The Short Answer
A custom business website in 2025 costs between $1,500 and $25,000 depending on what you need. Most small business websites land between $2,000 and $6,000. Here is what drives that range.
What "Custom" Actually Means
A custom website is designed and coded specifically for your business - not built on a template from Squarespace, Wix, or WordPress. That distinction matters because:
- Custom sites load faster (no bloated CMS overhead)
- Custom sites are built with your actual content and goals in mind
- Custom sites have no recurring platform fees ($0/month vs $25-$60/month for Squarespace)
- Custom sites rank better in Google because the code is clean and the pages load in under 2 seconds
The tradeoff is upfront cost. You pay more to build, and you need a developer if you want major changes later. Whether that is worth it depends on how much your website affects your revenue.
Price Breakdown by Project Type
Simple Service Business Website - $1,500 to $3,500
This covers 5 to 10 pages: homepage, about, services, contact, and maybe a few service area pages. Right for contractors, salons, local service businesses, and solo professionals. Includes contact forms, Google Analytics, and basic local SEO. Does not include e-commerce, booking systems, or dynamic content.
Professional Business Website - $3,000 to $6,000
More pages, more content depth, more custom features. Might include a blog, a portfolio, team profiles, quote calculators, Google Maps integration, and multi-location service area pages. Appropriate for established businesses that want a site that competes seriously in local search.
E-Commerce Website - $5,000 to $15,000
Custom online store with product management, Stripe or PayPal checkout, cart, order management, and inventory. Price goes up based on number of products, integrations (Printful, ShipBob, etc.), and whether you need a full admin dashboard. Not the same as a Shopify store - this is a fully owned, fully custom build.
Web Application or Client Portal - $10,000 to $50,000+
Software with user accounts, databases, role-based permissions, APIs, and real business logic. Examples: booking platforms, SaaS products, client dashboards, internal tools, and any site where users log in and do things. Price depends entirely on feature scope.
What Makes Websites More Expensive
- More pages. Every additional page is design, copywriting, and development time.
- Custom functionality. Quote calculators, booking systems, payment processing, user accounts - each adds significant time.
- Integrations. Connecting to your CRM, email platform, scheduling software, or inventory system takes real work.
- Animations and advanced design. Scroll animations, parallax effects, and complex layouts take longer to build and test.
- Rush timeline. Need it in a week? Expect to pay 30 to 50% more.
What to Watch Out For
Templates sold as custom. Many "web design" shops charge $3,000 to $5,000 for a WordPress theme with your logo dropped in. Ask to see the codebase or check the site's source code after delivery. If it is a WordPress theme you can buy for $69, you overpaid.
Hourly billing without a cap. Some agencies bill hourly and scope creep is real. Always get a fixed-price proposal or a not-to-exceed budget in writing before work begins.
Cheap sites with monthly fees. A $500 website that costs $200/month for "hosting and maintenance" will cost you $2,900 over 12 months. Run the math on the full 2-year cost of any proposal.
How 47 Industries Prices Websites
We charge a fixed one-time price for every project. You receive a detailed proposal with a total cost before any work begins. No hourly billing, no scope creep. Business websites start at $1,500. Web applications start at $10,000. Everything is built custom in-house - no templates, no outsourcing.
