A website can cost almost nothing or a small fortune, and both can be the right answer for different businesses. What matters is what the site has to do for you: look credible, bring in leads, take bookings or sell online. This guide breaks down real budgets by type of site, explains what drives the price, and calls out the costs that usually get left out of the first quote.
Website budgets by type of site
These are our own starting prices, so you have a real reference point rather than a vague range:
- Business website: from $999 USD. A fast, professional site with your services, about, contact and the basics of SEO built in.
- Lead-generation website: from. More pages, a service and location structure built to rank, conversion-focused design, forms, call tracking and booking.
- Custom website or web app: from $5,999 USD. Custom features, integrations with your systems, portals or anything off the beaten path.
- Shopify store: from $2,999 USD. A branded store on Shopify, set up to sell from day one.
- WooCommerce store: from $2,999 USD. A store on WordPress that you own completely, with no platform transaction fees.
For a quick estimate based on your own answers, try our website cost calculator. It takes about two minutes.
What drives the price
- Number of pages. A five-page site and a fifty-page site are different projects, especially when every page needs its own copy.
- Custom design. A design made for your brand takes longer than adapting a template, and usually converts better.
- Copywriting. Many quotes assume you’ll supply the words. Good copy is often the biggest difference between a site that looks nice and one that brings in calls.
- Features and integrations. Booking, quote forms, CRM connections, memberships and calculators all add time.
- E-commerce. The number of products, variations, shipping rules and payment options all affect the build.
- SEO setup and migration. Redirecting old pages properly protects the rankings you already have. Skipping it is one of the most expensive mistakes in a rebuild.
The costs that get left out
The build is only part of the bill. Plan for these from the start:
- Domain name: a small yearly fee.
- Hosting: from $45 USD a month for managed WordPress hosting with backups, security and monitoring included.
- Maintenance: from $99 USD a month for updates, backups, fixes and a monthly report. A site that isn’t maintained slowly breaks.
- Business email: we recommend Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, billed by the provider.
- Licences and apps: premium plugins, Shopify apps or booking software can carry their own monthly fees.
- Photos and content updates: real photos of your team and work, and new pages as your business grows.
How long a website takes
A typical business website or store takes 4 to 8 weeks. Larger or more complex builds take longer, and the biggest factor is usually how quickly content and feedback come back. A clear plan at the start keeps the timeline honest.
Website builder or agency?
Do-it-yourself builders are cheap to start and fine for a simple online presence. They become expensive when you need the site to rank, convert and grow, because the time you spend on it is time not spent on your business. An agency costs more up front, but you get strategy, copy, SEO and someone accountable for the result.
How to get an accurate quote
- List the pages you need and the jobs the site has to do.
- Say who will write the content.
- Ask what’s included after launch: hosting, maintenance and support.
- Ask how old pages will be redirected if you already have a site.
Or skip the homework: book a free 30-minute strategy call, and we’ll scope it with you and give you a fixed price. You can see all our starting prices on our pricing page.
