june 2026
how much should a small business website cost? (real numbers)
u googled "how much does a website cost." u got answers ranging from $300 to $30,000. none of them actually helped u make a decision. some of them were trying to sell u something. most of them were written by marketing agencies with $10,000 minimums.
here's the real breakdown. no fluff. no pitch. just numbers and what u actually get at each level.
the real range: $300 — $30,000+
web design costs vary wildly because "a website" can mean completely different things. a one-page landing page for a barber shop is not the same project as a 50-page e-commerce store with inventory management. the price should reflect that.
here's what the data says, based on WebFX's 2026 survey of 250+ U.S. marketing professionals:
• freelancers: most businesses spend $1,001–$5,000 per year with freelancers
• agencies: most spend $501–$1,000 per year (this is ongoing maintenance — initial builds cost $5K–100K+)
• DIY platforms: $0–$30/month + ur time (which, let's be honest, is not free)
notice something? the freelancer range ($1K–5K per year) is often cheaper than agencies, but "per year" adds up. a $5,000/year freelancer retainer costs u $25,000 over five years for the same site.
what u get at each level
DIY (Wix, Squarespace, Shopify): $0–$30/month
u get a template. u fill in ur own content. u handle ur own SEO. u google every problem. some platforms lock u in — u can't move ur site off them. good for testing an idea. bad for building a real business.
freelance ($300–$5,000 one-time):
u get a custom or semi-custom design. usually includes basic SEO. direct access to the person who built it. quality varies dramatically — some freelancers are incredible, some learned coding last week. ask to see their portfolio before u commit.
agency ($5,000–$100,000+):
u get custom everything. a project manager. a designer. a developer. maybe a copywriter. meetings about meetings. timelines measured in months. the quality is usually good. the price reflects the overhead, not just the work.
me ($300–$900 one-time):
u get a custom design built for ur specific business. responsive (works on phones). SEO built in. direct access to me. free mockup first — u see it before u pay. same day to one week turnaround. i keep my prices low because i work fast and don't have agency overhead. no subscriptions. no hidden fees.
hidden costs nobody tells u about
a "$500 website" often costs $2,000/year when u add everything up. here's what to watch for:
• hosting: $10–50/month. some freelancers build the site and leave u to figure out hosting. ask if it's included.
• domain renewal: $10–20/year. i set it up for u on day one — ur responsible for renewal, but i handle the initial configuration.
• SSL certificate: $0–$100/year. ur site needs one for google to trust it. many hosts include it free now.
• SEO tools: $0–$100/month. if u want to rank, u either learn SEO or pay for tools/help.
• ongoing updates: $50–$200/hour. text changes, new photos, adding pages — someone has to do it.
when i quote $300–$900, hosting, SSL, and custom domain setup are included for the first year. basic SEO is built in. updates after launch are $50/hr.
why "cheap" is expensive
a bad website costs more than a good one. here's the math:
suppose u pay $300 for a site that doesn't rank on google, takes 8 seconds to load, and looks dated. over the next year, 100 people find ur competitor instead of u because their site showed up first. if ur average customer is worth $50, that's $5,000 in lost revenue — from a site that "saved" u money.
a good website pays for itself. a bad one costs u forever.
"the most expensive website is the one that doesn't convert."
how i price
i keep it simple. one base. add what u need:
• baby site ($300): landing page + up to 3 sub-pages. responsive. custom domain. SEO basics. contact form. photo gallery. online booking. custom design. same day usually.
• big boi pack (+$300): up to 8 pages. advanced SEO. analytics. social media integration. 2–3 days.
• chonky pack (+$300): e-commerce. memberships. custom functionality.
• fat cat pack (+$300): custom backend. database. API integrations.
• priority pack (+$300): same-day support. dedicated timeline. maintenance included.
mix and match. pay only for what u need. baby alone is $300. baby + all 4 packs is $1,500. no subscriptions. no hidden fees. free mockup first.
see ur site before u pay. free mockup →
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