How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website for a Small Business in 2024

Many small business owners hesitate to establish an online presence, believing that building small business websites is costly. This misconception leads to missed opportunities, as a website can open up new revenue streams and enhance brand visibility.

In reality, the web development market has become increasingly accessible, offering a range of budget-friendly options. For example, Hostinger Website Builder lets you build a small business website for just RM6.99/month.

The key to effective budget management lies in understanding your business’s needs and efficiently using the available resources. This article will break down the costs of making a small business website and provide tips to maximize your budget.

Download website launch checklist

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website for a Small Business

The cost of building a small business website relies on several factors. This section will explore each one to help you budget website development expenses according to your needs.

1. Web Hosting and a Domain Name

A hosting service stores your website files on a server to make them accessible online, while a domain name is a unique address that allows internet users to access your website. Both elements are crucial for launching a website.

Web Hosting

Web hosting companies provide different types of hosting to meet various needs, ranging from cost-effective shared hosting to scalable cloud and VPS hosting. These services differ in features, server resources, and prices. That’s why it’s vital to choose the right hosting plan for optimal performance and budgeting.

When considering what hosting to buy, take into account the size of your website, expected traffic, and technical requirements. Opt for a scalable hosting plan that provides reliable customer support, uptime guarantees, and robust security features to ensure your website runs smoothly.

As a small business owner, you can start your site-building journey with basic website hosting, which costs $3-15/month. Once your online store grows, scale up to cloud server hosting services for $10-200/month. The exact hosting costs vary depending on the plan period and web hosting company.

Hostinger, one of the best small business hosting providers, offers great value hosting plans for personal and business needs.

Starting at RM11.99/month, our Business web hosting plan includes a free domain, unlimited Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates, and daily backups. Upgrade to cloud hosting starting at RM34.99/month for increased storage and server resources.

Check out our web hosting cost guide for a detailed price breakdown. With a 30-day money-back guarantee, you can try our hosting features risk-free.

Domain Name

Domain name costs typically range between $10-20/year, depending on the top-level domain (TLD) and subscription period.

Popular TLDs like .com are usually pricier than lesser-known ones such as .business and .store. Usually, choosing a longer-term subscription plan can help you score a better deal.

You can use a free domain name search tool to verify the availability and pricing of domains.

Alternatively, we recommend opting for a web host that offers a free domain with its hosting plans. With Hostinger, you can save on registration fees for the first year and consolidate your custom domain and hosting on the same platform to simplify management.

2. Website Development

The cost of building a small business website also depends on how you choose to build it. There are two main approaches to building a website ‒ hire a professional or do it yourself.

Hiring a web developer allows you to create a custom-built website tailored to your specific needs. However, it can be costly and time-consuming.

On the other hand, the DIY route is more cost-effective and quicker. Numerous platforms are available to ease the process, making this method ideal for beginners.

DIY Approach

The easiest way to build your own website is to use a content management system (CMS) or a website builder.

WordPress is a popular CMS renowned for its extensive customization and flexibility. It offers a wide range of free and paid themes and plugins to scale site functions and appearance, perfect for creating custom websites with rich features.

Hostinger’s hosting plans simplify DIY website creation by including free one-click WordPress installation and website optimization features. We recommend starting with the WordPress Business hosting plan for RM11.99/month, as it includes WordPress-specific features for easier site maintenance.

Meanwhile, website builders for small businesses offer a more straightforward way to create a new website, suitable for beginners and busy small business owners. These platforms usually feature drag-and-drop editors, integrated features, and essential resources to streamline the website-building process and shorten the time it takes to create a small business website.

Our hosting plans come with a free no-code website creator with powerful AI tools. You can also easily scale your resources by upgrading your hosting plan to accommodate your website’s traffic. Get assistance anytime with our 24/7 customer support.

See our guide for an in-depth CMS vs website builder comparison. For either platform, you only have to cover the hosting and domain costs to start.

Hiring a Professional

The average hourly rate for skilled web developers falls between $61-80. The cost for a custom website can range from $5,000-30,000/project, depending on the complexity, tools, the developer’s experience, and geographic location.

Beginner freelancers may charge lower rates. However, their expertise may not be at the level of a professional developer’s.

3. Web Design

An attractive website will leave a positive impression on visitors, so you must invest in your website’s design. You can go the DIY way by using a premade template or by hiring a web designer.

