How Much Should A Website Cost For Small Business?

So you’ve decided it’s time. Time to bite the bullet and create a website for your business. Congratulations! Having an online presence and creating a strong first impression with your customers is essential. That’s why having a website is crucial for your success.

But you might be wondering: how much should a website cost? Well, that’s exactly what we’ll be covering in this article.

We’ll be looking at the general costs of having a custom website designed and built for your business. We’ll also go over some popular alternatives, including website builders. We’ll cover how much money you can save by using a website builder instead.

Enough ramble, let’s get to it!

Website cost for small business intro: Why you need a website

Everyone needs a website these days. There are a million reasons individuals, small businesses, and large companies should have one.

The obvious reason? A website is a great way to promote your business and show potential customers that you are an established company.

When someone visits your site, they will see what products and services you offer. They’ll also know who runs the business, and any other information about your company.

Your site also allows for convenient online shopping or ordering of products/services. This is now possible from anywhere in the world at any time of day!

You may take the internet for granted these days. But imagine how hard it would’ve been to get your store in front of millions of people 30 or 40 years ago!

Your website gives visitors all the information they need on demand. This, without having to walk into your location in person.

Not only does this enable you to reach more customers, it also saves you a ton of money in the process.

The cost of having a website built for you

To hire a professional website agency with a good reputation, the price to build a website may be around $3,500 to $10,000.

This is typically a bundle deal where you get all the basic web pages designed and created for you.

This price can be less, especially if you hire a freelance web developer. But, don’t expect to get top quality for under $1,000 to $2,000.

But, the initial cost of building a website is only the beginning. Depending on what you want your site to do, and how complex the project is, it’s likely that your costs will increase.

Extra costs of having a website built for you

Aside from the core web pages, expect to pay around $100 for every extra page on your site. This means anything beyond your homepage, services page, about page, contact, etc.

If you need more functionality or advanced features, this price could go up significantly.

Ecommerce, or incorporating social media accounts into your website will add extra cost.

You may also need extra time from a developer or designer to install these features.

Geo locations and eCommerce add even more expense

Does your business have many locations or serve customers across the world? If so, you’ll likely want an online store. This will let your customers order products directly from their devices.

This adds complexity to ensure everything works together seamlessly. After all, you don’t want any glitches during checkout, regardless of where customers are located.

This requires more hours planning out logistics-related tasks. These include:

• database management, payment gateway integration, currency conversion rates calculations, shipping options, etc.

Most small business websites are not that complicated

Most small business websites turn out to be under 10 pages, but there are exceptions of course.

Keep in mind that a local business like a restaurant, hair salon, or lawn care company doesn’t need a huge website.

The basic web pages should be adequate.

The three most common factors that determine website cost

In almost all cases, three main factors determine the cost of a website:

• The number of pages needed for your website. This is usually based on how much information you want to include and how many visitors you expect.
• The type of website that you want. For example, some websites primarily act as an online brochure. Others use content management systems that allow users to upload their own content.
• The hosting plan and technology used to host the site on the internet.

Websites with more dynamic features and functionality cost more

More dynamic features and functionality will cost more than the standard features.

Consider a website that includes e-commerce capabilities. It will need more time to add product details, create shipping options, and generate invoices.

A site containing extensive content or rich media elements (like video) may also take longer.

Also, there’s usually an extra fee for testing and debugging each of these new software elements. This is to ensure that everything works as expected before launch.

Finally, websites with high levels of complexity often need extra attention when it comes to maintenance and upgrades.

The more complex your site is, the longer it takes for updates and security patches to go into effect across all devices.

This can cause problems if you don’t pay attention to what’s happening behind the scenes!

Website pricing varies depending upon the hosting you choose

You can’t create a website without hosting. Your hosting provider is the service that allows people all over the world to view your website.

This means that pricing will vary depending on the type of hosting you choose and how much you need.

Hosting can range from free to expensive. But it’s a critical part of creating a professional-looking site. That’s why it’s worth paying attention to this aspect before proceeding.

Building a new website takes time and money

It’s important to recognize that the cost of building a website isn’t just the price tag. It also includes time and energy—a.k.a., work. So, you should be sure you’ve got the budget for both before embarking on your project.

The cost of creating a new website can vary widely depending on what kind of business you’re starting. Also, how much content and how many features your site will have (like eCommerce) will add to the price tag.

Let’s take a look at some examples of prices to build a custom website:

• Small businesses: $2,000-$10,000.
• Large businesses: $7,500-$50,000+.
• Startups: Whatever you think it’ll take.

The alternative to custom-built websites: use a website builder

Sometimes there’s no other option than to have a custom website built for your business. It may be that you need design or functionality not possible with any other method.

But that’s not the norm.

Most businesses only need a handful of basic pages set up. For this reason, they may be able to save some cash by using a website builder instead.

What is a website builder?

A website builder like Squarespace, Shopify, or Wix, is an all-in-one platform for building and hosting your website.

Most website builders have drag and drop design features. This makes it super easy to drag in the elements you want, then type your text, and edit to your liking.

There will be some amount of a learning curve when using a website builder for the first time.

But it’s usually something you can get the hang of within an hour or two. Within two weeks at most, you should have the platform pretty much mastered.

Costs of using a website builder

Instead of spending a few thousand dollars or more up front, a website builder is almost always much cheaper.

Plans start around $10-$15 a month and go up from there. This depends on if you need eCommerce or other functionality.

But, the monthly price includes your website, hosting, customer support, and more.

For example, a basic plan with Squarespace will cost you around $14 a month. Whereas a full-featured online store with Shopify will run you $79 a month.

Related: The Best Website Builders For Small Business In 2022

Spending time or cash: a trade-off

Whether you pay to have a custom website built or you sign up for a website builder, it will be a trade-off.

One option involves spending a lump sum of cash.

The other is more of a time commitment than anything.

That’s why the right choice for you depends on your budget and priorities.

How much should a website cost: Conclusion

The cost to have a professional website built typically costs between $3,500 and $10,000. This price is in reference to established agencies.

If you hire an independent web developer or freelancer, the cost can be a bit lower, perhaps $1,000 to $2,000.

Know that much of what you are paying for is the time and effort to get your project built.

Yet, opting to sign up for a website builder can save you a lot of money upfront. This is why many small businesses choose the website builder route – to save money.

Either way, a well-designed website is a must for most businesses these days. Even students, freelancers, and job hunters often need a website to promote themselves.

We hope this article helped you understand the cost and value of building a website. If you’re looking for more information about website design costs, be sure to check out our other guides.

And, head here for more info about the best website builders on the market.

Happy building!