Bottom line:
- A useful small business website can cost a few hundred dollars. Our websites start at $200, including initial hosting setup and full ownership.
- Hosting should cost close to $0 per month, if not be free. Most simple business websites should fit well within the free-tier limits offered by hosting providers.
- Online payments and custom integrations can still be affordable. Adding useful functionality should not automatically mean an expensive development project.
A small business website often needs to work much like a billboard: help customers understand who you are, explain what you do, and give them a way to contact you, make an enquiry or request a quote. If that is all your business needs, your website should be very inexpensive to build. Hosting should cost little or nothing.
Websites that handle payments, inventory or custom integrations can still be affordable. A custom website, mobile app or other piece of software for a small business does not need a large-company budget. Modern development tools make it practical to build software around the specific tasks your business needs help with.
Our small business websites start at $200
| Starting price (USD) | What the project includes |
|---|---|
| $200 | A straightforward business website, initial hosting setup, full ownership and account access. |
| $300 | A contact or booking page with built-in email functionality. |
| $400 | A more thorough design and mockup process, with revisions to create a custom layout and appearance. |
| $500+ | More extensive custom functionality and integrations with other business tools. |
For example, a local cleaning business might need its services, service area, photos and contact details presented clearly. Customers should be able to check that the business serves their town and find out how to request a quote. A website can do that well without a large development budget.
We include desktop and mobile-friendly layouts, standard security protections, and the page information that helps search engines find and index your website. We also set up the initial hosting and give you full ownership and account access.
Online payments and integrations can still be affordable
A business might want customers to choose an appointment, pay a deposit and receive a confirmation. An ecommerce business might need its website connected to a shipping platform, an inventory system or another tool it already uses. These features take more work than a straightforward business information site, but they should not automatically mean an expensive development project.
Existing payment and booking services can often provide the functionality, with custom development connecting them to your website. You can also have software built specifically for the way your business works.
Our Worm Empire project, for example, connects the website to Shopify and Amazon to help manage product information, inventory and shipping. The finished website is simple and clean, with the inventory and order processing handled behind the scenes so customers can focus on the products.
Hosting should cost little or nothing
Most business websites should be free to host, fitting comfortably within the free-tier limits offered by hosting providers. A site introducing your business, showing your services and giving customers a way to get in touch should not need an expensive monthly hosting plan.
We set up the initial hosting and include automated website checks that alert you and us if the site goes offline or a check detects a problem. You can have us continue managing the hosting or manage it yourself.
Your website should belong to your business
Owning your website gives you control over its content, hosting and the providers you work with. You can keep working with us after your website is built or choose another provider. It is entirely up to you. You do not have to be a software expert to run your own website, and setting up hosting for a simple site is straightforward.
Paying someone to design a website on Wix, Shopify or Squarespace does not give you that same independence. The finished website still depends on their platform, and leaving can mean rebuilding it. We explain the difference in Wix, Shopify and Squarespace: The Hidden Downside.
For a breakdown of subscription costs, compare Squarespace pricing after fees and extras.
Get your business online
We build simple business websites and fully custom sites. Tell us what your business does and what you want the website to do for your customers.
See our website services and pricing or tell us about your project.