What Should a Small Business Website Actually Cost?
· 3 min read · Written by Jack, founder of Mumbles Studio
One of the most common questions I get, and one plenty of agencies dodge. Here's a straight answer.
Why quotes vary so much
Two "small business websites" can be completely different jobs. A one-page site for a sole trader and a multi-page site with online booking, a shop and a members' area might share a name, but not much else. That's why a sensible quote starts with what you actually need.
What actually drives the cost
- Number of pages and complexity. A single page with the essentials is a very different job to a multi-page site with booking or e-commerce.
- Who supplies the words and pictures. Writing copy and sourcing photos takes time. If you've got them ready, that changes the price.
- Integrations. Booking systems, payments, email marketing and so on all add set-up and testing time.
- What happens after launch. Built once and handed over, or looked after month to month?
The honest advice
Don't buy more website than you need right now. A focused, well-built site that clearly says what you do and makes it easy to get in touch beats an expensive site nobody gets past the first page of.
Ongoing care (content updates, fixes and basic SEO) is usually best handled as a small monthly retainer rather than a big one-off spend every few years.
Get a rough figure in two minutes
Try the free Website Cost Estimator for a ballpark. For a proper figure, I give clear written quotes for website builds after a short call, so there are no surprises later.
Want a hand with this?
If you'd rather not do it yourself, I can help — plain English, clear scope.