Cost Guide 2025

how much to start a website

A practical, step‑by‑step budget, SEO and marketing plan for small businesses

This guide breaks down realistic startup and ongoing costs for a business website in 2025, plus a no-nonsense budgeting checklist, SEO priorities that move the needle, and low-cost marketing tactics to grow enquiries.

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$0–$8,000+

Total first-year cost (depends on route)

60s

Congero: live in 60 seconds via WhatsApp

$49/mo

All-inclusive service (domain, hosting, updates)

100%

Mobile-responsive — essential in 2025

In this guide

Cost breakdown (startup & ongoing) Create a realistic budget Platform comparison SEO priorities & costs Low-cost marketing channels ROI & what to expect Launch checklist & timeline FAQs

How much does it cost to start a website in 2025?

Short answer: anywhere from free (your time) to several thousand dollars depending on the route. Below is a realistic breakdown of common options and the costs you should budget for.

DIY (Wix/Squarespace)

$15–40/mo

Low monthly fee but large time investment and hidden extras.

Template design
Extra fees for ecommerce, remove branding
40–100 hours of setup

Traditional agency / custom build

$3,000–10,000+

High upfront cost, full customisation, longer build time.

Custom design & features
Ongoing updates often billed hourly
Weeks to months to launch

Best for busy owners

Managed subscription (Congero‑style)

$49/mo

All-inclusive: domain, hosting, SSL, unlimited updates, local SEO and analytics.

Live fast — typically in under 60 seconds to start a demo
Text-in changes (update content by message)
No lock-in contracts

Typical first-year cost ranges (realistic)

Bootstrapped DIY

$150–900

Platform fees, domain, stock images

Managed subscription

$588 (12 x $49)

All-inclusive, predictable

Custom agency

$3,500–12,000+

Upfront build + hosting/maintenance

How to create a realistic website budget

Use this simple framework to decide how much to spend and where to prioritise.

1. Decide your primary goal

Make one metric the priority: leads per month, online bookings, or online sales. Your budget should match that goal.

Budget rule: If each new customer is worth $500, spend up to 10% of the expected customer LTV to acquire them.

2. Allocate budget by category (example)

Website build & setup: 20–40% of first‑year budget
Hosting & domain: 5–10% (or included in subscription)
Basic SEO setup: 10–20% (keywords, meta, local SEO)
Marketing & ads: 30–50% (Google Ads, Facebook, local ads)
Content & images: 5–10% (copywriting, photos)

3. Sample budgets based on your runway

Tight (owner builds)

$300–800

DIY platform + small ad test

Practical (managed)

$1,200–3,000

Subscription + modest marketing

Growth (agency support)

$5,000+

Custom site + ongoing marketing

4. Build contingency

Add 10–20% contingency for unexpected costs (design tweaks, plugin fees, stock licences).

Platform comparison — which route should you pick?

Quick comparisons for busy owners.

Platform / Route	Cost (typical)	Time to Launch	Best for
Wix / Squarespace	$15–40/mo	1–10 days (owner builds)	Solo owners with time
WordPress (self-hosted)	$5–50/mo + dev	Weeks (if custom)	Flexible, needs tech skills
Managed subscription (Congero)	$49/mo	60 sec demo / 24 hrs live	Busy trades & service businesses
Custom agency	$3k–10k+	4–12 weeks+	Unique feature needs

Choose DIY if…

You enjoy building sites and have 20+ hours
You need something cheap to test a side‑project
You don't need custom integrations

Choose Managed subscription if…

You want a professional site without the upfront cost
You value predictable monthly pricing and fast launch
You want unlimited updates and built-in local SEO

SEO priorities and budget (what actually moves the needle)

SEO isn't a mystery—focus on a few high-impact tasks and you'll get more local enquiries.

