What a Small Business Website Costs in Australia (2026)
Quick answer
In Australia, a small business website costs roughly $200–500 a year to DIY, $300–800 a year on a builder like Wix or Squarespace, and $2,000–5,000 or more for a typical agency custom build. Our hand-coded sites are a one-off $399 for one page, $899 for up to three pages or $1,499 for up to eight, plus $30 a month hosting with no contract and no GST added.
The question small business owners ask us most sounds simple but isn't: "How much will my website cost?" The answer depends on what your business needs and how many features you want.
This guide breaks down what a small business website really costs in Australia in 2026. It compares the main options so you can choose with confidence. WebCraft Studio isn’t registered for GST, so no GST is added to our prices.
Website Cost Overview: Quick Summary
Here's roughly what each type of website costs in Australia:
| Type of site | Up front | Every year after |
|---|---|---|
| DIY website | Your time (40–100 hours for most owners we've worked with) | $200–500 (domain, hosting, themes) |
| Website builder (Wix, Squarespace) | Your time (15–40 hours) | $300–800 |
| Template-based custom site | $500–1,500 | $300–500 |
| Typical Australian agency custom build | $2,000–5,000+ | Hosting, often $200–800 |
| WebCraft Studio hand-coded site | $399 (one page), $899 (up to 3 pages) or $1,499 (up to 8 pages) | $360 hosting ($30 a month), plus a domain at about $20 |
The ranges for other options are rough guides, so get a written quote before you compare. Our prices are fixed and published, with no GST added.
Now let's look at what you're really paying for with each one.
DIY Website Costs
Building your own site is the cheapest way to start. But it has big hidden costs in time and missed work.
What You'll Pay For:
- Domain Name: $15-50 per year
- Hosting: $100-300 per year
- Premium Theme: $50-200 (one-time)
- Stock Photos: $100-300 (or free with limitations)
- Additional Plugins/Tools: $100-500 per year
The bigger cost is your time. Most owners we've worked with spent 40-100 hours learning, building and fixing their DIY site.
If your time is worth $50-100 an hour, that's $2,000-10,000 of it spent away from your real work.
Website Builder Costs (Wix, Squarespace, etc.)
Website builders are easier than doing it all yourself. They have better templates and let you drag and drop.
What You'll Pay For:
- Monthly Subscription: $20-50 per month ($240-600 per year)
- Domain Name: Often included in subscription
- Premium Templates: $50-200 (optional one-time)
- Apps/Extensions: $5-50 per month for needed functionality
They're easier than pure DIY, but owners still tell us they spend 15-40 hours building and looking after these sites. The platforms also limit what you can change, which can get frustrating as you grow.
Template-Based Custom Website
This is the middle ground: a developer takes a ready-made template and adapts it for you. It's less work than a full custom build and looks more polished than a DIY builder.
What You'll Pay For:
- Professional Setup & Customisation: $500-1,500 (one-time)
- Premium Theme/Template: $50-200 (one-time)
- Hosting: $150-500 per year
- Domain: $15-50 per year
- Plugins/Add-ons: $100-500 per year
- Ongoing Maintenance: $50-200 per month
Template sites can look fine for a low price up front. But you share the design with thousands of other businesses, and the yearly costs add up fast. They're also usually slower than a hand-coded site, because they load extra template code your visitors never see.
Professional Custom-Coded Website
A custom site is built just for your business, with its own design and the features you need.
WebCraft Studio Custom Website Pricing
At WebCraft Studio, our hand-coded websites start at $399 for a one-page site. A three-page site is $899, and a business website of up to eight pages is $1,499. Hosting is $30 a month with no contract, and no GST is added to our prices. See pricing for what each includes, or contact us for a fixed quote.
What an Agency Custom Build Usually Costs:
- Custom Design: $1,000-3,000
- Development: $1,000-3,000
- Content Creation: $500-2,000
- Hosting: $200-800 per year
- Domain: $15-50 per year
- Maintenance Package: $30-100 per month
Agencies usually charge $2,000-5,000 or more for a custom site; ours start at $399. Either way, it costs more up front than DIY, but it pays back through more enquiries, a site that's easier to use, and fewer headaches.
