A small business website costs $0 to $300 to start on a DIY builder, $500 to $10,000 with a freelancer, and $3,500 to $15,000 or more with an agency. After launch, plan on $15 to $50 a month for hosting and a domain, plus maintenance if you do not handle updates yourself. Most small businesses that want a professional site built to bring in customers should budget $3,500 to $8,000 for the build.
Those ranges are wide because “a website” can mean a one-page brochure or a 40-page site with online booking. This guide breaks down what each option really costs, what drives the price up, and how to tell which one fits your business.
Key Takeaways
- DIY builders are cheapest up front, but the monthly fees add up and you do all the work.
- Freelancers cost $500 to $10,000. Quality and reliability vary a lot.
- Agencies usually start around $3,500 for a custom small business site. You pay more, but you get design, development, and SEO from one team.
- The biggest price drivers are the number of pages, custom features, content writing, and moving an old site.
- A cheap site that never shows up on Google often costs more in lost customers than a better site would have cost to build.
How much does a website cost in 2026?
| Option | Build cost | Ongoing cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace) | $0 to $300 | $10 to $30 a month, plus apps | Brand-new businesses testing an idea |
| Freelancer | $500 to $5,000 (premium: up to $10,000) | $50 to $150 a month for maintenance | Simple sites with a clear scope |
| Small business agency | $3,500 to $15,000 | $100 to $1,000 a month, depending on support | Businesses that need leads from the website |
| Large custom or ecommerce build | $15,000 to $60,000+ | Varies with features | Online stores, portals, directories |
These ranges line up with recent industry pricing surveys, such as Levitate’s 2026 small business website cost guide, and with what we see when we quote projects in Los Angeles.
What does a DIY website builder really cost?
Website builders advertise free or low-cost plans, and for a very new business that can be enough. The catch is that the monthly subscription never ends, premium templates and apps cost extra, and the biggest cost is your time. Writing the pages, choosing images, and setting up forms can take weeks.
DIY sites also tend to struggle in search. Templates are shared by thousands of other businesses, and owners usually skip things like page titles, site structure, and speed. If you need customers to find you on Google, factor that in.
How much does a freelance web designer charge?
Most freelancers charge $500 to $5,000 for a small business site, and experienced designers can charge up to $10,000. A good freelancer can be great value for a simple site with a fixed scope.
The risks are availability and coverage. One person rarely handles design, development, copywriting, and SEO equally well, and if they get busy or move on, updates can stall. Before hiring, ask who will host the site, who fixes it when something breaks, and whether you will own the login and files.
How much does a web design agency charge?
A custom small business website from an agency usually costs $3,500 to $15,000. At Los Angeles SEO Inc, custom websites start at $3,500 for a one-time project, and the final price depends on the pages and features you need.
What you pay for with an agency is a team: someone plans the structure, someone designs it, someone builds it, and someone makes sure it is ready for Google at launch. That matters if the website is supposed to bring in calls and leads, not just exist.
What makes a website cost more?
- Number of pages. A five-page site costs less than a site with a separate page for every service and city you serve.
- Custom features. Online booking, quote calculators, member logins, payment forms, and CRM connections add development time. Bigger builds like job boards and directories are custom web development projects.
- Ecommerce. Product pages, checkout, shipping, and inventory add cost, especially past a few dozen products.
- Content. If the agency writes your copy and sources your photos, expect a higher quote than if you supply them.
- Moving an old site. Redesigning a site that already ranks takes extra planning, such as redirects, so you do not lose the traffic you have.
- Timeline. Rush projects can cost more because the team has to move other work.
What are the ongoing costs after launch?
The build is a one-time cost, but every website has some running costs:
- Domain name: about $10 to $20 a year.
- Hosting: roughly $5 to $50 a month for most small business sites. Larger or busier sites need more.
- SSL certificate: often free with good hosting.
- Maintenance: updates, backups, and security checks, from about $50 a month for basic care to a few hundred for full support.
Figures like these are in line with B12’s 2026 website maintenance cost guide. If you do not want to deal with updates, a website maintenance plan keeps the site secure and running.
Is a cheap website really cheaper?
Not always. A $300 website that nobody finds on Google has cost you $300 and brought in nothing. A site built with proper structure, fast pages, and clear calls to action can pay for itself with a handful of new customers.
Design and SEO are connected: page speed, mobile layout, and site structure all affect where you rank. We explain how in Why Your Website Design Directly Impacts Your SEO Rankings. When you compare quotes, ask each provider what they do to help the site show up in search, not just how it will look.
How to get an accurate quote
You will get better quotes, and fewer surprises, if you know these answers before you call:
- What should the website do: bring in calls, take bookings, sell products, or show your work?
- How many services, products, or locations do you need pages for?
- Do you need features like booking, payments, or a login area?
- Will you supply the text and photos, or do you need help with them?
- Do you have a current site, and does it get traffic from Google today?
- When do you need it live?
Most small business websites take four to eight weeks from kickoff to launch, and faster timelines are possible when needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should a small business spend on a website?
Most small businesses that want a professional site that brings in customers should budget about $3,500 to $8,000 for the build, plus $15 to $50 a month for hosting and a domain. If you are just testing an idea, a DIY builder for a few hundred dollars can be enough to start.
Is it cheaper to build a website yourself?
The upfront cost is lower, but you pay with your time and ongoing subscription fees, and DIY sites often do not rank well. If your time is worth more spent running your business, hiring a professional is usually the better deal.
How long does it take to build a small business website?
Most small business websites take four to eight weeks. Sites with many pages, ecommerce, or custom features take longer. The biggest delay is usually waiting on content and feedback.
Do I own my website after it is built?
You should. Before you sign, make sure the contract says you own the domain, the content, and the website files, and that you get admin access. Some builders and agencies keep control, which makes it hard to switch later.
Does the price of a website include SEO?
It depends on the provider. A good build includes an SEO foundation: page titles, a clean structure, fast loading, and mobile-friendly design. Ongoing SEO to grow rankings over time is usually a separate monthly service.
Planning a new website? See our web design services or call (310) 475-6560 for a free consultation and a written quote.