Essential SEO tasks (low cost, high gain)

Claim & optimise Google Business Profile (free)
Unique page titles & meta descriptions (per page)
Local schema for business name, address & phone
Mobile speed & Core Web Vitals (PageSpeed score target 80+)

Budgeting for SEO

Example monthly budgets (choose one):

DIY basics: $0–200 (owner time + small tools)
Local boost: $200–700 (content + citations + occasional freelance help)
Growth SEO: $1,000+/mo (ongoing content & link building)

Quick wins you can do this week

Set your Google Business Profile hours, categories & photos.
Ensure every page has a unique title and meta description containing your main keyword + location.
Add a contact page with NAP (name, address, phone) and embed Google Maps.
Install analytics and conversion tracking so you can measure enquiries.

Low-cost marketing tactics to get leads quickly

When your website is live, use these proven, budget-friendly channels to generate enquiries.

Local Search Ads (Google)

Start with $5–20/day targeting keywords like "plumber near me". Measure cost-per-lead and scale winners.

Facebook / Meta Boosts

Use boosted posts targeting local areas for service promotions or seasonal offers. Start at $5/day.

Email & SMS

Collect emails on your site and send monthly specials. SMS has higher open rates for urgent offers.

Marketing budget examples (monthly)

Starter

$150

Small Google + social tests

Grow

$500

Consistent ads + email

Scale

$1,500+

Optimize funnels & hire help

Hidden costs to watch for

Some expenses appear after launch—plan for them.

Premium plugin / app subscriptions

Features like advanced booking, reminder SMS, or ecommerce gateways often need monthly add-ons ($10–100/mo).

Content & photography

Professional copy and photos lift conversion rates. Budget $200–2,000 depending on quality and quantity.

Ongoing maintenance & updates

If your provider charges hourly for changes, that adds up quickly—aim for a plan with unlimited small updates included.

Analytics & tracking setup

Proper conversion tracking may need a one-off setup ($100–500) but pays off by letting you optimise ad spend.

ROI: how to measure if your spend is working

Measure leads, conversion rate, and lifetime value. Quick formula:

Cost per lead (CPL) = Total marketing spend / Number of leads

Customer value = Average sale value × average number of repeat purchases

If your CPL is $30 and each customer is worth $500, a modest conversion rate will quickly justify a $500 monthly ad budget.

Example (starter)

$150/mo ads

→ 10 leads @ $15 CPL → 2 customers → $1,000 revenue

Example (scale)

$1,000/mo ads

→ 50 leads @ $20 CPL → 10 customers → $5,000 revenue

Launch checklist & timeline (30–90 days)

0–7 days (launch)

Choose supplier & plan (or start Congero demo)
Gather photos, logo, services, prices
Publish contact details + Google Business
Install analytics & test contact form

8–30 days (optimise)

Submit sitemap, check indexing
Run a small ad test ($150–300)
Collect first customer reviews
Improve page speed & mobile UX

31–90 days (scale)

Optimise ads based on CPL
Publish 2–4 local content pages
Set up remarketing & email sequences
Review monthly analytics and refine

Ongoing

Monthly analytics report (conversions & traffic)
Monthly content or special offers
Keep Google Business updated

Frequently asked questions

What's the minimum I should budget to start a credible business website?

Realistically plan for at least $300–600 for a usable site if you do it yourself, or $49/month for a managed subscription that includes hosting, domain and updates. Add marketing ($150+/mo) to start driving leads.

Are monthly subscriptions a better choice than paying upfront?

Subscriptions spread cost, include maintenance and updates, and reduce the technical burden—ideal for busy small businesses. Upfront builds may be cheaper long-term for complex sites, but they come with unpredictable maintenance costs.

How quickly can I be live?

With managed services like Congero you can start a demo in under 60 seconds and be live with a professional site often within 24 hours. DIY solutions take days to weeks depending on your availability.

Will a cheaper site hurt my SEO?

Not if it's built with the right fundamentals: fast mobile experience, proper metadata, local schema, and good content. Price alone doesn't determine SEO performance—quality and optimisation do.

Ready to start — without surprises?

Congero builds and manages websites for trades and small businesses with all essentials included for a flat $49/month: domain, hosting, SSL, local SEO, analytics and unlimited updates. Live fast and keep costs predictable.

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