How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website for a Small Business in 2024?

Small Business Website Costs Overview

• On average, small businesses will spend $1,000 to $48,000 to build a site.
• The cost to create a website for small businesses will depend on factors like your site’s size, functionality requirements, and preferred launch date.
• Domain name costs $0.99 -$60+ per year
• Website hosting costs $10 – $200 per month
• SSL certificates cost $0 – $1500 per year
• Design costs $2000 – $15,000
• Number of pages costs $1000 – $10,000+
• Functionality costs $5000 – $10,000
• Content management system (CMS) integration costs $3000 – $10,000

Your website is your online storefront, whether you operate online, offline, or both, which is why it makes sense to invest in professional web design.

Here’s a quick overview of everything we’ll cover on this page:

• How much it costs to build a website for a small business in 2024
• Additional small business website costs to consider
• Why your small business needs a website

Small business website costs: Summary

How much it costs to build a website for a small business in 2024

The average cost to create a website for a small business is $1000 to $48,000. This average includes purchasing your domain name and website hosting plan, as well as designing and building your site. How much your business pays to create your website will depend on its size, features, and complexity.

Sure, you know the average cost to create a website for a small business, but what makes up that number?

When it comes to small business web design costs, you have several cost factors — and many are essential. For example, your website design costs will almost always include these seven factors:

1. Domain name ($0.99 – $60 per year)

Your domain name is like your online street address. For example, Apple resides at apple.com — apple.com is the tech giant’s domain name. Generally, you’ll purchase a domain name identical to your company name, like Apple did.

A domain name will generally cost $0.99 to $60 per domain name.

You can browse and purchase domain names from companies like GoDaddy, HostGator, and Dreamhost. If your domain name isn’t for sale, you may have to choose an alternative option. While you can approach the existing owner of a domain name, this option will generally cost more.

2. Website hosting ($10 – $200 per month)

If your domain name is like your online address, website hosting is like your online power company. You need a website hosting plan if you want to turn on your storefront’s lights in the digital world. That’s because web hosting companies power your site and make it available on the Internet.

Website hosting prices range from $10 – $200 per month.

As a small business, you’ll generally see lower web hosting costs. Most small websites, for example, use shared hosting, which costs around $10 -$20 per month. With shared hosting, your company will “share” a server with several other websites. That’s why shared hosting costs less.

Shared hosting does come with more limited server resources, but it’ll often work well for small sites because they require fewer resources. If you find you need more server resources, like due to a slow site, you can always upgrade your plan.

3. SSL certificate ($0 – $1500 per year)

A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate protects your website and its visitors’ data. While optional, most businesses consider an SSL certificate essential. It serves as a trust signal, which can motivate users to complete your contact form or purchase your product. SSL certificates also protect customer data from hackers, which protects your business and brand.

In some cases, your company can receive an SSL certificate for free. Your web hosting company, for instance, may include an SSL certificate with your subscription. Depending on your needs, however, you may opt to purchase an SSL certificate, which can cost up to $1500 per year to secure your site.

4. Design ($2000 – $15,000)

When it comes to small business web design costs, design is a cost factor that varies widely. Your company may prefer a no-fuss look while another may want a high-end layout that requires more designer time.

In addition, you’ll likely need multiple designs or templates, like for the following pages:

• Homepage
• Product or service page
• Contact page

That’s why website design costs can range from $2000 to $15,000.

In most cases, small businesses will not reach $15,000 in design costs.

When meeting with web design agencies, ask about their design costs. Request examples, for instance, of what a high-end design looks like and what a basic design looks like so you can build a realistic budget for your business.

5. Number of pages ($1000 – $10,000)

Websites range in size. While an ecommerce store may feature over 100 pages, a service-based company may have less than 10. From a web design and development perspective, it takes time to design and build those pages, even if the pages use some of the same layouts.

For example, an ecommerce store may have 50 product pages. Those product pages use the same design template.

Your SMB web development agency, however, needs to upload images, videos, and copy to those pages, as well as test the pages. These tasks take time, which is why websites with more pages cost more.

Generally, web design agencies will price pages in tiers, like 1 to 10 pages or 10 to 20 pages. If your business required 8 pages, for example, you would fall into the 1- to 10-page category and pay that tier’s rate.

