1. How many pages
A one-page site and a 20-page site with a page per service and location are very different jobs. Pages are the clearest driver of cost.
How much does a website cost?
A straight answer for small businesses in the US, the UK and Europe: the real cost of website design, what drives the price, what a web app costs, the running costs to plan for, and exactly what we charge.
By Ryno Kahl, founder of Nova Site · Updated November 2026
/ The short answer
It depends on four things.
With us, a small business website starts at $2,500 for up to five pages, a larger site at $4,500, and web apps from $8,000. Elsewhere, you will see everything from a monthly subscription for a do-it-yourself builder to far higher quotes from large agencies. Where you land depends on these:
2. Custom or template
A template is quicker and cheaper but looks like thousands of other sites. Custom design is built around your customers and your brand.
3. Features
Booking systems, online shops, client logins and integrations add real work. A brochure site with a contact form is the simplest build.
4. Content and SEO
Who writes the words, edits the photos and sets up SEO matters. Some quotes include all three; many include none.
/ Your options
DIY builder, freelancer, studio or agency?
Each route can be the right one. What matters is knowing what you get for the money.
DIY website builder
The lowest upfront cost, paid as a monthly subscription. You supply the time, the words and the design decisions, and speed and SEO are limited by the platform.
Freelancer
Prices and quality vary widely from person to person. Look at their live work, and ask who looks after the site once it has launched.
Small studio
Fixed quotes, custom design and one person accountable from start to finish. The trade-off is capacity: good small studios take on a limited number of projects. This is us.
Large agency
Big teams, brand strategy and campaign work under one roof. Expect higher prices, longer timelines and an account manager between you and the people doing the work.
/ What we charge
Our prices, in your currency.
Fixed starting prices in dollars, pounds or euros. Every project then gets a written, itemised quote, and the number on that quote is the number you pay.
- Launch · up to 5 pages$2,500 once-off
- Growth · up to 12 pages$4,500 once-off
- Custom builds & web appsfrom $8,000
- Care plan · optional$200 a month
SEO is included in every website. See exactly what each package includes.
/ After launch
The running costs to budget for.
Domain name
Your web address, renewed every year. It should always be registered in your name, not your designer’s.
Hosting and SSL
Somewhere for the site to live, plus the certificate that puts the padlock in the address bar. Included in our care plan.
Changes and support
New prices, photos or pages over time. Our care plan includes up to two hours a month; otherwise changes are quoted as needed.
Advertising
Optional. If you run Google Ads, the ad spend goes directly to Google, and management is quoted separately.
/ Web apps
How much does web app development cost?
Web apps cost more than websites because there is more to build: user accounts, a database, and screens that do things rather than just show things. With us, custom web app development starts from $8,000, and most apps take four to five days once the scope is agreed.
The cost of web application development mostly comes down to:
- How many screens and user roles it needs
- What it connects to, like payments, email or other software
- How much data it handles, and how it needs to be reported
- Whether it is for your own team or sold to your clients
/ Ways to spend less
Affordable web design, without the shortcuts.
- Start with fewer pages and add more once the site is bringing in work
- Have your words and photos ready before the build starts
- Separate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves before you ask for quotes
- Keep a sound existing site and improve it, rather than rebuilding by default
- Skip features you will not use in the first year
/ Watch out
Red flags in a website quote.
- The domain will be registered in the designer’s name, not yours
- Hourly billing with no cap or estimate
- No mention of SEO basics like page titles, a sitemap or Search Console
- A platform you cannot move away from without starting again
- A promise of first place on Google
/ Common questions
Website cost questions.
How much does a small business website cost?
With us, a small business website starts at $2,500 for up to five pages and $4,500 for up to 12 pages, with SEO included. Across the market, prices run from a monthly subscription for a do-it-yourself builder to far more at a large agency.
What is the average cost of website design for a small business?
There is no average that means much, because quotes cover very different things: a template site you fill in yourself and a custom site with content and SEO included are not the same product. Compare what is included rather than an average. As a reference point, our custom sites start at $2,500.
Are there monthly costs after launch?
Usually. You will renew your domain name every year and pay for hosting. Our optional care plan covers hosting, SSL, backups, monthly SEO checks, updates and up to two hours of changes for $200 a month. Advertising, if you run it, is extra.
Why do website quotes vary so much?
Because they rarely cover the same thing. Quotes differ on the number of pages, custom design versus a template, who writes the content, whether SEO is included and what support you get after launch. Compare what is included, not just the total.
Is a cheap website worth it?
It can be, if it is fast, easy to find and easy to contact you from. The risk is paying twice: a site that brings in no enquiries often ends up being rebuilt within a year or two.
How much does a web app cost?
Web apps such as booking systems, client portals and dashboards start from $8,000 with us. See web app development for what that includes.
Do you give fixed quotes?
Yes. Every project gets a written, itemised quote before any work starts, usually within two business days of a discovery call, and the price on it is the price you pay.
Want a fixed price for your site?
Send a short brief or book a free 20-minute discovery call, and get an itemised quote within two business days.