How much does it cost to build a website for a small business?
TL;DR
DIY (Squarespace, Wix): $20-$50/month. Freelancer-built custom site: $1,500-$8,000 one-time. Agency-built: $10,000-$50,000+. For most small businesses, a $25/month Squarespace site is more than enough.
Detailed answer
- 1.DIY platforms (Squarespace, Wix, Shopify): $20-$50/month, build in a weekend.
- 2.Template-based with a freelancer: $1,500-$3,500 one-time.
- 3.Custom design + dev: $5,000-$15,000.
- 4.Agency project: $15,000-$50,000+.
- 5.Ongoing: hosting ($10-$30/month), domain ($15/year), maintenance ($50-$200/month).
Common mistakes
- 1. Spending $20,000 on a custom site before validating any marketing channel.
- 2. Skipping mobile optimization (60-70% of traffic).
- 3. Forgetting to plan ongoing maintenance and content.
What to do instead
Start with a $25/month Squarespace site and 6-10 pages. Validate your business and traffic channels first. Upgrade to custom only after $10K+/month in revenue.
Invest the savings into customer marketing instead. A simple site plus a strong referral and review system outperforms a fancy site with no acquisition strategy.
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