Here are some typical costs you can expect based on the numbers of pages your site has:

• 1-75: $1000 – $3000
• 75-150: $3000 – $6000
• 150-250+: $6000 – $10,000+

6. Functionality ($5000 – $10,000)

When it comes to web design, functionality encompasses a range of features, with most focusing on ecommerce capabilities. If your company wants to accept online payments or orders, plan for functionality expenses in your small business’s web design costs.

Even if you provide services, like landscaping, plumbing, or home maintenance, it’s worthwhile to offer online payments. For many shoppers, online payments deliver convenience.

If your business’s site accepts online payments, it can serve as a unique selling point and help you earn more clients.

Web design costs for functionality features range from $5000 – $10,000. As a smaller business, your functionality costs will likely range towards the lower end versus the higher end.

That’s because smaller websites don’t require the robust payment systems that large sites like Amazon do. For the most accurate estimate of this small business website design costs, talk with a professional web design company, like WebFX.

We can help your company determine what kind of ecommerce functionality would work best for your site and business. Just contact us online to chat!

7. CMS ($3000 – $10,000)

A CMS, like WordPress, is an invaluable tool.

For reference, a CMS is a type of software that lets your business create, manage, and update website content without coding knowledge. For many users, it’s similar to working in a word processing program like Microsoft Word.

With a CMS, your company can edit and update your website with ease. For example, if you want to change service or product pricing, you could easily log into your CMS and make the change, without contacting your developer.

On average, a CMS costs $3000 – $10,000.

In most cases, how much you invest in a CMS will depend on your preferred CMS and the amount of customization. If your design and development team spends more time customizing your CMS, it makes sense that your CMS will cost more.

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Additional small business website costs to consider

Now that you know the answer to the question, “how much a website cost for a small business,” let’s dive into some other additional costs you should consider.

Add ons and plugins

Plugins can enable tons of features on your website, like contact forms, tables, testimonials, and more. If you want to access these features, you’ll want to research the price of the plugins you’d like to use. These are some free plugins available, too.

Hiring a web designer

If you don’t have design expertise or a web designer in-house, you may opt to hire a web designer or a web design agency, like WebFX.

Many web designers and agencies will give you a quote for building your website, so it’s usually a good idea to compare quotes and designers to find the best fit for your business! You can request a free quote from WebFX here!

SEO

If you want your website to be easily found on search engines like Google or Bing, it’s a good idea to invest in an SEO strategy. SEO involves optimizing various elements of your website, such as your page loading speed, building links, creating content, and more.

If you don’t want to launch an SEO strategy in-house, you can opt to invest in SEO services from an experienced agency, like WebFX! Learn more about our SEO services and pricing here!

Why your small business needs a website

Did you know that 70% of people will research a company on the web before deciding to buy or visit? A small business website is crucial to attract new customers and grow your business.

Let’s look at more reasons why your small business should invest in a website below.

1. A website gives you more opportunities to be discovered by customers

More and more people use the Internet to search for the products and services they need. And like we mentioned above, many people will want to research your company online before they decide to make a purchase or visit your physical location.

By building a website for your small business, you can increase your online visibility, enabling more people to disocver your company when they search for your products or services online.

2. A website allows you to build trust with your audience

Trust plays a large role in whether someone will decide to buy from you. If someone isn’t sure whether your products or services will meet their needs or whether you can offer the solutions they need, they’ll likely end up choosing one of your competitors instead.

A website can help you solve this issue.

You can use your website to display reviews and testimonials from current customers, showcase any awards or achievements you’ve earned, and share more information about your company and products or services.

3. A website helps you drive more sales and revenue

People love to buy products and services online today more than ever before. When you build a website for your small business, you enable more potential customers to quickly and easily purchase your products online or contact you about your services.

For example, if you are an electrician, you can add an online contact form on your website that allows people to quickly contact you and enquire about your services.

And if you sell products, like clothing or beauty products, you can build product pages on your website that allow people to read reviews and detailed product descriptions, and ultimately purchase the product securely online.

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Calculate your small business’s website design costs instantly!

Small business website costs depend on a range of factors, from design preferences to must-have features. That’s why web design calculators are so useful.

They provide you with a price estimate based on your specific needs. Try our free website design calculator and see how simple it is to calculate your web design costs.

Got more questions about professional web design costs for a small business? Connect with a seasoned WebFX strategist and ask away. Give our SMB web design agency a ring at 888-601-5359 or contact us online to learn more about using SMB web design services to build your dream website!