“How much will a website cost?” is usually the first question a business owner asks, and the honest answer is that it depends on what the website has to do. Two quotations that look wildly different are often for two different things. This guide explains what actually drives the cost, which costs recur every year, and how to compare quotations so you pay for what your business needs — no more and no less.
Start with what the website must achieve
Before talking about pages or design, write down the one or two jobs the website must do. For most small businesses it is one of these: help people find you on Google and contact you; show your products or past work so customers trust you; take orders or bookings online; or support a process such as a client portal, quotation requests or a dealer login.
A site whose job is “get enquiries from Google” needs good service pages, fast loading and correct search set-up. A site that must take payments needs a cart, payment gateway, order emails and policies. Each job adds work, and that work — not the number of colours or the theme — is what you are paying for.
The main things that decide the price
- Number and type of pages: a five-page brochure site is very different from fifty product or location pages, each needing its own content and checks.
- Content: whether you supply the text and photos, or need them written, photographed or translated. Content is often the slowest and most underestimated part.
- Design approach: a carefully adapted template versus a fully custom design with your own layouts and illustrations.
- Features: enquiry forms, WhatsApp buttons, booking calendars, online payments, multi-language, member logins, search and filters, dashboards.
- Integrations: connecting to Google Sheets, a CRM, accounting software, a marketplace or an internal system.
- Search engine set-up: page titles, structured data, sitemap, speed and Search Console — the groundwork that lets Google index the site properly.
- Who maintains it after launch: you, your team, or the developer under a support arrangement.
One-time costs and yearly costs
A website has a build cost and running costs. Budget for both so there are no surprises in the second year.
- Domain name — renewed every year with the registrar.
- Hosting — monthly or yearly, depending on the platform and traffic.
- Business email — usually charged per mailbox per month or year.
- Paid plugins, themes or software subscriptions, if any are used.
- Payment gateway charges on each transaction for online stores.
- Maintenance — updates, backups, security fixes and small content changes.
Template, website builder or custom build?
Website builders and templates are quick and economical for simple sites, and are often the right choice for a new business. The trade-offs are limits on speed, structure and features, and sometimes being tied to one platform’s subscription.
A custom build costs more up front but gives you exactly the pages, speed and features you need, and you own the code. It makes sense when the site is central to how you win customers, when you need integrations, or when a template keeps getting in the way.
Many businesses do well with a middle path: a well-structured site on a modern framework, with your own design system, and features added only when the business case is clear.
Hidden costs to ask about before you sign
- Who owns the domain, hosting account and code? They should be in your name.
- Are content writing, product uploads and image editing included, or extra?
- How many rounds of design changes are included?
- Is search set-up (titles, sitemap, Search Console) included, or only “SEO-friendly design”?
- What happens after launch — is there a support period, and what does maintenance cover?
- Are there per-year licence costs for themes, plugins or the platform?
How to compare two quotations fairly
Put the quotations side by side and list, for each, the pages, features, content responsibility, timeline, ownership and post-launch support. Differences in price usually trace back to differences in these lines. A low quotation that excludes content, search set-up and ownership of accounts can end up costing more.
Ask each provider for one or two live websites they built that are similar to what you need, and check them on a phone: speed, clarity and whether the contact options work.
What you can prepare to get an accurate quotation
- The goal of the website and who your customers are.
- A list of the pages or sections you expect.
- Two or three websites you like, and what you like about them.
- Whether you have a logo, photos and written content ready.
- Features you need now, and those that can wait.
- Your preferred launch date.
Common questions
Why do website quotations vary so much?
Because they are usually for different scopes. Compare pages, features, who writes the content, search set-up, ownership of accounts and post-launch support — the price difference is normally explained there.
Is a cheaper template site a bad idea?
Not at all. For a new business that needs a simple, credible presence, a well-built template site is often the sensible choice. Move to a custom build when the site’s role in winning customers grows.
How long does a small business website take?
A focused business website usually takes a few weeks once content is ready. Content and feedback are the most common causes of delay, so having them prepared shortens the timeline.