how much would it cost to create a website
Real cost ranges for design, SEO and advertising — plus a simple budgeting plan for small businesses.
Whether you're launching a trades website, a local café, or a service business, this guide breaks down typical upfront and ongoing costs, shows where to prioritise spend, and gives practical tips so you can budget with confidence.
Typical design cost (upfront)
Monthly hosting & domain
SEO setup & first-month spend
Advertising budgets (PPC/social)
Understanding upfront vs ongoing costs
Building a website involves two main buckets: upfront setup (design, content, initial SEO) and ongoing costs (hosting, maintenance, SEO retainer, advertising). Knowing which costs are one-time and which repeat monthly makes budgeting straightforward.
Typical cost categories (2025)
- Design & Build (upfront): $0 (subscription) — $8,000+ (custom agency).
- Content creation: $50–$500 per page depending on quality and copywriting.
- SEO setup: $300–$3,000 for technical setup, keyword research, and on-page optimisation.
- Hosting & domain: $10–$200/month depending on traffic and provider.
- Maintenance & updates: $0 (unlimited included with some subscriptions) — $150+/hr for ad-hoc agency work.
- Advertising (PPC/social): $300–$10,000+/month depending on goals.
How much does web design cost?
Design costs depend on whether you choose a subscription (done-for-you), a template/DIY approach, or a bespoke agency build. Below are realistic ranges and what each package typically includes.
Subscription / Done-for-you
No upfront design fee, professional custom templates, mobile-optimised, hosting + domain often included.
- Fast launch (under 48 hours)
- Unlimited updates (usually)
Template / DIY
Cheap platform fees, but expect to spend significant time (40+ hours) and possibly pay for premium templates and plugins.
- Lowest cash outlay
- Time cost often large
Custom agency
Full custom UX/design, integrations, and bespoke functionality. Includes project management and testing, but long lead times and higher maintenance costs.
- Unique brand design
- High upfront cost
Actionable tip: where to spend first
- Start with clarity: Spend on clear messaging and your main service pages before fancy visuals.
- Mobile-first: Allocate budget to ensure the mobile experience is excellent — most visitors come from phones.
- Choose subscription services if you want fast, predictable costs and ongoing updates included.
SEO costs — setup and monthly retainers
SEO is an investment. It helps your site appear in local searches and organic results, turning visitors into enquiries. Expect an initial setup plus ongoing work for content and optimisation.
Typical SEO setup
- Technical audit and fixes: $300–$1,500
- Keyword research & sitemap: $200–$800
- On-page optimisation (titles, meta, schema): $200–$1,000
- Local SEO (Google Business Profile setup): $150–$800
Ongoing SEO (monthly)
- Basic maintenance & reporting: $100–$400/month
- Content + local pages: $300–$1,500/month
- Full-service growth: $1,000–$5,000+/month
Practical SEO budgeting tips
- Prioritise local SEO: For small local businesses, optimise your Google Business Profile and local service pages first — high impact, low cost.
- Budget for content: Expect to pay for 1–4 high-quality pages or blog posts in the first 3 months to build topical relevance.
- Track results: Set KPIs (organic calls, form submissions) and review monthly — stop activities that don't move KPIs.
Advertising budgets: PPC & social
Paid advertising (Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram) is the fastest way to get traffic while SEO ramps up. Budget recommendations below are realistic starting points for small businesses.
Starter
Local test campaigns, low CPC keywords, simple call-to-action ads.
Growth
More keywords, remarketing, landing page A/B testing, and optimised funnels.
Scale
Aggressive growth, multiple channels, hire an agency or in-house specialist.
How to set an initial ad budget
- Decide how many leads you need per month and your target cost per lead (CPL).
- Estimate conversion rate from clicks to leads (common baseline: 3–8%).
- Calculate necessary clicks = leads / conversion rate, then multiply by estimated CPC to get monthly ad spend.
Example: If you want 30 leads/month, expect a 5% conversion rate → need 600 clicks. If average CPC is $1.50, monthly spend ≈ $900.
Hosting, domain and maintenance costs
Basic technical costs are small but essential. Budget for reliable hosting and maintenance to avoid downtime and slow pages — both harm SEO and conversions.
Domain name
Cost: $10–$60/year depending on the TLD (.com.au usually higher).
Tip: Buy the domain yourself or ensure transfer rights are in the contract.
Hosting & SSL
Cost: $10–$200/month. Shared hosting at the low end, managed/cloud hosting at the high end.
Make sure SSL (HTTPS) is included — it’s mandatory for trust and SEO.
Maintenance & backups
Cost: $0–$400/month (zero if included with your subscription, otherwise hourly rates can apply).
Tip: Choose a provider with automated backups and software updates included.
Uptime & speed monitoring
Cost: often included in managed plans; standalone tools $10–$50/month.
Why it matters: uptime and speed directly influence conversions and SEO.
Budget templates — pick what matches your goals
Below are three real-world examples you can adapt. All figures are indicative for 2025 — adjust to local pricing and your market.
| Plan | Upfront (first month) | Monthly ongoing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lean Starter | $0–$300 (subscription setup + small copy) | $49–$300 (site subscription + $200 ads) | Single-person local trades, testing market |
| Local Growth | $500–$2,000 (design + SEO setup + pages) | $500–$2,000 (hosting, SEO retainer, $500 ads) | Businesses aiming for steady local leads |
| Scale & Lead Gen | $3,000–$10,000+ (custom site + conversion work) | $2,000–$10,000+ (agency SEO, CRO and ad spend) | Businesses relying on high-volume paid leads |
Simple 6-month budget planner (example)
- Month 1: Design/build + SEO setup + initial ads = Upfront + first month ongoing.
- Months 2–3: Focus on conversion optimisation and local SEO; keep ads steady to measure CPL.
- Months 4–6: Increase ad spend on top-performing campaigns; reinvest profits into content/SEO.
Tip: Always keep 10–20% of your marketing budget for experiments (new channels, creatives, or promotions).
Measuring ROI — make spend accountable
Every dollar you spend should be measurable. Set KPIs and track them from day one.
Key metrics to track
- Cost per lead (CPL) — total ad spend ÷ leads.
- Conversion rate — visits to contact/form submissions.
- Customer acquisition cost (CAC) — all marketing cost ÷ new customers.
- Lifetime value (LTV) — average revenue per customer over time.
Practical setup
- Install Google Analytics / GA4 and set up conversion events (calls, form submissions).
- Use UTM tags on ads to attribute conversions correctly.
- Review dashboards weekly for the first 3 months, then monthly once stable.
Hiring help: what to ask and negotiate
- Ask for a clear scope: what pages, features, and integrations are included?
- Request timelines: how long to launch and when will key milestones be delivered?
- Ownership: who owns the domain, content and source files — ensure you retain domain ownership.
- Support and updates: what's included monthly and what's billed extra?
- Reporting: what metrics will you receive and how often?
- Cancel/exit terms: avoid long lock-in contracts unless there is a clear benefit.
Pro tip: Get three quotes and compare total cost of ownership (first-year cost + time investment), not just the lowest upfront price.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest realistic option to get a working website?
How much should I budget for SEO in the first year?
Can advertising replace SEO?
How do I decide between a subscription service and a custom agency?
Plan your website spend with confidence
Start with a clear goal, set a <=12 month budget, and measure ROI. If you want a fast, predictable solution with unlimited updates and local SEO built in, try a done-for-you subscription and reserve ad budget to test demand.
Tip: Start small, measure, then scale ad spend when you know your true CPL.
