"How much does a website cost?" It's the question every business owner asks before starting a web project—and the one that gets the most frustrating answers. Search online and you'll find ranges from "free" to "$500,000," with most sources giving you the classic "it depends" non-answer.
You deserve better than that. Whether you're launching a new business, replacing an outdated site, or trying to figure out if that quote you received is reasonable, you need real numbers you can actually budget around. This guide breaks down exactly how much a website costs in 2026 based on current market research—no vague ranges, no marketing fluff, just honest pricing information to help you make an informed decision.
How Much Does a Website Cost? The Quick Answer
Here's what businesses actually spend on websites in 2026:
| Route | What You'll Pay | Who It's Actually For |
|---|---|---|
| DIY Builders (Wix, Squarespace) | $200–$600/year | Side hustles, testing ideas, tight budget |
| Freelancer + Template | $1,500–$4,000 | Basic online presence, limited customization |
| Custom Freelancer Build | $4,000–$12,000 | Small business, specific design needs |
| Boutique Agency | $6,000–$25,000 | Growing businesses serious about results |
| Enterprise Development | $30,000–$150,000+ | Complex platforms, large organizations |
According to Mark Brinker's research, experienced web designers typically charge $5,000–$10,000 for professional small business websites in 2025, with costs reaching $20,000+ depending on customization.
Most small businesses doing real lead generation land somewhere between $6,000 and $15,000 for a site that actually works.
Why Website Cost Matters for Your Business
Here's a statistic that should get your attention: nearly one in three U.S. shoppers (31%) have decided against shopping at a small business because it lacked a website.
Your website isn't just a digital brochure—it's often the first impression potential customers have of your business. Understanding how much a website costs helps you budget appropriately for this critical business asset. A professional site builds trust before you ever get to speak with someone.
What Factors Affect How Much a Website Costs
Every website quote is really answering one question: how much work is involved? Here's what creates that work.
The Type of Site You Need
Simple Business Website (5–8 pages): $4,000–$10,000
Homepage, about, services, contact—the essentials. Nothing fancy, but professional and functional. This covers most local service businesses.
Content-Heavy Site or Blog: $6,000–$15,000
You need a real content management system, proper categorization, and SEO baked in from the start. More moving parts.
E-commerce Store: $10,000–$40,000+
Product management, inventory, payments, shipping, security—e-commerce adds layers of complexity that simple sites don't have.
Custom Web Application: $20,000–$100,000+
User accounts, databases, custom features—this isn't web design anymore, it's software development.
Design: Template vs Custom
Templates keep costs down but limit what's possible. Everyone's site looks vaguely the same.
Custom design costs more but your site actually reflects your brand and works for your specific business needs. For businesses serious about standing out, custom is usually worth the investment.
Features and Functionality
Every feature adds development time:
- Contact forms: Usually included
- Booking/scheduling: $500–$2,500
- Payment processing: $1,500–$6,000
- Customer portals: $3,000–$15,000
- CRM integrations: $500–$2,000 each
The Content Factor (Often Forgotten)
Here's where projects stall: you need words and images to fill the site.
- Professional copywriting: $150–$400 per page
- Photography: $500–$2,500 for a decent shoot
- Video: $1,500–$10,000 depending on production
The cheapest website project becomes expensive when it sits unfinished for months because nobody wrote the content.
Ongoing Costs (The Part People Forget)
Your website isn't a one-time purchase. According to industry research, ongoing costs typically add 15–30% of build cost annually.
Budget for:
| Item | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Domain name | $15–$50 |
| Hosting | $150–$600 (more for high-traffic) |
| SSL certificate | Usually included now |
| Maintenance & updates | $600–$3,000 |
| Security monitoring | $150–$500 |
Expect $1,200–$4,000 per year minimum for a properly maintained business website.
Website Cost Comparison: DIY vs Freelancer vs Agency
Going DIY (Wix, Squarespace, etc.)
Investment: $200–$600/year
The appeal: Cheap upfront, you control everything.
The reality: Your time has value. If you spend 40 hours building and learning the platform, you haven't "saved" money—you've traded time you could've spent on billable work or growing your business.
