Every business needs a website. Even if you operate entirely through word-of-mouth referrals or sell exclusively on Amazon, a website establishes legitimacy, gives customers a way to learn about you, and provides a home base you control—unlike social media profiles that can disappear or change rules overnight.
The good news is that building a website has never been easier or more affordable. The challenge is navigating countless options and making decisions that serve your business now and as it grows.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know about creating a small business website, from choosing the right platform to deciding whether to build it yourself or hire help.
What Your Website Needs to Accomplish
Before evaluating platforms or costs, clarify what you need your website to do. Different businesses have different requirements.
An informational website serves as a digital brochure—it tells people who you are, what you offer, and how to contact you. This is sufficient for many service businesses, consultants, and local companies where transactions happen offline.
A lead generation website goes further, actively capturing potential customer information through contact forms, quote requests, newsletter signups, or downloadable resources. This suits businesses with longer sales cycles or those building an audience.
An e-commerce website sells products directly online, requiring shopping cart functionality, payment processing, inventory management, and shipping integration. The technical requirements are significantly more complex than informational sites.
A booking or scheduling website lets customers reserve appointments or services online. This is essential for salons, consultants, healthcare providers, and similar businesses.
A portfolio website showcases work samples for creative professionals, contractors, and agencies. Visual presentation matters more than for other site types.
Many businesses need a combination—an informational site with e-commerce capabilities, or a portfolio with booking functionality. Understanding your core needs helps narrow platform choices.
Website Platform Options
The platform you choose determines what’s possible, how much work is involved, and what you’ll pay ongoing. Options fall into several categories.
Website Builders
Website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly offer drag-and-drop interfaces that let anyone create a professional-looking site without coding knowledge.
Wix provides maximum flexibility with hundreds of templates and extensive customization options. It’s beginner-friendly but can feel overwhelming due to the sheer number of choices. Pricing runs from free (with Wix branding and ads) to $16–45 per month for business plans. E-commerce plans start around $27 per month.
Squarespace emphasizes design quality with elegant, modern templates particularly suited to creative professionals and visual brands. The interface is more structured than Wix, which some find limiting and others find focused. Pricing runs $16–49 per month, with e-commerce starting at $27 per month.
Weebly (now owned by Square) offers straightforward simplicity with tight integration with Square’s payment processing. It’s a solid choice for small retailers already using Square. Pricing ranges from free to $26 per month for e-commerce features.
Website builders work well for:
- Businesses wanting professional results without technical complexity
- Those with limited budgets who need to DIY
- Sites that don’t require unusual functionality
- Owners who want to make updates themselves
The downsides include less flexibility for custom features, potential performance limitations, and some degree of platform lock-in—moving to a different platform later means rebuilding.
WordPress
WordPress powers over 40% of all websites, from simple blogs to complex enterprise sites. It comes in two forms that people often confuse.
WordPress.com is a hosted service similar to website builders. You sign up, pick a template, and build without managing technical infrastructure. Plans range from free (very limited) to $45 per month for e-commerce. It’s simpler than self-hosted WordPress but also more restricted.
WordPress.org is free, open-source software you download and install on your own web hosting. This gives you complete control and unlimited flexibility but requires more technical knowledge or willingness to learn. You’ll pay separately for hosting ($3–30+ per month), your domain, and any premium themes or plugins.
Self-hosted WordPress works well for:
- Businesses needing flexibility beyond what builders offer
- Those planning to scale significantly
- Owners comfortable with some technical management (or willing to hire help)
- Sites requiring specific functionality available through plugins
The WordPress plugin ecosystem is massive—there are plugins for virtually anything you might need, from SEO optimization to booking systems to membership sites. This flexibility is powerful but also means more decisions and potential compatibility issues.
The WordPress.org documentation provides extensive guides for self-hosted installations.
E-commerce Platforms
If selling products online is your primary goal, dedicated e-commerce platforms offer purpose-built features.
Shopify is the leading e-commerce platform for small to medium businesses, handling everything from product listings to payment processing to shipping. It’s polished and reliable but focuses specifically on selling—if e-commerce is secondary to your site, it may be overkill. Pricing runs $29–299 per month plus transaction fees (waived if you use Shopify Payments).
BigCommerce offers similar capabilities to Shopify with some advantages for larger catalogs and B2B selling. Pricing is comparable at $29–299 per month with no transaction fees on any plan.
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that adds e-commerce functionality to self-hosted WordPress sites. The plugin itself is free, but you’ll pay for hosting, themes, and various extensions. Total costs vary widely based on your needs.
For most small businesses selling products online, Shopify provides the best balance of power and simplicity. WooCommerce makes sense if you’re already committed to WordPress or need extensive customization.
Custom Development
Building a website from scratch with custom code offers unlimited flexibility but at significant cost.
This approach suits:
- Businesses with unique requirements that no platform can meet
- Those where the website itself is the product (web applications, SaaS)
- Companies with substantial budgets and ongoing development needs
- Situations where performance or security requirements are exceptional
For the vast majority of small businesses, custom development is unnecessary. Platforms and builders can accomplish what you need at a fraction of the cost.
Understanding Website Costs
Website costs fall into several categories, and understanding each helps you budget realistically.
One-Time Setup Costs
Domain registration runs $10–50 per year depending on the extension (.com, .io, .shop, etc.). Some platforms include a free domain for the first year. Purchase domains through registrars like Namecheap, Google Domains, or Cloudflare rather than through your website platform—it’s usually cheaper and gives you more control.
Design and development costs vary enormously based on your approach:
| Approach | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| DIY with a builder | $0–200 (premium template) |
| Freelancer template customization | $500–2,500 |
| Custom design/development (freelancer) | $2,500–10,000+ |
| Agency project | $10,000–50,000+ |
Initial content creation including copywriting, photography, and graphics may cost nothing if you do it yourself, or $500–5,000+ if you hire professionals. Quality content matters more than most small business owners realize—a beautiful site with poor copy and amateur photos still looks unprofessional.
