How Much Does a Website Cost for a Small Business?

A small business website can cost anywhere from about a hundred dollars for a do-it-yourself builder site to tens of thousands for a large agency build. For a design studio or landscaping company that needs a custom, professional site, the real question isn't the average—it's what you need the site to do. This guide breaks down how much it costs to build a website, what drives the price, and what to budget for after launch.

Typical website cost ranges

The answer depends mostly on who builds the site. Here's how one large US agency, WebFX, breaks down the market in its 2026 pricing guide:

• Small business website: $100 to $5,000
• Freelance web designer: $500 to $10,000+
• Web design agency: $3,000 to $30,000+
• Hosting: $2 to $1,000 per month
• Domain name: $1 to $12 per year

These ranges are wide on purpose. A five-page site with your own copy and a template sits at the bottom. A custom site with dozens of pages, a project gallery, and integrations sits at the top.

DIY website builders

If you build the site yourself, you pay a subscription instead of a designer. For example, Squarespace plans run from $19 to $99 per month when billed annually, and annual plans include one year of free domain registration.

The tradeoff is time. You write the copy, pick the structure, resize the photos, and handle SEO yourself. For many studio owners, that's the hidden cost—hours away from clients and projects.

What WEB & WORTH charges

Our websites start at $1,000. The final price depends on the number of pages and the features you need. Before any work starts, we send a proposal that sets the scope, timeline, payment schedule, and number of revision rounds—so you know the full cost up front.

That price covers the whole build:

• Site structure
• Copywriting about your studio, services, and projects
• Custom design
• Development
• Mobile version
• Essential SEO
• Launch, plus access and instructions handed off to you

Every site is also built to be readable for both Google and AI search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI Overviews. Learn more about that in our guide to generative engine optimization.

What drives the price of a website

Five things move the price the most. If you know where you stand on each, you can estimate your budget before you talk to anyone.

1. Number of pages

Each page needs structure, copy, design, and development. A studio with one service and a short portfolio needs fewer pages than a landscaping company with separate pages for design, installation, hardscaping, and maintenance in several service areas.

2. Custom design vs. a template

A template is cheaper because the layout already exists. Custom design costs more because it's built around your brand, your photos, and the way your clients make decisions.

3. Copywriting

Someone has to write the words. If you hand over finished copy, the price drops. If the designer writes it, budget for that time. We write copy from your answers to our questions, and you check the facts and approve it.

4. Features and integrations

Contact forms are standard. Booking tools, quote calculators, client portals, blogs, and multilingual versions add development time.

5. Platform and self-editing

Some platforms make it easy to update text and photos yourself; others are faster or more flexible but need a developer for changes. We discuss self-editing with you when we choose the platform, so the price matches how you plan to run the site.

Ongoing costs after launch

The build is a one-time cost, but a website keeps costing a little every year. Plan for:

• Domain renewal every year
• Hosting or a builder subscription, monthly or annually
• Paid plugins or tools, if your site uses them
• Updates and maintenance, either your time or a contractor's
• New content, like project pages as your portfolio grows

Ask any designer which of these are included and which you'll pay for separately.

How to avoid overpaying (or underpaying)

Cheap sites often cost more later. A $300 site that doesn't show up in search or doesn't work well on phones may need a full rebuild within a year. An expensive site with features you never use is money you could have spent on photography or marketing.

A few ways to get the budget right:

• Start with the pages you need now. Services, projects, about, and contact cover most studios. Add more later.
• Get scope in writing. A proposal should list pages, features, revision rounds, and payment schedule.
• Ask what "SEO" means in the quote. At minimum: clean page titles and descriptions, a sensible structure, fast loading, and a mobile-friendly layout.
• Ask who owns the site. You should get full access to the domain, hosting, and site when the project ends.

Is a website worth the cost for a design or landscaping business?

Yes, if it helps clients find you and trust you. Before someone spends thousands on an interior or a backyard, they want to see your work. Your website is where they see your work, understand your process, and decide whether to reach out.

For industry-specific detail, see our pages on websites for interior designers and websites for landscapers.