Maybe you’re launching a new business and need a website? Or perhaps you’re looking to take your existing business online.
Whatever situation you find yourself in, getting your first business website can feel confusing.
What features will you need? What about a domain name and web hosting? And of course the most important question of all for any business: how much does it cost to build a website?
In this guide, we’ll provide you with an overview of the most important considerations when it comes to getting your business online, and a rough idea of how much you should be paying for your website, so you don’t get ripped off.
Let’s get started.
How much does it cost to build a website?
You can expect to pay around $120 per year for a simple website, with website prices going up to $10,000 and beyond for a very large, complex website.
Read on to learn what you’ll need for your website and how much you should expect to pay.
Looking to get your website online fast? Why not try a one-month free trial of GoDaddy’s Website Builder?
The basic building blocks of your website
Every website is formed of five basic building blocks. The table below provides a rough guide to pricing. More detail follows.
| Website building blocks and their cost | |
| Website feature | Cost upfront |
| Domain name | $0-$30 |
| Web hosting | $0-$300+ |
| Content | $0-$5000+ |
| Website security | $0-$360+ |
| SEO and marketing | $0-$150+ |
Domain name
You’ll have typed countless domain names before, even if you don’t know what they are. Maybe you’ve called them “website addresses” or similar.
Choosing the right domain name is vital because it will become an important part of your business’s identity.
In terms of price, the cost of your domain name will depend on the domain extension you pick (.com, .info and so on are examples of domain extensions), but you can expect to pay around $20 a year for your domain. Though there are special offers that can bring the cost down, and some domain extensions can cost much more than that per year.
Web hosting
A website consists of several different computer files and all those files need to be stored somewhere, and that place is a web server.
A web server is essentially a computer that is always connected to the internet and always switched on.
Now you could build your own web server for your website, but that would be too expensive for many businesses.
That’s why web hosting exists. Essentially, web hosting involves paying a company such as GoDaddy to host your website on your behalf.
The cost of web hosting varies greatly – currently, at GoDaddy, the costs are between $5.99 and $24.99 per month (excluding virtual private servers and dedicated servers), although there are special offers that can make set up costs for your site lower.
Web hosting prices vary so much because of the different types of packages on offer, and the package you need will depend on your business requirements. We’ll talk about that later.
Content
Exactly what content you need will vary depending on the kind of business you’re running and the functionality you want for your site.
For simple sites, it’s likely you’ll be able to create all the content yourself. But for more complex sites, you may need to hire someone to write copy for your website, and maybe even create images and video.
It’s a good idea to plan what content you need for your website before you decide what kind of site you’ll be creating, as knowing what you need on your site will help you understand the best option for you.
You can learn more about planning content for your website in this guide.
Website security
You need to keep your site safe. You’ll almost certainly want to use an SSL certificate on your site and may want to invest in additional website security software.
SEO and marketing
There may be some upfront costs relating to search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing when setting up your website, particularly if you use a web designer.
How much does a website cost?
Basic website
| Cost of a basic website | ||
| Feature | With a web designer | With GoDaddy’s Website Builder (Basic) |
| Design | $200+ | N/A |
| Website Builder annual cost | N/A | $83.88/year |
| Hosting | $100/year | Included |
| Domain name | $20/year | $20/year |
| SSL certificate | $70/year | Included |
| Maintenance | $200/year | N/A |
| Cost in first year | $390 | $103.88 |
| Ongoing annual cost | $390 | $103.88 |
Some businesses don’t need a website with hundreds of pages. Sometimes a few core pages with details about your services, details about you and your happy customers, and your contact details will do. You might want a few added extras, such as a blog or links to your social media accounts, but nothing too fancy.
This kind of website tends to be suitable for tradesmen, freelancers and other kinds of businesspeople who will be generating leads from their site but not looking to attract customers through the door.
Hospitality website
| Cost of a hospitality website | ||
| Feature | With a web designer | With GoDaddy’s Website Builder (Premium) |
| Design | $1500 | N/A |
| Website Builder annual cost | N/A | $167.88 |
| Hosting | $200/year | Included |
| Domain name | $20/year | $20 |
| SSL certificate | $70/year | Included |
| Maintenance | $1500/year | N/A |
| Cost in first year | $1790 | $187.88 |
| Ongoing annual cost | $1790 | $187.88 |
If you’re running a cafe, restaurant, bar or similar business you’ll have a couple of main priorities. The first is to let people know what you serve, and the second is to let them know where you serve it.
