What a website actually costs
Most web designers won't give you a number until you've had three meetings, and agencies quote $8,000–$15,000+ for a small business site. I work solo, so mine are a fixed $3,000–$5,000 for the same standard — quoted within 48 hours, no surprise invoices. Here's exactly how the pricing works.
Typical price ranges
One-page site
The entry option — a single focused page for a new business, a single service, or an ad campaign. Fast to launch, and easy to expand into a full site later.
Small business site — $3,000–$5,000
The typical project: 5–8 hand-coded pages built around enquiries — home, services, about, contact, and the pages your industry needs.
Larger or custom build
More pages or custom functionality — a booking flow, a CRM integration, a quote calculator — quoted individually to the scope, and still well under agency rates for equivalent work.
Why I quote fixed, not hourly
Hourly billing punishes you for a designer's inefficiency and leaves you unable to budget. A fixed quote means the number I give you is the number you pay — the risk of a job running long sits with me, not you.
I can quote fixed because I've built enough of these to know how long they take. You get a clear scope, a clear price, and no invoice you didn't expect.
What's included as standard
Every quote includes the things some agencies bolt on as extras: mobile-responsive design, basic on-page SEO, a contact form, Google Analytics, and a fast hand-coded build. Hosting and ongoing care are a separate, optional monthly plan — never a lock-in, and the code is always yours.
What changes the price
Three things move a quote up or down — all priced in clearly before you commit:
Common questions
Straight answers before you ask for a quote.
How much does a small business website cost?
A full-service Sydney agency typically quotes $8,000–$15,000+ for a small business site — much of it covering their office, project managers and account handlers. Most of mine are a fixed $3,000–$5,000 for the same standard of build; it's just me, so there's no overhead to pass on, and you get the exact number within 48 hours.
Do you charge hourly?
No. Every project is a fixed price agreed before I start. If the build takes longer than I expected, that's on me — your price doesn't move.
Are there ongoing costs?
Only if you want them. Hosting and maintenance are an optional monthly plan covering hosting, updates, and a performance report. You can also host it yourself — the code is yours either way.
Why is hand-coded worth more than a template?
A cheap template costs you later — slow load times, plugin maintenance, and a rebuild in two years. A hand-coded site is faster, ranks better, and doesn't rot. It's the difference between renting and owning.