"How much does a website cost?" is one of the most googled business questions, and the answers online are usually useless. You will find articles quoting everything from $0 to $100,000 without explaining what you actually get at each price point.
We build websites for small businesses every day. Here are the real numbers, what you get at each level, and our honest recommendation for most service businesses.
The Quick Summary
Absolute minimum budget, tech-comfortable
Best value for most businesses
No time to DIY, want it done right
Complex requirements, unique features
Option 1: DIY with a Free Template ($16-$49/month)
Squarespace's Personal plan starts at $16/month and includes a free template, hosting, SSL certificate, and a custom domain. The Business plan at $33/month adds features like custom CSS injection, promotional popups, and advanced analytics.
What you get: A functional website with a modern design, mobile responsiveness, and basic SEO tools. Squarespace's built-in templates are clean and professional. You can absolutely build a respectable business website on the Personal plan.
The tradeoff: Time. Expect to spend 15-30 hours building your site if you have never used Squarespace before. Learning the editor, choosing the right layout, writing your content, and optimizing for search engines all take time. And the free templates, while decent, are generic — your site will look like thousands of others.
Best for: Solopreneurs on a tight budget who are comfortable with technology and have time to invest in the build.
Option 2: Premium Template ($149-$899 + Hosting)
A premium template gives you an industry-specific design with conversion-optimized layouts, proper content structure, and professional-grade typography and styling. You still build the site yourself, but your starting point is dramatically better.
What you get: A template designed specifically for your industry with layouts that have been tested for conversions. Our contractor template, for example, includes project gallery layouts, quote request forms, trust signal sections, and service page structures that a generic template does not have.
The tradeoff: You still need to add your own content — photos, text, and business information. Budget 5-10 hours instead of 15-30. The template handles the design decisions for you.
Option 3: Professional Setup ($500-$2,500)
With a professional setup, you provide the content (or we help you create it) and a professional builds the site for you. This includes template customization, content population, SEO configuration, mobile optimization, and training on how to maintain it.
What you get: A fully built, launch-ready website tailored to your business. Our setup service at $199 covers template installation and basic customization. Our launch package at $499 includes full content migration, SEO setup, and personalized training. Most small businesses fall into this range.
The tradeoff: You are still working within a template framework. Advanced customizations may require additional investment. But for 90% of small businesses, a well-configured template is all you need.
Option 4: Custom Build ($3,000-$15,000+)
Custom websites are designed and built from scratch by a developer. Every element is unique to your business. This makes sense when you have specific functional requirements (booking systems, client portals, complex integrations) or when your brand demands a completely unique digital presence.
What you get: A one-of-a-kind website with custom functionality, unique design, and advanced features. Our custom builds at Long Drive Marketing start at $2,500 for Squarespace Developer Mode builds and go up from there for more complex projects.
The tradeoff: Cost and timeline. Custom builds take 4-8 weeks and require significant investment. For most small businesses, the ROI of a $5,000+ custom site over a $500 professional setup is marginal. The extra money is better spent on marketing.
Ongoing Costs (What Nobody Tells You)
Your website has recurring costs beyond the initial build:
- Squarespace hosting: $16-$49/month depending on your plan
- Domain renewal: $20-$50/year (varies by domain extension)
- Email hosting: $6-$12/month per user if using Google Workspace
- Content updates: Free if you do it yourself, $50-$150/hour if you hire someone
- Photography: $200-$500 per session for professional photos (recommended annually)
Total ongoing cost for most small businesses: $25-$60/month after the initial build. That is less than most businesses spend on coffee each month, and your website works 24 hours a day.
Which Option Is Right for You?
For most service businesses (contractors, salons, restaurants, professional services), we recommend Option 2 — a premium template — or Option 3 — a professional setup. The premium template gives you the best value if you are willing to invest a weekend building it yourself. The professional setup makes sense if your time is better spent running your business.
The mistake we see most often is businesses spending $5,000-$10,000 on a custom website when a $500 professional setup would have produced the same business results. Save the big investment for marketing, Google Ads, or hiring. Your website needs to look professional and convert visitors into customers — it does not need to be a design masterpiece.
Ready to see what is available? Browse our templates or check out our professional setup services.
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