How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost? (2026 Guide)

“How much does a website cost?” is the first question almost every small business owner asks us, and the honest answer is: it depends on what you need. The good news is that a professional small business website costs far less than most people expect. This guide breaks down the real cost of a small business website: what you pay once, what you pay every year, and where the hidden costs hide.

One-time costs: building the website

The biggest cost is usually the design and build. Broadly, you have three options:

• Do it yourself with a website builder. Cheapest up front, but it costs you time, and many DIY sites end up looking unfinished or are hard to find on Google.
• Hire a freelancer or local web designer. Prices vary widely depending on experience and how many pages and features you need.
• Hire a large agency. Usually the most expensive option, best suited to bigger companies with complex needs.

What drives the price up or down:

• Number of pages. A five-page site (home, services, about, gallery, contact) costs less than a 40-page site.
• Features. Online stores, booking calendars, member areas and custom forms take more work.
• Content. If you supply your own text and photos it costs less than having them written or shot for you.
• Redesign vs. new. Rebuilding an existing site can save time because the content already exists.

Ongoing costs: domain, hosting and email

Every website has a few small costs that repeat every year:

• Domain name: your address, like yourbusiness.com. A .com is about $20 a year at GreaterLink. See our guide to registering a domain.
• Web hosting: where your site lives. Small business hosting at GreaterLink starts at $7.99 a month. Our hosting guide explains how to choose a plan.
• SSL certificate: the padlock that keeps visitors safe. It’s included free with our hosting.
• Business email: addresses like you@yourbusiness.com are usually included with hosting.

Hidden costs to watch for

• Monthly “website builder” subscriptions that add up year after year, sometimes with an extra fee for every feature. One of our customers saved a monthly online-store subscription by moving to their own store.
• Locked-in websites you can’t move if you change providers. Ask whether you own your site and your domain.
• No updates or security. A cheap site that is never updated can be hacked or stop working.
• Losing your Google results when an old site is replaced carelessly. A good redesign redirects old page addresses so existing links keep working.

How to get a great website without overspending

1. Start with what you need now. A clear, fast five-page site beats a big site you never finish.
2. Gather your content first: your services, prices, hours, photos and logo.
3. Use one company for design, hosting and domain, so there’s one number to call when something needs changing.
4. Make sure it works on phones. Most local customers will find you on a phone.
5. Make sure it can be found on Google: page titles, descriptions and a Google Business Profile matter more than fancy effects. See our guide to getting your business on Google Maps.

What a website costs at GreaterLink

GreaterLink has designed, built and hosted websites for small businesses since 2006. Websites start at $249, and the final price depends on the pages and features you need. Every site we build includes:

• A custom design built around your business, checked on phones, tablets and computers
• Google-friendly page titles, descriptions and a sitemap
• Share images so your links look good on Facebook and in text messages
• Redirects from your old website, so existing links keep working
• Hosting with free SSL and 24/7 support from real people

See websites we’ve built or read more about our website design service.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a basic small business website cost?

At GreaterLink, professional websites start at $249, plus a domain (about $20 a year for a .com) and hosting (from $7.99 a month). Contact us for a price for your project.

Do I have to pay every month?

The design is a one-time cost. Hosting and your domain renew on a schedule, because they keep your website online at its address.

Can I update the website myself?

Yes. We build on WordPress, so you can change text and photos yourself, or send changes to us.

How long does it take to build a website?

Most small business sites are ready to review within a couple of weeks once we have your information and photos.