The average cost of website design for small business depends on the approach and platform. You can outsource web design starting from $50 with freelancers or from $5,000 to over $20,000 with agencies. Or, you can keep website costs super-low forever with site builders and pay $0 for do-it-yourself design. Besides design, keep reading to learn what other website costs you need to keep in mind.
Contributing Factors to Small Business Website Costs
To understand how much it costs to build a website to grow your online brand presence, you need to understand all that goes into making one and getting it online. For example, you’ll need web hosting, which can be accomplished through a web hosting company or obtained automatically with site builders like Wix or Squarespace. You’ll also need artwork, web copy, a logo, and so on.
Here are all of the elements that can drive up the average cost of website design for small businesses:
Web Hosting & CMS
This is where the files of your website and content management system (CMS) are stored, e.g., on a server at a web hosting company like Bluehost or on the servers of an all-in-one website builder like Wix.
Picking the right CMS platform for your site (e.g., WordPress, Shopify, Wix, and so on) will affect your ability to build a strong brand presence online, so it’s a pretty important decision. Read our guide on what a CMS is to get an idea of which would be best for your business.
Domain
Many web hosts and site builders include a free domain name in paid plans. If not, you can obtain one easily through top domain registrars like IONOS or Domain.com for about $10 to $15 a year.
Functionality
Functionality refers to the capabilities you want for your site. This includes everything from webforms for leads and subscriptions to an online store, appointment booking tools, and more. With site builders, a lot of functionality is built into plans. This makes it easier to implement, though plan costs generally increase the more functionality you need.
With WordPress, however, all functionality beyond publishing pages and blog posts requires some type of plugin. If you need several plugins, this could drive up your website costs quickly.
Every WordPress site requires a security plugin, at the very least. Hosting companies have server-level security, but this doesn’t prevent attacks on your site like data breaches via hackers, malware, and DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks. Read our list of WordPress tips to see what else you might need to spend to build on WordPress.
Did you know? Website design statistics show the average cost of building a website ranges from $2,000 to $9,000, and that the top cost-driver is features and functionality.
Design & Development
Before building a site (or when you start the process), you’ll be making a lot of decisions about how you want your site to look and feel. In fact, stats show that 75% of brand credibility hinges on site design. From picking a website color scheme to your site’s layout, the more custom your design, the more likely it will require professional expertise to build, if not code.
Design is also where costs for artwork come into play. There are many places to get free images for website design. But if you want custom artwork unique to your site or that you find on a premium app like Shutterstock, you can quickly spend several hundred dollars to get the images you need.
If you don’t have a logo, you may also need to hire a designer to create one. You can do this on a site like Fiverr for as little as $5 or spend a bit more and find a designer you want to work with on platforms like 99designs. Alternatively, you can DIY logo design for free on a platform like Canva or use the artificial intelligence (AI) logo maker built into the Hostinger website builder. Learn more from our list of the best sites for logo design.
Looking for some DIY web design inspiration? Check out our collection of the best color palettes for websites.
Approach
Approach | DIY Website Builder | WordPress & Web Hosting | Freelancer Marketplace | Agencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Examples | Wix Squarespace Shopify | Bluehost DreamHost | Fiverr Upwork | Straight North WebFX |
Cost | $16+ / month | $2.95 / month the first year | $50+ one-time | $5,000+ one-time |
Domain & SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
Hosting | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
Security | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
Plugins Included | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
Learn More |
The biggest impact to the average cost of website design for small business by far is which approach you take. With a website builder, it’s possible to create a professional, custom-looking website without spending a dime (beyond your plan cost), even for a true beginner. Some site builders also offer low-cost site building services to jump-start your project.
Outsourcing to a freelancer on Fiverr or Upwork can be the most affordable way to avoid a DIY (do it yourself) website build, with a one-time cost as low as $50 to $100. Going with an agency may require one-time or ongoing fees. For example, some agencies give you a fairly low buy-in cost of around $1,000 a month, but the catch is that this is $1,000 a month for the life of the website.
Other agencies offer a one-time build cost or a one-time fee with the option to go with a monthly retainer for continued services like website maintenance and content updates. With agencies, you should expect to pay anywhere from around $5,000 and up, depending on the scope of your site, including all the factors mentioned above.
Average Website Costs With a DIY Site Builder
Website design costs hinge on whether you build it yourself or hire a professional web designer. The most affordable option is to build your website in-house, whereas the cheapest outsourcing option will be to work with a freelancer. You can also work with marketing agencies and design firms, but keep in mind that professional web development costs can easily climb into the tens of thousands.
If you build your site yourself (or in-house), a small business website cost may only include the price of hosting, domain, and CMS (e.g., Wix or WordPress). Here are some top options to consider:
 |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Free Plan | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
Starting Cost* | $16 | $12 | $2.99 | $2.95 |
Starting Cost* for Ecommerce | $27 | $0 | $2.99 | $2.95** |
Domain & SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Email Account | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
No-code Page Building | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Plugins | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Templates | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Image Library | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
Security | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
AI Content Writer | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
Expertise Needed | Beginner | Beginner | Beginner | Intermediate |
Learn More |
*Cost per month, billed annually
**Requires an ecommerce plugin like WooCommerce, which may entail additional cost
We recommend DreamHost as the best option for WordPress because they include the BoldGrid WordPress website builder free in hosting plans. Plus, you’ll save money. All these providers include a free domain and SSL certificate in plans, and both DreamHost and Hostinger include free email addresses on your domain as well.
