How much does a website cost? Real numbers, explained plainly
A small business website usually costs somewhere between $500 and $10,000. The difference comes down to who builds it and what it has to do. This guide walks through each option so you can pick the right one, even if you are not sure what you need yet.
By Elijah Ching · Primilink, Kailua-Kona
Here is the short version. Building it yourself on a site builder like Squarespace or Wix runs $200 to $500 a year. A freelancer typically charges $1,500 to $5,000. A small studio runs $2,500 to $10,000. A full agency starts around $15,000 and goes up from there.
Those are big gaps, and nobody explains what changes between them. The rest of this page does. By the end you should know which option fits you, and what to ask before you hand anyone money.
What each price actually buys you
| What you spend | Who builds it | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| $200–$500 a year | You, on Squarespace or Wix | A working site from a ready-made template. Your time is the real cost. |
| $1,500–$5,000 | A freelancer | A design made for you. Quality and reliability vary a lot. |
| $2,500–$10,000 | A small studio | A design made for you, a plan for getting found on Google, and someone who answers the phone afterward. |
| $15,000+ | An agency | A whole team, research and a formal process. Worth it once your business is big enough. |
Doing it yourself: $200 to $500 a year
Modern site builders are genuinely good. If you need four pages and a contact form, and you have a free weekend, this is a reasonable answer. What you are really paying is your time, usually 20 to 40 hours for a first site. The limits show up later: templates only bend so far, the tools for getting found on Google are thin, and leaving the platform means starting over.
A freelancer: $1,500 to $5,000
You get a design made for you and a real person to talk to. The range is wide because the field is: some freelancers are excellent, and some deliver a lightly tweaked template. The risk is what happens later. Freelancers take full-time jobs, move and get busy. Ask what happens in a year when you need a change.
A small studio: $2,500 to $10,000
A design made for you, plus the parts that decide whether the site actually brings in customers: research on what people search for, a sensible page structure, your Google listing set up, and tracking so you can see results. You are buying a plan alongside the design. This is the kind of studio Primilink is. Our plans start at $249 a month, and nothing is due until you see the first draft.
An agency: $15,000 and up
A team, research interviews, user testing and a formal process. Genuinely worth it for larger organizations. For a business with five employees, it is usually more process than the project needs.
Why two quotes for "the same" site can differ by thousands
- How many pages. The single biggest factor. A five-page site is not half the work of a ten-page site once each page needs its own plan and its own words.
- Made for you, or from a template. A template costs about $60 and an afternoon. A design made for you takes days, and it does not look like eleven other businesses in your town.
- Who writes the words. Writing is often left out of the quote. If nobody said, assume you are writing it, and assume the project stalls for a month while you do.
- Whether getting found on Google is included. "SEO-friendly" means almost nothing. Ask specifically: research on what people search, page titles written for Google, a Google listing set up, tracking connected. Included, or extra?
- Whether anyone sets up tracking. If the site launches without Google's free tracking tools connected, you have no way to know whether it is working.
- Whether you own it afterward. Some builders leave you on a system you cannot take with you. Ask before you sign, not after.
The yearly costs nobody mentions upfront
| Cost | Typical price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | $12–$20 a year | Your web address, like yourbusiness.com. |
| Hosting | $60–$400 a year | The computer your site lives on. The cheapest option is a false saving, because slow hosting undoes the speed work you paid for. |
| Security certificate | Usually free | The padlock in the browser, included with good hosting. |
| Add-on licenses | $50–$300 a year | Paid add-ons for a WordPress site, like forms or a visual editor. |
| Upkeep | $50–$200 a month | If someone else handles updates. A WordPress site nobody updates becomes a security risk. |
Plan on roughly $300 to $700 a year in running costs for a small business site if you handle upkeep yourself.
Eight questions to ask any web designer
- Do I own the site and everything on it?
- What happens if we stop working together? Can I take it with me?
- How do changes to text and photos work after launch, and what do they cost?
- Is getting found on Google included, and what specifically does that mean?
- Who writes the words on each page?
- How many rounds of changes are included, and what happens after those?
- What is the timeline, and what delays it?
- When do I pay, and how much before I see anything?
Anyone worth hiring will answer all eight without hesitating. Ask us too.
What Primilink charges
Every plan includes a design made for you, setup so Google can find you, a site that works well on phones, tracking connected and two rounds of changes. You own the site.
Your exact price depends on two things: how many pages you need, and what the site has to do (online booking and online ordering take more work than a contact form). Request a proposal and you get one specific number for your project, and nothing is due until the first draft is in front of you.
For a business with one location and a clear offer. The essentials, done properly, fast on a phone.
Request a proposalRoom for a page for each service you offer, plus separate paths for the residents and visitors most Hawaii businesses serve.
Request a proposal →For businesses that work across several islands, or run more than one line of business, and need each one to stand on its own.
Request a proposalYou pay nothing until you see the first draft. We start the work, you see where it is going, and you only pay once you like what you see. If it is not right, you have not spent anything. Simple as that.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost for a small business?
Most small business websites built by a professional cost a few thousand dollars, and a do-it-yourself site builder costs $200 to $500 a year instead. The main differences are a design made for you, a plan for getting found on Google, and having someone to call when something breaks.
Is it cheaper to build my own website?
Upfront, yes. The real cost is 20 to 40 hours of your time and a ceiling on what the site can do later. For a simple four-page site it is often the right call.
Why do so few web designers publish prices?
Most prefer to quote after learning your budget. We publish ours because it saves everyone a call.
What are the ongoing costs after launch?
Plan on roughly $300 to $700 a year for your web address, hosting and add-on licenses, plus upkeep if you would rather not handle updates yourself.
How long does a website take to build?
With Primilink, your site goes live within five weeks, with a first draft in about three. Elsewhere it mostly depends on how quickly photos and details arrive.
Ready to be found?
Tell us what you do and who you are trying to reach. We will send back a plan and a specific price. No cost, no obligation, and no pressure.