Ask three web designers what a website costs and you will get three different answers. One says $500. One says $5,000. One will not say at all until you get on a call.
That last one is the real problem. When prices hide behind sales calls, you can't compare, you can't budget, and you end up choosing on gut feel. So let's fix that. Here is what a small business website actually costs in 2026, what moves the price up or down, and exactly what we charge.
The short answer
Most small business websites land in one of three buckets:
- Do-it-yourself builders: roughly $20 to $60 a month, plus your time. Cheap to start, but you are the designer, the writer, and the tech support.
- Freelancers: often somewhere between $1,000 and $5,000 for a small site. Quality swings widely from one person to the next.
- Agencies: commonly $5,000 to $20,000 or more, with a team behind it and a process to match.
None of those numbers tells you much on its own. What matters is what you get for it, and what it does for your business once it is live.
What actually drives the price
Think of your website like a storefront. The build is the renovation. Hosting is the lease. Maintenance is keeping the lights on and the windows clean. Three things decide what all of that costs.
1. How much it has to do
A one-page site that says who you are and how to reach you is a small job. A site with several pages, online booking, and a lead database is a bigger one. Every feature should earn its place by saving you time or winning you customers. If it doesn't, you don't need it yet.
2. Who does the thinking
The cheapest sites are cheap because you do the hard part: writing the words, choosing the photos, and deciding what goes where. The work worth paying for is not "making a page." It is making a page that turns a visitor into a phone call.
3. What happens after launch
Hosting, your domain name, updates, backups, and security all cost something every year. Plenty of quotes leave these out, so the "cheap" option turns into a monthly surprise.
Our real prices
We think you should know what things cost before you ever pick up the phone. These are the same prices on our pricing page.
| What you get | Price |
|---|---|
| Micro Site: a polished one-page site, with your first year of hosting and domain included | $600 |
| Starter Website: a custom 5-page site with hosting, a domain, and contact forms | $1,200 |
| Advanced Website: the Starter Website plus 2 landing pages and 2 add-ons of your choice | $2,000 |
Need more? Add only what saves you time or wins you work:
- Appointment System ($350): customers book themselves online, synced to your calendar.
- Contact Form with Database ($250): every inquiry saved and searchable, so no lead slips through.
- Employee Hub ($500): one private place for your team's schedules, documents, and updates.
- Social Media Gallery ($200): your latest posts show up on your site, so it never looks stale.
And to keep it running after launch:
- Annual Hosting & Domain Renewal: $400 a year.
- Website Maintenance: $200 a month, or $2,000 for a full year with your hosting and domain renewal included.
Want the whole storefront at once?
If you also need a logo and a brand, bundling saves real money:
- Starter Package ($1,500): a 5-page website, a logo with brand guidelines, and a contact-form database. Bought separately, that is $1,950.
- Growth Package ($5,000): a complete brand identity, a bigger website with 2 landing pages and 2 add-ons, professional email on your domain, your first automation, and 12 months of care. Bought separately, that is $6,700.
What every small business site needs, at any price
Whoever you hire, make sure you get these:
- It works on phones. A big share of your visitors will find you on one.
- It loads fast. Slow pages lose people before they read a word.
- It has one clear next step. Call, book, or buy. Not five competing options.
- You own your domain. Your web address should be in your name, not your designer's.
- You can reach a real person. When something breaks, you need someone who answers.
Three costs that sneak up on people
- Renewals. Domains and hosting renew every year. Ask what year two costs before you sign anything.
- "Free" builder fees. Many builders charge extra to remove their branding, connect your own domain, or take payments.
- Paying twice. The most expensive website is the cheap one you replace a year later because it never brought in a single call.
How to choose
Don't start with a budget. Start with the job.
If you mostly need people to find your number and trust you enough to call, a one-page site does that. If customers compare you against competitors before they book, you need room to show your work, your services, and your reviews. If your calendar or inbox is the bottleneck, add the features that take that off your plate.
A website is not a brochure you pay for once. It is the first place customers decide whether you are the business they pick. Build it for that job.
We work with owner-run businesses across Los Angeles, Palmdale, and Lancaster, and every price we charge is on one page.