Quick answer: A small business website usually costs $500 to $3,000 to build with a freelancer or small studio, plus $30 to $150 per month for hosting, security, and updates. DIY options like GoDaddy, Bluehost, and Wix look cheaper, but you build and maintain the site yourself and pay yearly add-on fees. Agencies often charge $5,000 or more.
Small business website cost at a glance
| Option | Upfront cost | Monthly cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace): you build and maintain it | $0 | $17–$50 | Owners with spare time who enjoy tech |
| Bluehost (hosting only): you build and maintain it | About $144 for 3 years up front | $3.99, then $9.99–$15.99, plus yearly fees | People who will build a WordPress site themselves |
| GoDaddy (builder or hosting): you build and maintain it | About $46 for a 3-year domain | $5.99–$9.99, then about $12–$15, plus yearly fees | Owners who want a quick DIY site |
| Stakich Websites: built and maintained for you | $499–$1,499 | $49–$129, no contract | Small businesses that want it done for them, and to own their domain |
| Freelancer or small studio | $500–$3,000 | $30–$150 | Most small businesses |
| Marketing agency | $5,000–$25,000+ | $200–$2,000+ | Larger companies with big budgets |
How long does it take to build a small business website?
Time matters as much as money. Here's how long each option usually takes to launch, and how much of your time it needs.
| Option | Time to launch | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| Stakich Websites | 1–2 weeks | A quick call and your photos. I do the rest. |
| GoDaddy or Wix builder | 1–4 weeks | 10–30 hours to build, then 1–3 hours a month |
| Bluehost + WordPress | 2–6 weeks | 30–60+ hours to learn and build, then 2–4 hours a month |
| Freelancer or small studio | 2–6 weeks | A few hours of calls and reviews |
| Marketing agency | 6–12+ weeks | Many meetings and review rounds |
The DIY hours are the hidden cost. If your time is worth $40 an hour, 20 hours of building is $800 before you've served a single customer.
What you're actually paying for
- Design and setup: the layout, words, photos, and pages for your services.
- Domain name: your web address, about $10–$20 per year.
- Hosting and security: keeping the site online, fast, and protected with HTTPS.
- Updates: changing prices, hours, photos, and services as your business grows.
- Google setup: page titles, local search info, and speed so customers can find you.
How much does a website cost per month for a small business?
Most small businesses pay $30 to $150 per month to keep a professionally built site running. The low end covers hosting, security, and small edits. The higher end usually adds blog posts and social media content, which bring in new visitors over time.
How much does it cost to maintain a website?
If you build it yourself, maintenance is "free" but costs you hours: plugin updates, broken pages, and security fixes. Paying someone $30–$80 a month to handle it is usually cheaper than an hour of your own time each week.
What about Bluehost and GoDaddy?
With Bluehost and GoDaddy, you build and maintain the website yourself. They rent you the tools, but you do the design, the writing, the photos, and the Google setup. After launch, you also keep it running: software updates, security fixes, broken pages, backups, and every change to your hours, prices, or photos. They also advertise very low prices, but the price on the ad is rarely the price you keep paying.
Bluehost: the downsides
- The $3.99 price needs a 3-year prepay. You pay about $144 up front, and it renews at $9.99 to $15.99 a month.
- It's only hosting. You build the site yourself in WordPress, then maintain it: plugin updates, security fixes, and anything that breaks.
- The free domain is free for 1 year only. After that you pay for it every year, and Bluehost charges a fee to keep the domain if you cancel.
- No phone support on the starter plan. Help is chat only.
- Add-ons at checkout. Extra security and backup tools are offered that can raise the bill.
GoDaddy: the downsides
- Prices jump after year 1. The website builder starts at $9.99 a month and auto-renews at about $15 a month. Basic hosting starts at $5.99 on a 3-year term and renews at $11.99.
- The free plan can't use your own domain. Your site lives on a GoDaddy address until you upgrade.
- Hard to move later. Booking, forms, and email are tied to GoDaddy's tools, so switching usually means rebuilding.
- You still do the work. Building it, writing, photos, Google setup, and maintaining it after launch are all on you.
The yearly fees they don't put in the ad
On top of the monthly plan, both companies charge yearly fees for things most businesses need. These are offered at checkout and renew automatically every year. GoDaddy's first-year domain is a penny, but you have to buy 3 years at once.
| Yearly fee | GoDaddy | Bluehost |
|---|---|---|
| Who builds and maintains the site? | You do | You do |
| .com domain | $22.99 | $23.99 |
| Domain privacy | $0–$9.99 | $15 |
| Business email, per person | $24 year 1, then more | $29.99 |
| Security scans | About $84 | $95.88 |
| Backups | About $36 | $47.88 |
| Plan after year 1 | $144–$180 | $144–$192 |
| Real yearly total | $300–$450+ | $350–$400+ |
And that's just for the tools. You still design the site, write the words, take the photos, set up Google, and fix things when they break. Many owners also end up paying for extras like a premium theme, a booking plugin, or a few hours of help from a developer.
The bottom line: Bluehost and GoDaddy are cheap tools, not a finished website. If you have the time and like tech, they can work. If you'd rather run your business, paying someone a fair, flat price is often cheaper once you count renewals and your own hours. With Stakich Websites, I build the site for you starting at $499, then keep it running for $49 a month. That covers hosting, security, backups, monitoring, and small updates, with no add-ons at checkout. The price doesn't jump after year 1, there's no contract, and the domain is yours.
Red flags that you're overpaying
- You don't own your domain name. Always make sure it's registered in your name.
- Long contracts (12–36 months) with big cancellation fees.
- "Setup fees" for things that take minutes, like connecting your domain.
- No clear list of what the monthly fee includes.
What Stakich Websites charges
I keep pricing simple: Starter is $499 + $49/month, Growth is $899 + $79/month (includes a blog post and social posts every month), and Pro is $1,499 + $129/month. There's no contract, and your domain is always yours. See full pricing or look through example websites.
Frequently asked questions
Is $500 enough for a small business website?
Yes, for a clean 3–5 page site from a freelancer or small studio. Expect to add a monthly fee for hosting and updates.
Is Wix cheaper than hiring someone?
Upfront, yes. Over a few years, a DIY builder at $25–$50 per month plus your time often costs as much as hiring someone.
Is Bluehost or GoDaddy cheaper than hiring someone?
At first, yes. But Bluehost's low price needs a 3-year prepay and renews higher, GoDaddy's prices rise after year 1, and both add yearly fees for the domain, email, security, and backups. Many owners end up paying $300 to $450 or more a year, and they still build and maintain the site themselves.
Do I own my website if I pay monthly?
You should always own your domain and content. Ask any web designer this before you pay.
Want a website that brings in customers?
Plans start at $499 to build and $49 per month. No contract, and you always own your domain.
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