison of website builders vs. a custom website goes into this in more detail.
2. Pay a designer or agency for a one-time build
This is the traditional model. You pay for the project up front, often in stages, and receive a finished site. Quotes vary widely depending on the number of pages, custom features and who is doing the work, so it's normal to see very different numbers for what sounds like the same job. After launch, hosting is usually a separate bill, and changes are often charged by the hour or per request. A one-time build can work well if your site rarely changes and you have someone in-house to look after it.
3. A monthly website plan
Here the design, hosting, security and ongoing edits are combined into one monthly fee, usually with little or nothing up front. You trade a large first invoice for a steady monthly cost, and someone else stays responsible for keeping the site accurate. This is how NuWeb's plan works: there is no setup fee, a 14-day free trial, then $99/month with no contract, and it also covers your Google Business Profile, review requests and a monthly report.
How to compare quotes fairly
Because the models are so different, compare the total cost over the same period, such as three years, rather than the first invoice. For each option, add up:
- Anything paid up front
- Hosting, domain and certificate renewals for the period
- The cost of the changes you'll realistically need (most businesses update hours, prices, staff or photos several times a year)
- Any redesign you'd expect to need before the period ends
- A fair value for your own time, if you're doing the work
An option that looks cheap on day one can end up expensive if every small edit is a new invoice. An option that looks pricey can be good value if it includes everything you would otherwise pay for separately.
Questions to ask before you pay anything
- Who owns the domain? It should be registered to your business, with your login.
- What's included after launch? Ask specifically about hosting, security, backups and edits.
- How are changes requested and charged? And how quickly are they usually made?
- Is there a contract or a minimum term? What happens, and what do you keep, if you leave?
- Can I see the site before I commit? A preview or demo removes most of the risk.
- Does it cover my Google Business Profile? For local businesses, the profile often matters as much as the website.
What you should get for your money
Whatever you spend, a small business website earns its keep when it loads quickly on a phone, says plainly what you do and where, makes it easy to call or send a message, and stays accurate. Fancy animations and dozens of pages rarely matter as much as those basics. Our guide to what a small business website needs to get calls walks through them one by one.
If you'd like to see what your own site could look like before spending anything, NuWeb builds a free demo from your current content. Send us a message and we'll take a look.
General information for small businesses, not a quote. Every business is different; ask us about yours.