Website Costs for Tradespeople in Australia
If you're a tradie (electrician, plumber, carpenter and so on), your website has its own job to do. It needs to show your work, bring in leads and build trust with new customers.
Specific Features Tradespeople Often Need:
- Project Gallery: High-quality images of completed work
- Customer Reviews: Build trust with new clients
- Service Area Maps: Show where you work in Australia
- Online Quote Forms: Make it easy for customers to request quotes
- Licence Details: Show your credentials and build trust
- Works on Phones: Vital for customers searching on the go
For Australian trades businesses, our websites start at $399 for a one-page site with a contact form and Google Maps. The $899 three-page site adds a photo gallery and separate about and services pages. Our trades websites are built to bring in leads and show off your work.
Our Focus: Small Business Websites
Small Business Website Specialists
At WebCraft Studio, we only build websites for small businesses. We don't spread ourselves across every kind of web work. We focus on what we do best: affordable websites that help small businesses grow.
That focus means better value, faster turnaround and lower prices for our clients. We know the problems small businesses face online, and we build around them.
Ongoing Website Costs To Consider
Once your site is built, there are some ongoing costs to budget for:
Annual Website Expenses:
- Domain Renewal: $15-50 per year
- Hosting: $150-800 per year
- SSL Certificate: $0-200 per year
- Website Maintenance: $500-2,000 per year
- Content Updates: $500-3,000 per year
- SEO Services: $500-2,000+ per month
- Website Redesign: Every 2-4 years ($2,000-10,000). Not every tired site needs one; see whether to redesign or rebuild.
Two of those lines work differently with us. After launch, our hosting is $30 a month: hosting, security monitoring, backups, email support and unlimited text and image changes on your existing pages. New pages or features are quoted first. No contract, cancel anytime. So the maintenance and content-update lines above are covered by that $30 for anything on the pages you already have. A domain is about $20 a year, registered in your name.
Note: When you compare quotes, check whether other providers’ prices include GST. WebCraft Studio doesn’t add GST.
What Factors Influence Website Costs?
Knowing what drives the price helps you budget:
Design Complexity
Unique designs with custom drawings, animation and interactive parts cost more.
Functionality Requirements
Extra features like online booking, member logins, custom calculators or links to other systems take longer to build and cost more.
Content Volume
More pages mean more hours of design and build work.
E-commerce Needs
Online stores need systems for stock, payments, shipping and tax.
Speed and Timeline
Rush jobs usually cost more, because other work has to wait.
Making the Right Choice for Your Australian Business
When you set your website budget, think about:
Business Goals
What do you need your website to do? Bring in leads, sell online, or share information?
Growth Plans
Will your needs change much in the next 1-2 years?
ROI Potential
One new client or sale from your website can often pay for the whole thing.
Competitive Landscape
What are your competitors doing online, and how do you need to stack up?
The Cost of NOT Having a Professional Website
The price tag matters, but so does what a weak website costs you in lost work:
Hidden Costs of Poor Website Quality:
- Lost Potential Customers: People size up a business by its website. A dated, slow or broken site sends them back to the search results to ring someone else, and you never hear about it.
- Missed Calls on Phones: Many customers look for a local business on their phone. If the number isn't one tap away, or the page takes too long to load, the call goes to a competitor.
- Harder to Find: A site that doesn't name your services and suburbs gives Google little to match you to local searches.
- Time Drain: Looking after a DIY site takes time away from your real work
The other side of the ledger is what a simple, well-built site can bring in. Western Sydney Stump Grinding's one-page site has landed at least 62 jobs, about $46,500 of work, since we built it. We've written up how that site works, and our clients rate us ★ 5.0 from 33 Google reviews (opens in a new tab).
Conclusion: Investing Wisely in Your Website
A website isn't just a cost. It's an investment in your business. It's natural to watch the price, but chasing the cheapest option can lead to poor results and higher costs later.
Our Recommendation
For most small businesses, a professional custom website gives the best mix of cost, quality and results. Ours start at $399 for a one-page site, $899 for three pages and $1,499 for a business site of up to eight pages.
Your website is often the first thing new customers see of your business. Spending well on it usually pays back many times over.
Our prices are fixed and published, so you know the cost before we start. Contact us for a free chat about what you need and a fixed quote for your small business website.