DIY Approach

Website builders provide various pre-built templates for businesses, which they can further customize to fit their brand’s aesthetic. There are plenty of free options you can use to reduce design costs.

Hostinger Website Builder offers 150 professional web design templates for different niches, easily customizable with the drag-and-drop editor.

Alternatively, use integrated artificial intelligence (AI) during onboarding to instantly build a personalized website design according to your preferences.

For WordPress sites, you can also cut web design costs by choosing a free theme. Thousands of free themes are available on the official directory and third-party marketplaces. Leverage the platform’s block editor or install a WordPress page builder for code-free modifications.

For more customization options, choose a premium theme priced at $20-200. Investing in a paid page builder also gives you more flexibility in designing your WordPress site.

Browse our small business website examples for inspiration. We have also compiled a handy list of the best web design practices to help you create a visually appealing eCommerce site with the available tools.

Hiring a Professional

A professional website designer can build a custom design with personalized elements and features. This approach is perfect for businesses with very specific needs that are difficult to fulfill with pre-built templates.

Professional web designers usually charge $30-80/hour, depending on the designer’s experience, geographic location, and the project’s level of customization. Overall, the average cost of website design for a small business is $5,000-10,000/project.

To learn more, check out our guide comparing web design costs using website builders and hiring professionals.

4. Functionality and Features

A well-built small business website should be as functional as it is visually appealing. Adding payment methods, social media sharing, and customer support can improve user experience and help achieve your business goals.

DIY Approach

Hostinger’s website maker has all the essential features to create different types of websites, including those for business purposes, for free.

Its eCommerce capabilities support over 20 payment methods and offer shipping solutions, a booking system, and an inventory management system. Sell up to 500 products while retaining all profits thanks to its 0% transaction fee.

The Google Analytics integration makes monitoring traffic and website performance easier. You also have the option to monetize the site with targeted ads.

Our streamlined onboarding process enables business owners with no technical skills to set up their online stores easily.

While WordPress lacks built-in eCommerce features, plugins like WooCommerce can quickly convert your site into a fully functional online store. The plugin is free, with both free and premium extensions available at $1-299/year.

Browse our list of recommended WordPress eCommerce plugins to learn about other online store plugins.

Hiring a Professional

Custom online store feature costs will vary based on plugin fees and the number of development hours required.

In most cases, it’s more cost-effective to subscribe to premium plugins and commission a web developer to customize their features rather than having them coded from scratch.

This investment can range from $500-5,000/feature. Keep in mind that the cost can increase significantly depending on the feature’s complexity.

5. Maintenance and Security

Keeping your website up-to-date and safe can cost extra, depending on how your site is built. However, investing in the necessary security measures will help protect your small business website from cyberattacks and maintain your customers’ trust.

DIY Approach

Website builders usually take care of updates and security for you. In this case, the main recurring cost is the builder’s subscription fee.

If you opt for a website builder from a hosting provider like Hostinger, ensure that you budget hosting and domain name registration fees for your ongoing maintenance costs.

Hosting renewal prices vary from $2-80/month, based on subscription length and plan. Domain renewals cost around $10-129/year, depending on the TLD. Longer subscriptions typically offer lower recurring fees for hosting and domain, making them an affordable option for the long term.

For WordPress sites, adding security plugins can boost your site’s safety. For $49-499/year, these premium plugins offer features like automated maintenance, login limits, and backups.

On the other hand, using a CMS means you’re in charge of keeping your site updated. Typical website maintenance tasks include updating software and plugins, implementing security measures like SSL certificates and firewalls, and performing backups.

Many web hosts can help with these maintenance tasks. Hostinger, for example, includes auto-update functionality and a vulnerability scanner with all WordPress hosting plans.

Hiring a Professional

Web developers can maintain your website for $18-20/hour if you don’t want to do it yourself. Maintenance costs with this approach vary based on the initial agreement and required tasks.

See our guide for the complete breakdown of website maintenance costs.

6. Marketing Services

After launching your website, start running marketing campaigns to attract visitors. Driving traffic to your website is crucial for business promotion, customer conversion, and generating income.

There are two main marketing approaches – organic and paid. Organic marketing involves promoting your website through channels like social media and blogs. Paid marketing generally relies on ads.

Consider the benefits and costs of each eCommerce marketing method to determine the right one for your business goals and budget.

DIY Approach

With Hostinger’s marketing integrations, you can save money on marketing tools and services while still engaging your audience across multiple channels.

