How much does a small business website cost?

The one-time cost: building the site

The build price mostly reflects how much is custom. A few questions decide it:

• How many pages need their own layout, not just a copy of a template?
• Is the design custom to your brand, or a lightly adjusted theme?
• Who writes the text and supplies the photos?
• Does the site need features beyond pages and a contact form — booking, online payments, a customer login?
• Is basic SEO setup included: page titles, descriptions, a sitemap, and Google Search Console?

Features are where quotes diverge most. E-commerce, booking systems, and membership areas are real software, and they're usually priced separately from the core site.

The ongoing cost: keeping it running

A website isn't finished at launch. Every site has recurring costs, whether they appear on one invoice or several:

• Hosting, so the site is online.
• Your domain name, renewed every year.
• Security and software updates, so the site stays safe.
• Backups, so a mistake or failure isn't permanent.
• Content changes — new hours, prices, staff, or photos.
• Support, for when something breaks.

With a DIY builder, most of this is bundled into the subscription, but the updates and changes are your time. With a freelancer, ongoing work is often billed hourly. With a managed plan, it's one monthly price.

The cost that doesn't show on the invoice

Your own time is part of the price. Building a site yourself is inexpensive in dollars but can take many evenings, and keeping it current is a job that never quite ends. Owners often underestimate this.

The other hidden cost is a site that doesn't work: a contact form that silently stopped sending, or pages so slow on a phone that visitors leave. Those costs are real even though no one bills you for them.

How to compare quotes

Put every option on the same footing by asking:

• What exactly is included, and what's explicitly not?
• What will it cost per month after launch, and what does that cover?
• Who owns the domain? It should always be registered to you.
• What happens if you leave — can you take the site or your content with you?
• How are changes after launch handled and priced?

Then add up the cost over two or three years. A cheap build with expensive upkeep can cost more than a higher build price with a predictable monthly plan.

What Xeaura charges

We publish our prices. Website Setup is $2,499 one-time for up to 6 custom pages, then Website Management is $249 a month for hosting, security updates, daily backups, up to 2 minor content requests, monitoring, and support. If you already have hosting, Website Only is $2,199 with no monthly plan. What's not included is listed on our web design page and in our service agreement.

That isn't the right fit for everyone — if you have more time than budget, a DIY builder may be the better call. But whichever way you go, you should know the full cost before you start.