How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost?
What a small business website really costs, what drives the price, and the ongoing costs most quotes leave out. A plain guide for business owners.
If you have asked three people what a website costs, you probably got three very different answers. That is because “a website” can mean anything from a one-page template you build yourself to a custom site with bookings, payments and an AI assistant.
This guide explains what you are paying for, so you can compare quotes properly.
The three common routes
Do it yourself with a website builder. Tools like Wix or Squarespace charge a monthly fee. The cost is low, but you pay with your time, and most DIY sites end up looking like templates. This suits a brand-new business testing an idea.
Hire a freelancer or small studio. You get a custom site without agency overheads. Prices vary widely depending on the number of pages, the design work and the features. This suits most small businesses.
Hire a large agency. You get a team, a strategy process and a lot of meetings. It makes sense for bigger companies with complex needs, but it is usually more than a small business needs.
What actually changes the price
- Number of pages. A five-page site (home, services, about, pricing, contact) costs less than a twenty-page site with a page for every service.
- Custom design versus template. A design made around your brand takes more time than adjusting a theme.
- Content. If someone has to write your page copy, that is real work and should be in the quote.
- Features. Online booking, payments, a members’ area or an AI assistant all add to the build.
- Search setup. Page titles, descriptions, a sitemap and structured data help Google understand your business. Some quotes include this, others charge extra.
The costs that come after launch
The build is a one-off cost, but a website also has running costs:
- Domain name: usually around $10–15 a year for a .com.
- Hosting: from free for small static sites to a monthly fee for larger ones.
- Business email: free plans exist; paid plans are a few dollars per person per month.
- Maintenance: updates, backups, security and small content changes. You can do this yourself or pay for a care plan.
Always ask what happens after launch. A cheap build with expensive or unclear running costs is not a good deal.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- Is the price fixed, and what exactly is included?
- Who writes the content?
- Will I own the domain, the content and the code?
- Is basic search setup included?
- What does it cost to make changes after launch?
What Lumorray charges
We keep our pricing public. A Launch website starts at $490, a full website with an AI assistant starts at $1,200, and care plans start at $49 a month. You get a fixed quote after a free call, so there are no surprises. See the full pricing or request a free website review.