How much does it cost to build a website?

I went for a little dive through my CRM (shoutout Indy, I ❤︎ U) and the cheapest website I ever built was a 3-pager for $260AUD (it actually looked pretty good)! You absolutely won’t catch me getting out of bed for that amount of money now, but at the time I remember worrying I was over-charging. 😬 😬

So what should a new website cost? This depends on the type of business you’re working with, and what your website needs. For example, an SEO-optimised website with 100+ pages and custom developed components will obviously cost more than your standard 3 page brochure website for a small business. The price will also fluctuate depending on the skills of the designer or agency you’ve hired, so make sure you look at their portfolio to check the work they provide is on par with what you want.

I’ve explored three different types of website companies and their varying price points below: Agencies, small studios/established freelancers, and low-cost freelancers.

1. How much does it cost to build a website through an agency?

Agencies provide a team of specialists (marketers, designers, developers, content-strategists, SEO-specialists) and focus on brand strategy and high-performance lead generation. Their websites are often (and should be) built to support their ongoing marketing and SEO efforts.

• Average Cost: $10,000 – $50,000+
• Typical Rates: $150 – $300 per hour.
• Best for: Established businesses requiring ongoing marketing services, enterprise security, and long-term support with the full package.

An agency is a great option for businesses needing a comprehensive marketing package with a budget to match. However, if you aren’t looking for ongoing marketing services, the price point for a standalone website is quite steep and may not offer the best value for money. This is to be expected when you have considerable overheads that keep a 50+ person company afloat. If you are committed to their ongoing marketing, it makes sense to build the site in-house to ensure it’s set up for ongoing efforts. This is cheeky, but I think a good freelance designer or studio can do the same for less money. Also, sometimes the timelines are longer than they need to be due to other projects and issues arising that are impossible to avoid when you’re managing such a huge team ~ Bert’s pulling a sickie, again.

Where did I get this info from?

1. Redback Solutions: Quotes custom WordPress from $25,000.
2. Pivotal Agency: Custom WordPress packages from $14,000.
3. SGD: Pricing from $5,000 through to $100,000.
4. Digital Nomads HQ: Lists agency-led projects typically between $10,000 and $30,000+.
5. Spark Interact: Notes agency rates for mid-tier projects at $15,000 – $50,000.

2. How much does it cost to build a website through an established freelancer or small studio?

Established freelancers and small studios offer agency quality without the heavy overheads and long timelines. They still take care of the entire website process, from research through to design, development and ongoing marketing, but as there are less overheads and people to manage, you often end up with a higher quality product for a lower price. Their processes are the same as agencies, but because there is only one (or 3) people behind the scenes, the project is managed better and everything happens quicker. In my humble opinion, this is the sweet spot, and you should definitely book a discovery call with me here. 😉

• Average Cost: $3,000 – $20,000
• Typical Rates: $80 – $150 per hour.
• Best for: Established businesses without the budget for an agency, trade services, professional consultants.

References:

1. Samantha Jane Websites: My websites start from $5,400 for a custom design and build.
2. Planted Web Design: Boutique agency listing prices from $3,999+.
3. Pancake Web Studio: $4,000 to $13,000+ premium Webflow sites.
4. Aether Digital: Beautiful branding, web design and SEO.
5. 360 Creative Design: Amazing branding, graphic design & websites.
6. KW Creative Marketing: Complete Squarespace websites from $5,000.

3. How much is it to build a website through a solo/low-cost freelancer or airtasker?

These types of freelancers are individuals (often found on platforms like Airtasker or Upwork) who handle the work as you give it to them. Pricing can be extremely variable based on their experience and location. If you need work done quickly or have the capacity to manage the project yourself, a freelancer can be a great option.

• Average Cost: $500 – $5,000
• Typical Rates: $40 – $100 per hour.
• Best for: Small businesses who don’t have a web presence yet, business owners with the time to manage a freelancer. Startups on a tight budget or people requiring minor updates and changes to existing sites.

If you don’t have the time to check the freelancer’s work, or want someone to take care of the entire process, I’d recommend consulting with an established freelancer or agency instead. You also need to be a little bit careful using these platforms as they take quite a high percentage, so keep that in mind when calculating the freelancer’s rates.

References:

1. Airtasker Perth: Shows local tasks ranging from $50 (minor tweaks) to $1,000 (basic builds).
2. Upwork website designers: A quick search shows extremely varied pricing. Fun fact: I started my business freelancing on Upwork initially.

Which option is the best?

This really depends on your own budget and how you like to work. If you want to get the most out of your budget and want someone to take ownership of your project (providing advise and direction), an established freelancer or small studio is the way to go. If you have a smaller budget and would rather manage a single person and feed them tasks as they come in, you can’t go wrong with a freelancer on hand.

Those who don’t mind forking out a bit more money for the whole package should choose an agency, or book a consultation with me and we can work out how best to spend your budget wisely and effectively to ensure your business grows.