web development price
How much does a website cost in 2025? Learn realistic price ranges for small business websites, key factors that drive cost, and practical ways to get a professional site for less.
Typical cost for a basic small business site
$0 (DIY) — $3,000 (small agency)
Custom or ecommerce sites
$5,000 — $50,000+ depending on complexity
Managed, unlimited updates
Ongoing subscriptions vs one‑off fees
What affects web development price?
Understanding cost drivers helps you choose the right approach and avoid costly surprises.
Scope & features
Simple brochure sites with 5–7 pages are cheap. Add booking, payments, integrations, or custom databases and prices rise quickly.
Design & customisation
A bespoke design or custom UI takes designer hours. Templates and modular builders reduce upfront cost.
Commerce & product catalogues
Ecommerce requires payment gateways, inventory, tax rules, and security — expect higher development and maintenance costs.
SEO & content
A fast, SEO-optimised site with targeted copywriting requires specialist effort. Good SEO increases upfront work but reduces ad spend later.
Hosting, SSL & security
Managed hosting and regular maintenance add recurring costs. Cheap hosting can cause downtime, slow pages, and lost leads.
Ongoing updates & support
One-off build fees ignore the cost of updates — keep maintenance in budget or use a managed subscription for predictable monthly pricing.
Typical web development price ranges in Australia (2025)
Ballpark figures to help you plan — final cost depends on the factors above.
Starter / Brochure Site
5–7 pages, contact form, basic SEO.
$800 — $3,000
Small Business / Trades
Service pages, gallery, local SEO, SMS/WhatsApp booking integration.
$1,500 — $6,000
Ecommerce / Custom Platform
Catalog, payments, shipping rules, product feeds.
$5,000 — $50,000+
Need an accurate quote fast?
Congero can generate a live website preview and price estimate in 60 seconds via WhatsApp — try the free demo.
Where web development money goes
A transparent breakdown so you know what each dollar buys.
Design & UX
Wireframes, visual design, responsive layouts, and user testing. Custom branding increases time and cost.
Development
Front-end, back-end, CMS setup, integrations. Custom features and complex workflows are the most expensive elements.
Hosting & Maintenance
Fast hosting, SSL, updates, security patches and backups. Recurring costs keep the site healthy and performing.
Hidden costs to watch for
- Monthly plugin or API fees (booking, SMS, payments)
- Content writing and photography
- SEO audits and paid advertising
- Custom integrations with CRMs or accounting systems
Cut costs without cutting conversions
Practical tips to keep quality high while reducing development spend.
Start with a template
Choose a well-designed template and focus custom work on priority pages.
Prioritise high-value pages
Homepage, services, contact, and a top-performing landing page — build these first.
Use managed subscriptions
A fixed monthly fee (like Congero’s $49/month) covers hosting, updates and SEO — often cheaper than one-off rebuilds.
Lower your web development price with Congero
Congero is Australia’s AI-powered web design service that delivers professional, mobile-first websites in under 60 seconds. For a flat $49/month you get design, hosting, domain options, local SEO and unlimited updates — no hidden fees and no lock-in contracts.
- Live website preview in 60 seconds
- Unlimited text-in updates — no developer invoices
- Domain registration, SSL and managed hosting included
- Local SEO built in for trades and local services
What return should you expect from your website?
A properly optimised website should pay for itself by generating qualified leads, calls, or bookings. For trades, even a handful of extra jobs per month quickly outweighs development costs.
Lead generation
Capture calls and form leads with clear CTAs and local SEO.
Conversion tracking
Measure which pages and ads deliver the best ROI and double down on them.
Lifetime value
A customer acquired through your site often brings repeat revenue worth many months of hosting fees.
Frequently asked questions about web development price
Short answers to the questions we hear most from small business owners and tradies.
How do I get a fixed price?
Get a clear scope first: list required pages, features and integrations. Fixed-price quotes are reliable when the scope is well-defined.
Is a subscription cheaper than a one-off build?
For many small businesses, yes. A predictable subscription like Congero’s $49/month includes hosting, updates and SEO — removing surprise rebuild costs.
Can I start small and expand later?
Absolutely. Start with a focused site (homepage + 3 services) and add features as revenue grows. A modular approach keeps initial costs low.
What should I budget for content & images?
DIY copy and photos are free. Professional copywriting or photography can add $300–$2,000 but often improves conversion rates significantly.
