How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost in 2025?

"How much does a website cost?" is the single most common question we get. And the honest answer is: it depends. But that's not helpful, so let's actually break it down.

Here's what small business websites cost in 2025 across every major option, with real numbers and no fluff.

Option 1: DIY Website Builders ($0-$50/month)

Platforms: Wix, Squarespace, WordPress.com, GoDaddy

The cheapest option on paper. Free tiers exist but force you to use their subdomain (yourbusiness.wixsite.com) and show their branding. Business-grade plans run $16-50/month.

What you get: A template-based site you can customize with drag-and-drop. Good enough for a basic online presence.

What you don't get: Ownership (cancel and it's gone), custom design, fast performance, or full SEO control. You're also trading 40-80 hours of your time to learn the platform and build the site.

Real 3-year cost: $1,100-$1,800 in platform fees + your time.

Option 2: Freelance Web Designer ($500-$5,000)

Hiring a freelancer or small agency gets you a custom site built to your specs. Prices vary wildly based on experience, location, and scope.

For a small business, here's what to expect:

Landing page (1 page): $500-$1,500
Business website (3-5 pages): $1,500-$5,000
E-commerce store: $3,000-$10,000+

The big advantage: you own the site outright. No monthly platform lock-in. The code is yours, and you can host it anywhere.

Option 3: Web Design Agency ($5,000-$50,000+)

Large agencies charge premium rates because they have larger teams, more overhead, and often longer timelines. You're paying for project managers, multiple designers, developers, QA testers, and account managers.

For most small businesses, this is overkill. The quality difference between a good freelancer/small agency and a large agency is often minimal—you're mostly paying for the overhead.

What About Ongoing Costs?

No matter which option you choose, there are recurring costs to consider:

Domain name: $10-$20/year
Hosting: $5-$30/month (free with DIY builders, but you're paying for it in your monthly fee)
SSL certificate: Usually free (Let's Encrypt) or included with hosting
Maintenance: $0 if you handle it yourself, or $75-$200/month for a managed retainer
Content updates: Depends on how often you update. Some businesses need weekly changes, others update once a year.

What Affects the Price?

The biggest factors that move the needle on cost:

Number of pages. A 1-page landing site is much cheaper than a 10-page site with a blog.
Custom functionality. Contact forms, booking systems, payment processing, user accounts—each adds complexity and cost.
E-commerce. Selling products online requires product management, cart functionality, payment processing, and inventory—all of which add significant development time.
Content creation. Do you have your own copy and images, or does the designer need to create them? Copywriting and photography are separate skills that add cost.
Timeline. Need it in 5 days instead of 3 weeks? Rush jobs cost more.

Our Pricing (For Reference)

At Onederful, we keep it simple and transparent:

Landing page: Starting at $750. Includes mobile-responsive design, basic SEO, contact form, and 1 round of revisions. Delivered in 5-7 days.
Business website: Starting at $2,000. Up to 5 pages, blog section, advanced forms, 2 rounds of revisions. Delivered in 2-3 weeks.
E-commerce: Starting at $5,000. Full store with product management, payments, and inventory. Delivered in 4-6 weeks.

You own the site outright. No monthly platform fees. Optional maintenance retainers start at $75/month if you want us to handle hosting, security, and updates.

How to Choose

Ask yourself three questions:

Is your website a primary sales channel? If customers find you through your website, invest in it. A professional site pays for itself in conversions.
Do you have 40-80 hours to spend learning a builder? If not, your time is better spent on your business. Hire someone.
Do you want to own your site or rent it? DIY builders are rentals. Custom sites are purchases. Both are valid—just know which one you're choosing.