How much a website costs for a small business
The quote is only part of the expense. Here are all the items to count in so you can compare offers fairly.
In short
- Compare the total cost over several years, not just the initial quote.
- Hosting, domain, security and changes are recurring costs.
- A subscription makes spending predictable.
The cost items
Build: design, texts, photos and development. This is the item in the initial quote.
Hosting and domain: the space where the site lives and its name. Paid every year.
Security and updates: SSL certificate, backups, technical updates. Often left out of the quote.
Changes: new hours, prices, photos or pages. With many agencies every change is a separate cost.
One-off or subscription?
With the traditional model you pay a lot upfront and then recurring costs. With a monthly subscription you pay a fixed fee that usually includes hosting, maintenance and small changes. The right way to decide is to compare the total over three or four years.
Questions to ask before signing
- Is the domain registered to me?
- What is included in the price and what is not?
- How much does a change cost?
- What happens if I want to switch providers?
Run the comparison with your own numbers.
Open the calculator →