Ask three people what a website costs and you'll get $50, $900, and $6,000. All three can be honest answers — they're just describing different things. Here's what actually moves the number, so you can work out what you need before anyone quotes you.
What you're actually paying for
How many pages
A single page that says who you are, what you do, and how to contact you is the cheapest thing to build — and for a lot of businesses it's genuinely enough. Costs climb with each extra page, because each one needs writing, designing, and checking on phones.
Whether anything has to work
A page that displays information is simple. A site that takes bookings, processes payments, has customer logins, or connects to another system is a different job — that's software, not just a website, and it's priced accordingly.
Who writes the words and finds the photos
This is the hidden one. If you supply your text and images, the build is quicker and cheaper. If someone has to write your content and source photography, you're paying for that time too. It's often a bigger chunk of the bill than people expect.
Whether it's custom-designed
A clean, well-set-up site using a proven layout costs a fraction of one designed from scratch. Unless your brand is the product, custom design is usually the first thing worth skipping.
What happens afterwards
Hosting, the domain name, and someone to fix things later all carry ongoing cost. Ask about this up front — a cheap build with an expensive monthly tie-in isn't cheap.
Rough guide to what things cost
- A one-page site — the cheapest way to exist online properly. Fine for trades, salons, small services, and anyone whose customers just need to find and contact them.
- A small multi-page site — a few pages, more detail on services, maybe a gallery. Costs several times a one-pager.
- A site that does a job — bookings, payments, accounts. This is where prices step up sharply, because it's a build, not a page.
The honest advice: start at the smallest thing that solves your problem. You can always add pages later — it's far cheaper than paying for a big site you don't use.
Things worth paying for
- It works properly on phones. Most people will find you on one. Non-negotiable.
- Easy contact. A tap-to-call button, a form, WhatsApp. This is what turns a visitor into an enquiry.
- Your own domain name. A proper address makes you look like a real business.
- Being findable. Basic setup so you show up when someone searches your business name.
Things you probably don't need yet
- Animations and video backgrounds — they slow the site and rarely win work.
- A blog you won't write.
- An online shop, unless you're genuinely selling online.
- A big content management system you'll never log into.
Questions to ask before you agree
- Is the domain and hosting included, and for how long?
- What happens if I want a change in three months — and what does that cost?
- Do I own the site, or am I renting it?
- Can I see something before I pay?
That last one matters most. Anyone confident in their work should be willing to show you something first.
See yours before you pay a thing
We build small businesses a clean one-page website from $50 — domain, hosting, mobile-ready, contact and WhatsApp buttons included. Tell us about your business and we'll build you a free demo first. If you don't like it, you walk away.
Get my free demo