If you have started looking into getting a website, you have probably noticed something frustrating: nobody will give you a straight answer on price. Quotes swing from almost nothing to thousands of dollars, and it is hard to tell what you are actually paying for.
This guide explains what really drives the cost of a small business website, what you should expect to get for your money, and where our own pricing sits.
The short answer
At Wix Nexus, a complete small business website costs $500 to $1,000. That includes the design, the SEO setup, an online booking system, a custom dashboard and unlimited support during your project, delivered in 10 to 20 days.
Elsewhere, prices vary enormously, because “a website” can mean anything from a one-page template someone fills in over a weekend to a custom-built store with hundreds of products. The important question is not “how much does a website cost” but “what am I getting, and will it bring in business?”
What actually affects the price
1. The number of pages
A local service business often needs five to seven pages: home, services, about, contact, and a page for each main service. More pages mean more writing, more design and more SEO work.
2. The features you need
A site that only displays information costs less than one that does a job for you. Online booking, dashboards, payment collection and customer accounts all add work. They also tend to be the parts that earn their money back.
3. Whether SEO is included
This is where cheap websites get expensive. A site built without SEO looks fine but stays invisible on Google, so you end up paying someone else later to fix the foundations. Ask any quote you receive whether SEO is included or an add-on.
4. Who writes the content
If you supply your own text and photos, the project moves faster. If the designer has to write everything from scratch, expect to pay for that time.
The costs people forget
Almost every website has running costs beyond the build, and an honest quote should mention them:
- Your Wix plan. Paid directly to Wix, so your site has a proper domain and no Wix ads.
- Your domain name. A yearly fee for yourbusiness.com.
- Extra apps or payment processing fees, if your business needs them.
These are billed by those providers rather than by us. We will tell you exactly which ones your project needs before you commit to anything.
Cheap websites are usually the expensive option
The lowest quote often skips the things that make a website work. Common shortcuts include no keyword research, no page titles or descriptions, no mobile testing, stock photos of offices that are not yours, and no clear next step for the visitor.
The result looks acceptable on a laptop screen, but it does not rank on Google, does not win trust, and does not convert. You end up paying twice: once for the site, and again to replace it.
A website that costs less but brings in nothing is not cheap. It is a small recurring loss.
How to think about the return
Instead of asking what a website costs, work out what it needs to bring in. Take your average customer value, including repeat business, and ask how many extra customers per year would cover the build.
For most service businesses, the honest answer is a handful. A salon booking a few extra appointments a month, or a contractor winning one additional job, has usually covered the cost of a site in our range.
That does not happen overnight. SEO builds gradually, and clients typically start seeing real results such as more traffic, inquiries and bookings within about four months of launch. Anyone promising you page-one rankings next week is not being straight with you.
What you should expect from any quote
Before you pay anyone, make sure you know:
- Exactly which pages and features are included
- Whether SEO setup is part of the price
- Who writes the text and supplies the photos
- How long the build takes, and what could delay it
- Which ongoing costs you will pay to third parties
- Who owns the site, and whether you can edit it yourself afterwards
If a quote will not answer those six questions in writing, that is useful information about how the project will go.
Our pricing, plainly
Our websites are $500 to $1,000. Where your project falls in that range depends on its size and features, such as how many pages you need and how much booking or dashboard setup your business requires. You get a clear quote before any work begins, and you can see exactly what is included on our pricing section.
If you want a straight answer for your own business, send us a message with a few details. We will reply with honest recommendations, whether or not you end up working with us.