Need help deciding which is right for you? Get a more detailed look at the best website builders for small businesses.
Pros & Cons
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Fast and intuitive, even for beginners | Customization and design capabilities vary by platform |
| Hosting, domain, and SSL included | Ecommerce will usually cost more |
| No need to configure or maintain software or security | WordPress costs will be higher due to the need for plugins |
| Premade templates and content blocks | Free plans display ads and don’t allow you to use a custom domain |
| Image libraries (with most) and AI content writers (with some) | |
| Low cost | |
Website builders are designed for DIY site-building, and come with everything needed to build a site including hosting, domain, no-code design tools, and plugins. Drag-and-drop website builders require little to no learning curve and enable anyone to build a site quickly. They even provide premade templates and website content blocks that save you time and keep you from making web design mistakes.
If you’re ready to tackle building your small business website yourself, check out our article that explains how to make a small business website step-by-step.
Average Cost to Outsource Website Design to a Professional
The cost of professional web design and development runs the gamut from affordable for nearly every size budget to tens of thousands. Obviously, with such a wide range of pricing and options, the quality of the work of potential freelancers and agencies will also vary, so doing your research is key.
Here’s what to expect:
Web Design With | Example Providers | Cost to Build a Basic Website | Cost to Build an Ecommerce Website | Includes Hosting, SSL & Domain | Cost to Maintain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Freelance Web Designer | Fiverr | $50+ | $100+ | ✕ | Project-based |
Digital Marketing Agency |
| $5,000+ | $5,000+ | ✕ | Custom retainer or hourly |
Web Development Firm*** |
| $10,000+ | $20,000+ | ✕ | Time-based per hour |
Your cost to hire a professional freelance web designer on Fiverr starts as low as $50 to $250. On the upper end of costs, you could pay anywhere from $500 to $20,000 or even more with professional web development firms. Outsourcing is best for businesses with complex site needs or those who want a custom size and have the resources to hire and work with a professional web developer.
Pros & Cons
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Fully custom-designed site unique to your business | Can get very expensive |
| Peace of mind of having a professional develop your site | Takes weeks or even months vs days or hours with a DIY site builder |
| No learning curve (unless you will be maintaining your site afterward) | Maintaining your site requires additional costs or learning the platform |
| Likely won’t include hosting, domain, SSL, premium plugins, or imagery | |
After evaluating all of the website basics needed for a good site, not everyone wants to build their own, and it can be worth leaving it to the experts. Depending on how you go about outsourcing website design and development, and the requirements of your site, it could cost anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands to build your small business website.
Here are three common ways to outsource small business web design and development:
- Freelance web designer: Most affordable option for outsourcing small business web design, development, and maintenance on a project basis, starting from around $50
- Marketing agency: Best option for businesses wanting an on-going solution for building and maintaining a website, starting from about a $300 monthly retainer or $1,000 one-time fee
- Web design firm: Best for building sites with unique functionalities that require complex code and the most custom site design, starting from approximately $10,000 and up
Outsourcing website design to a digital marketing agency or even a Fiverr freelancer will be more expensive. But it will give you a custom website with unique design and functionality through professionals who (presumably) understand search engine optimization (SEO) and what your site needs to rank higher on Google.
Cost of Website Maintenance
An expense often overlooked for the average cost of website design for small business with either approach is maintenance. This can range from as little as $5 to $25 with a Fiverr freelancer to hundreds or thousands per month with a digital marketing agency. WordPress sites, in particular, require constant maintenance, from updating WordPress itself to maintaining your theme and plugins, so be sure to take the cost of website maintenance into consideration.
Cost of Professionally Built & Maintained Sites at a Glance
Freelance Designer | Marketing Agency | Web Design Firm | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cheapest ---------------------------------------------------- Most Expensive | |||
Cost to Build | $50+ | $5,000+ | $10,000+ |
Cost to Maintain | $5+ per month | $300+ per month or billed hourly from $150+ | From $300+ per month or billed hourly from $150+ |
Publishing your website is just the beginner. Read our list of website marketing strategies to learn how to drive traffic and generate leads and sales with your site.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The cheapest way to build a website is to use a website builder like Wix. For the price of lunch each month, you’ll get everything you need to build a site, from hosting and a domain to templates, images, and all the plugins and functionality your site needs. There are free website builders, but those aren’t good for brands since your site will display ads, and you can’t use a custom domain.
Whether or not to pay someone to build your site largely depends on whether you have the expertise needed to build one or the time required to learn how. If you don’t feel that you can design a professional-looking website, can’t add the functionality it needs, or don’t know how to optimize it for search, it’s likely more than worth it to hire an expert who can do the job quickly, and do it right.
Professional web design can take weeks, months, or even longer, depending on the scope of work, timeliness of approvals, change requests, and so on. On the flip side, you could design a website and get it online in under a day with all-in-one website builders like Wix and Weebly.
Bottom Line
All-in-one site builders like Wix bring the cost of building a full-featured website with ecommerce, appointment booking, memberships, and more down to less than $30 per month. If you prefer to hire the work out, professional help is budget-friendly through the Fiverr freelance marketplace. See whether the DIY design route is right for you by testing Wix out with its free plan.