Clearly, including things such as a menu page, photos, comments and reviews, a map and directions, as well as a way to contact and perhaps even book with you will be your highest priority.
You may also want a blog or news section to keep your customers updated about events and special offers.
Small to medium ecommerce site
| Small to medium ecommerce site cost | ||
| Feature | With a web designer | With GoDaddy’s Online Store |
| Design | $5000 | N/A |
| Online Store annual cost | N/A | $179.88 |
| Hosting | $203.88/year | Included |
| Domain name | $20/year | $20 |
| SSL certificate | $70/year | Included |
| Maintenance | $3000+/year | N/A |
| Cost in first year | $5,293.88 | $199.88 |
| Ongoing annual cost | $3,293.88+ | $199.88 |
Maybe you have an existing real-world business that sells products and you’re looking to branch out online. Or perhaps you’re setting up a dedicated ecommerce business.
Either way, it’s clear that the main focus of your website will be on the products you sell. You’ll also need supporting content, such as contact details, a returns policy, a blog, support pages and anything else that fits with your business.
And if you’re also running a real-world business, you’ll want to include a map and directions too.
Large-scale ecommerce site
| Cost of a large ecommerce website | |
| Feature | With a web designer |
| Design | $10,000+ |
| Hosting | $500/year |
| Domain name | $20/year |
| SSL certificate | $70/year |
| Maintenance | $5000+/year |
| Cost in first year | $10,590+ |
| Ongoing annual cost | $5,590+ |
If you’re planning on selling hundreds of different products, then although your needs will be similar to a small-scale ecommerce site, you’ll need a more powerful site. And as you’ve might have guessed, that will cost you more.
Large, bespoke website
| Cost of a large, bespoke website | |
| Feature | With a web designer |
| Design | $15,000+ |
| Hosting | $840+/year |
| Domain name | $20/year |
| SSL certificate | $70/year |
| Maintenance | $10,000+/year |
| Cost in first year | $15,930+/year |
| Ongoing annual cost | $10,930+/year |
Looking to launch the next Facebook? If you’ve got big plans, you’ll need a big website and the cost will reflect that.
You’ll certainly have to hire a web designer, and you may end up employing one (or more) on a full-time basis.
Notes on pricing: Web designer costs are approximate. (Don’t forget to shop around!). Web hosting, SSL and domain name prices are approximate and exclude any special offers that may be available. Website Builder prices are correct at time of writing, but do not include offers that may be available. Total cost of creating your website includes the cost of web design (if applicable), and one year of hosting, SSL certificate and domain name registration.
Website Builder vs. web designer
Both a website builder and a web designer can help you to create a great website. The main advantage of a website builder is that it is cheaper, while a web designer will help you achieve a unique look for your site.
Read on to learn more about the pros and cons of using a website builder or a web designer.
Using a website builder
Website builders are a great option if you don’t have a large budget and want complete control over your site.
GoDaddy’s Website Builder includes an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it easy to build your own site without having to pay for a designer.
Recent advances in technology mean that website builders are now suitable for all but the largest of websites. If you’re looking to build a basic website, a hospitality sector website or even a small ecommerce website, then you should consider a using website builder tool.
Prices for GoDaddy’s Website Builder start at just $6.99 per month, and since this price includes web hosting, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a cheaper option.
Another bonus is that you won’t need to contact your web designer whenever you want to make a change to your site.
On top of this, our Website Builder tool comes with a host of extra online marketing features to help promote your website.
Using a web designer
Web designers can create websites of any size with any functionality, but they often charge a premium for their skills.
That means that while it’s possible to ask a web designer to build you a small site (a brochure-type site, for example) it might not be the most cost-effective option.
After all, you’ll have to pay the fee for the site to be designed, then a monthly fee for your web hosting and perhaps even a monthly maintenance fee to your designer so the site stays in good condition.
Web designers come into their own when it comes to more complex websites, such as large ecommerce websites and complex, bespoke projects.
Overall, hiring a web designer is likely to cost you much more than using a website builder.
If you do need a designer for your project, don’t forget to ask for multiple quotes before agreeing on a price. (And bear in mind that sometimes a low price can be too good to be true.)
Summing up
Creating a website doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. The advent of modern website builders means that it’s something the average small business owner can do themselves.
Interested in creating your own business website? Check out GoDaddy’s Website Builder for yourself!
Pricing is correct at the time of publishing and do not include any special promotions or discounts. Be sure to check current prices.
Stacey Hartman contributed to this article.