Works for: Personal projects, testing an idea before committing, businesses with more time than money.
Watch out: These platforms own your website. Stop paying, lose everything. And many businesses eventually outgrow what these tools can do.
Hiring a Freelancer
Investment: $2,000–$12,000
The appeal: More affordable than agencies, direct relationship.
The reality: Quality varies wildly. Great freelancers are booked months out. Cheap freelancers often mean offshore work with communication challenges or corners being cut.
Works for: Businesses with clear requirements who can manage the project themselves.
Watch out: What happens when your freelancer disappears? Gets a full-time job? Ghosts you mid-project? No backup plan.
Working with a Small Agency
Investment: $6,000–$25,000
The appeal: Strategic thinking, reliable support, accountability.
The reality: Higher cost, but you're getting experience and systems. Someone's thinking about your business goals, not just checking boxes.
Works for: Businesses that view their website as an investment, not an expense.
Enterprise Agencies
Investment: $30,000–$150,000+
The appeal: Big teams, big capabilities.
The reality: Small businesses often get lost. You'll talk to account managers and project coordinators more than actual makers.
Works for: Large organizations with complex needs and big budgets.
Red Flags When Evaluating Website Costs
Here's what should make you nervous when evaluating website proposals:
No questions asked: Someone quotes you without understanding your business? They're guessing. That quote means nothing.
Suspiciously cheap: A "$500 custom website" isn't custom. It's a template with your logo or offshore work with communication challenges.
Silence on ongoing costs: Any quote that doesn't mention hosting, maintenance, or what happens after launch is incomplete.
Vague scope: "$5,000 for a website" is meaningless. How many pages? What features? How many revisions? Who writes content?
Ownership uncertainty: Will you actually own your website? Your domain? Can you take it elsewhere?
Where Your Website Budget Actually Goes
Transparent breakdown of a typical project:
- Strategy & Planning (10–15%): Understanding your business, mapping user journeys, competitive analysis
- Design (25–35%): Not just "pretty"—designing for conversion and user experience
- Development (35–45%): Actually building the thing
- Content (10–20%): Writing, editing, organizing
- Testing & Launch (5–10%): Making sure it works everywhere
How to Budget for Your Website Cost
Just Starting Out?
Budget $4,000–$10,000. Focus on a clean, credible presence that builds trust. Start with 5–7 pages and expand later.
Established Business Ready to Grow?
Budget $10,000–$25,000. Invest in conversion optimization, lead generation, and SEO foundation. This is where custom design pays off.
Scaling Company?
Budget $25,000–$60,000+. You need scalability, integrations, and a platform that supports your trajectory.
The Question You Should Actually Ask
Instead of "how much does a website cost," ask: "what will this website generate?"
A $15,000 website that brings in $60,000 in new business is a far better investment than a $2,000 website that sits there doing nothing.
For most service businesses, one or two new clients covers the entire website investment. That's the math that matters.
Key Takeaways: What You Need to Remember
Before you start reaching out for quotes, here's what to keep in mind:
- Most small business websites cost $6,000–$15,000 for something that actually generates leads
- Add 15–30% annually for hosting, maintenance, and updates
- DIY isn't free—your time has value, factor that in
- Get specific quotes with clear scope, not vague "website for $X" proposals
- Focus on ROI, not just cost—a cheap site that doesn't convert costs more than a quality site that does
- Budget for content—photos, copy, and video are often forgotten but essential
How We Approach Website Projects
At Href Creative, we're a boutique web development studio focused on building fast, modern websites that actually generate leads. We use Next.js and headless CMS technology—the same stack used by major brands—because it delivers better performance and SEO results.
Our projects typically run $6,000–$20,000 depending on what's involved.
What you get:
- Strategy session focused on your actual business goals
- Custom design (no templates)
- Modern tech stack for speed and SEO
- Mobile-first, performance-optimized
- Training so you can update content yourself
- 30 days of launch support
We're direct about pricing because you deserve to budget accurately, not get surprised later.
Want to talk specifics? Reach out for a no-pressure conversation about what you need and what it would cost.
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