How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost?
What a small business website costs in 2026: builder and hosting prices from each vendor, domain and email costs, and what drives a designer's quote.
3 min read · Updated
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Short answer
Built yourself, a small business website costs about $204–$468 a year on Wix or Squarespace (annual billing), or less on WordPress hosting at an introductory price, plus about $11–$20 a year for a domain. Hiring a designer adds a one-off fee that depends on the scope, so get written quotes.
Prices below were checked on each company's own website in October 2026.
DIY website costs
| Platform | Monthly cost | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Wix (Light to Business, annual billing) | $17–$39 | $204–$468 |
| Squarespace (Basic to Plus, annual billing) | $19–$49 | $228–$588 |
| Shopify (Basic to Advanced, yearly billing) | $29–$299 | $348–$3,588 |
| WordPress + Bluehost (Starter to Business) | $3.99–$6.99 intro on a 36-month term; renews at $9.99–$13.99 | $48–$84 at the intro price |
Squarespace costs more on monthly billing ($25–$65 a month for the same plans). Add about $11–$20 a year for a domain name from Namecheap, Porkbun or Squarespace Domains; see the cheapest domain registrars for renewal prices.
Hiring a web designer
There is no standard price. A designer's quote depends on what you ask for, and prices vary widely by region and experience. To compare quotes fairly:
- Write down the pages you need, whether you sell online, and who will write the words
- Ask at least three designers or agencies to quote against the same brief
- Ask what happens after launch: who updates the site, what that costs, and who owns the domain and the site files
See whether to hire a web designer or build it yourself.
What actually drives the cost up
- Custom design: templates are cheap; custom design is expensive
- Ecommerce: selling products adds payments, shipping and stock to set up
- Number of pages: a 3-page site against a 30-page site
- Copywriting: someone has to write the words
- SEO setup: a properly optimised site costs more upfront
Hidden costs most businesses forget
Domain name renewal: your first year is sometimes free (Bluehost and SiteGround include one) or discounted, but the renewal price is what you pay every year after. Check it before you buy.
Business email: @gmail.com looks less professional for a business. Google Workspace for a branded address ([email protected]) starts at $7 per user per month.
Stock photos: most templates look better with good photography. Unsplash and Pexels are free; paid stock libraries charge a subscription.
Premium plugins or features: on WordPress, plugins for booking, ecommerce or advanced forms may have a yearly fee.
Total first-year cost examples
Local service business (DIY):
- Squarespace Basic plan: $228/year (billed annually)
- Domain: about $11–$20/year
- Business email: $84/year (Google Workspace Starter, one user)
- Total: about $325–$335 a year
WordPress site with Bluehost:
- Hosting: $3.99/month on a 36-month term (about $144 paid upfront, $48 a year)
- Domain: free for the first year
- First year: about $48 of hosting. After the intro term, hosting renews at $9.99/month ($120 a year), plus the domain renewal.
The honest verdict
For most local businesses (restaurants, salons, consultants), a Squarespace or Wix site at $17–$39 a month is all you need. Don't pay for a custom website before you know whether your business model works online.
Related questions
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a basic small business website cost?
- Built yourself on Wix or Squarespace, about $17–$39 a month on annual billing ($204–$468 a year), plus about $11–$20 a year for a domain name. WordPress on Bluehost starts lower ($3.99 a month on a 36-month term) but renews at $9.99. Hiring a designer adds a one-off fee that depends on scope, so get written quotes.
- What are the ongoing costs of a small business website?
- The platform or hosting subscription ($204–$588 a year on Wix or Squarespace's common plans, or from about $48 a year on Bluehost at its intro price), domain renewal (about $11–$20 a year), and optional business email (Google Workspace starts at $7 per user per month). SSL certificates are usually included.
- Is a free website good enough for a small business?
- A free website (Wix free plan, Google Sites) is better than no website, but it shows the platform's branding and its address, and limits features. For a business, paying about $17–$19 a month for your own domain and a clean template is usually worth it.
- How much does it cost to hire someone to build a small business website?
- It depends on the number of pages, custom design, ecommerce and who writes the words. Prices vary widely by scope and region, so describe the site in writing and get at least three quotes, and ask what ongoing maintenance costs.
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