For social media marketing, add social icons and Instagram feeds to your site. These features make it easier for visitors to find and follow your social media profiles.

Built-in blogging functionality and AI tools help publish and maintain consistent content production, which can bring great content marketing results. It also comes with search engine optimization (SEO) tools to help your site rank higher in search results.

If you run a WordPress website, use plugins to enhance the platform’s SEO capabilities and extend its marketing features. For example, install Yoast SEO to optimize your website content for Google and integrate Social Media Buttons by MashShare for multilingual sharing.

As a robust content management system, WordPress is the prime platform for blogging. With a wide range of free and paid plugins available, you can explore other marketing methods like affiliate and email marketing.

Hiring a Professional

Small businesses often allocate 2-5% of their annual revenue to marketing activities, including search engine optimization, paid advertising, and content marketing. For instance, a business making $50,000 in revenue might spend between $1,000-2,500/year on marketing.

For more targeted and effective marketing efforts, hiring a professional marketer can be an excellent investment. Freelance digital marketers typically charge $12-36/hour on average. If you plan to dedicate 20 hours a week to marketing, anticipate an outsourcing cost of around $960-2,800/month.

Small Business Website Cost-Saving Tips

Now that you know the cost of a website for a small business, let’s take a look at some effective strategies for saving money while maintaining an impactful online presence.

Plan and Phase Development

Break down your website project into phases to spread the costs over time. Start with a basic website, then add features gradually as your business grows and the budget allows for enhanced functionality and website optimization.

This approach lowers initial costs and allows flexibility to adapt to your business’s evolving needs.

Focus on Essential Features

Prioritize must-have features for your website to save money during early web development, such as:

• Responsive web design ‒ ensures your website works optimally across all screen sizes.
• Basic SEO ‒ boosts your site’s visibility on search engines.
• Security measures ‒ include an SSL certificate, malware scanner, and DDoS protection to safeguard user data and your website.
• Website optimization ‒ increases loading speed for improved user experience and SEO rankings.
• Backup functionality ‒ restores your website in case of data loss or hacking.

Hostinger bundles these key features with hosting and all the necessary resources to launch and manage your business website. Get the best value and convenience by consolidating all your website essentials in one place.

Create In-House Content

Consistent content production boosts search engine rankings, increases visitor engagement, and establishes industry authority. While it requires time and effort, many AI-powered content generators can streamline the process.

For example, Hostinger Website Builder offers the AI Writer feature to generate all kinds of SEO-friendly content, including blog posts and product descriptions.

Similarly, users on Business and cloud hosting plans can leverage the AI Content Creator to tackle content creation tasks on their WordPress site.

These tools can help your in-house talent when creating content so that you can save on commission costs.

Streamline Design Elements

When considering a custom web design, aim for simplicity and clarity. A minimalist approach gives your business website a professional appearance and helps reduce development time and costs. Avoid unnecessary animations and graphics that don’t add meaningful value to your site.

Conduct Regular Maintenance

If you’re responsible for updating your website, make sure to do it regularly. Using the latest versions of CMS, plugins, and themes helps prevent security breaches and functionality issues. This practice is especially crucial for websites with third-party plugins, which can become vulnerable if not updated.

By staying on top of website maintenance and updates, you can avoid costly repairs, protect against data loss, and preserve customer trust.

Go DIY When Possible

Learning website management from online tutorials and forums can go a long way.

Take on tasks within your capabilities, such as website setup, content creation, and general website management. Besides saving costs, taking a DIY approach can empower you and give you greater ownership of the site.

For complex tasks beyond your expertise, consider hiring a professional. Experts provide specialized knowledge and efficient, high-quality solutions that can save you time and enhance your website’s functionality.

Conclusion

Websites are becoming more affordable with the rise of web development solutions. For small businesses, having a website allows them to reach a wider audience and establish an online presence.

Factors like hosting, domain name registration, and site design impact the cost of a small business website. By carefully budgeting website expenses and following our cost-saving tips, you can have a professional and functional business site without breaking the bank.

Based on our website cost breakdown, the DIY approach provides an affordable solution for small businesses looking to establish an online presence. Many of the best website builders and hosting providers offer cost-effective plans with user-friendly features, allowing any business owner to create and maintain their own websites easily.

We hope this article gives you a better understanding of website costs and how to manage them for your small business. If you have any questions, check out the FAQ section or leave a comment below. Good luck!

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website for a Small Business FAQ

This section answers common questions about website costs for a small business.