Business & Strategy

# How much does a website cost? A guide to web design pricing

1 Jun 2026 6 min read

"How much does a website cost?" is the most common question I'm asked, and the most honest answer is: it depends. Here's exactly what it depends on, so you can budget with confidence.

A website can cost a few hundred dollars or tens of thousands, and both can be the right price, for different projects. Rather than publish a rigid price list that can't account for what you actually need, I'd rather explain what drives the cost so the number makes sense when we get to it.

## What actually affects the price

Most of the cost of a website comes down to a handful of factors. The more of these you need, and the more bespoke they are, the more involved the project becomes.

- Scope: a one-page site is a very different undertaking to a twenty-page site with a blog and a shop.
- Design: adapting a template is quicker than designing a custom brand-led experience from scratch.
- Functionality: contact forms are simple; bookings, memberships, and e-commerce add complexity.
- Content: having copy and images ready speeds things up; creating them together takes more time.
- Timeline: a comfortable schedule costs less than a rush.

## Typical ranges

As a rough guide, a focused single-page or small brochure site usually starts in the low thousands. A custom multi-page website for an established business tends to sit in the mid-range, and a larger site with e-commerce or bespoke functionality goes up from there. Ongoing care, hosting, and support are usually billed separately as a monthly plan.

These are starting points, not quotes. The right number for you depends on the factors above, which is exactly why a quick conversation beats a generic price tag.

## Project fee vs. payment plan

Most projects are quoted as a fixed fee once the scope is clear, so there are no surprises. Payments are typically split into a deposit to begin and a balance on completion, and longer projects can be broken into milestones. If cash flow is a concern, just say so, we can usually find an arrangement that works.

## What you're really paying for

A good website isn't a cost, it's an asset that works for you every day, bringing in enquiries, building trust, and saving you time. Paying a little more for something considered, accessible, and built to last almost always costs less than doing it twice.

## The simplest next step

If you have a project in mind, tell me what you're hoping to achieve and roughly what you'd like to invest. I'll be straight with you about what's realistic and recommend the best way forward, whether that's working together or pointing you somewhere better suited.

## Related reading

Development

### WordPress vs. custom build: what's right for your brand

Process

### How to brief a designer (and actually get what you want)

Design

### The case for slower, more intentional web design

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Whether you have a project in mind or just want to explore what's possible, I'm always open to a conversation.

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