Ongoing Costs
Platform or hosting fees are the monthly or annual subscription for your website builder or web hosting. Budget $15–50 per month for most small business websites. E-commerce sites typically cost more.
Domain renewal runs the same as initial registration, usually $10–50 per year.
SSL certificates provide the security that enables the “https://” in your URL. Most platforms include this free, but some hosting setups require separate purchase ($0–200 per year).
Plugin or app subscriptions add up if you use premium tools for SEO, email marketing, booking, or other functionality. These can range from $0 to several hundred dollars monthly depending on your needs.
Maintenance and updates for self-hosted WordPress sites include keeping software updated, maintaining backups, and addressing security issues. You can do this yourself (time cost) or pay someone ($50–200 per month for basic maintenance).
Content updates are an often-forgotten cost. If you can’t update the site yourself and need to pay someone for every change, budget accordingly.
Realistic Budget Ranges
| Site Type | First Year | Ongoing/Year |
|---|---|---|
| Basic DIY informational site | $200–500 | $150–300 |
| Professional informational site (hired help) | $1,500–5,000 | $200–500 |
| Small e-commerce site | $2,000–10,000 | $500–1,500 |
| Complex custom site | $10,000–50,000+ | $1,000–5,000+ |
Most small businesses should expect to spend $1,000–3,000 total in their first year for a professional-quality website.
DIY vs. Hiring: Making the Decision
Whether to build your website yourself or hire help depends on several factors.
When DIY Makes Sense
Building your own site works well when:
- Budget is extremely limited and your time is more available than money
- Your needs are straightforward—an informational site or simple e-commerce doesn’t require professional help
- You’re comfortable with technology and enjoy learning new tools
- You want to maintain full control over updates and changes without relying on others
The DIY approach has gotten dramatically easier. Someone with no technical background can create a respectable site using Squarespace or Wix in a weekend. The templates handle design decisions, and drag-and-drop editors eliminate coding.
However, “can” doesn’t mean “should.” DIY sites often suffer from:
- Amateur design choices despite good templates
- Weak copywriting that doesn’t connect with customers
- Poor photography or stock photos that feel generic
- Inconsistent branding
- Technical SEO issues that limit search visibility
If your website significantly influences customer decisions—which it does for most businesses—these shortcomings have real costs in lost credibility and missed opportunities.
When to Hire Help
Hiring a professional makes sense when:
- Your website directly impacts revenue (a poor site costs you customers)
- You need custom functionality beyond what templates offer
- Your time is better spent on core business activities
- Brand image matters significantly in your industry
- You simply don’t want to learn website building
Who to Hire
Web designers create visual designs—the look and feel of your site. They focus on layout, colors, typography, and user experience. Some designers work only in design tools like Figma, handing off mockups to developers. Others work directly in website builders or WordPress themes.
Web developers write code and handle technical implementation. For a small business site on Squarespace or Wix, you likely don’t need a developer—a designer who works directly in these platforms can handle everything. For WordPress or custom sites, development skills become necessary.
Full-service freelancers combine design and development skills. For small business websites, this is often what you want—one person who can handle the entire project.
Agencies offer teams with specialized roles and often more sophisticated processes. They’re appropriate for larger projects but typically overkill (and overpriced) for small business websites.
Finding Good Help
Freelancer platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal connect you with web professionals at various price points and skill levels. Quality varies enormously—review portfolios carefully and check references.
Design-specific platforms like Dribbble and Behance showcase designer portfolios. Many designers there are available for freelance work.
Local networking through business groups, chambers of commerce, and referrals from other business owners can surface trusted local designers who understand your market.
When evaluating candidates:
- Look at their portfolio for work similar to what you need
- Ask about their process and timeline
- Clarify what’s included (will they write copy, source images, set up analytics?)
- Get references and actually call them
- Discuss ongoing support after launch
Red flags include:
- Prices dramatically below market rate
- Inability to show relevant portfolio work
- Reluctance to provide references
- Vague answers about process and deliverables
- Pressure to decide immediately
What to Expect to Pay
| Service | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Website builder customization | $500–1,500 |
| WordPress design and setup | $1,500–5,000 |
| Custom WordPress development | $3,000–10,000+ |
| E-commerce setup (Shopify/WooCommerce) | $2,000–7,000 |
| Ongoing WordPress maintenance | $50–200/month |
The Small Business Administration recommends budgeting appropriately for professional web services as part of overall business infrastructure.
Essential Website Elements
Regardless of platform or approach, certain elements make the difference between an effective website and a digital placeholder.
Clear Value Proposition
Within seconds of landing on your site, visitors should understand what you do and why they should care. Don’t make them hunt for basic information. Your homepage should answer: who you are, what you offer, who you serve, and why you’re different.
Professional Design
This doesn’t mean flashy or expensive—it means clean, consistent, and appropriate for your audience:
- Use quality images (not obviously generic stock photos)
- Maintain consistent colors and fonts throughout
- Ensure text is readable with sufficient contrast
- Leave adequate white space so the design can breathe
Mobile Responsiveness
Over half of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Your site must work well on phones and tablets, not just desktops. All modern website builders and WordPress themes are responsive by default, but test your site on actual devices rather than assuming it works.
Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily looks at the mobile version of your site for search rankings. A poor mobile experience directly hurts your visibility.
Fast Loading Speed
Slow sites frustrate visitors and hurt search rankings. Large images are the most common culprit—optimize images for web before uploading. Minimize plugins and external scripts. Choose a platform with good performance (Squarespace and Shopify generally perform well; WordPress performance depends heavily on hosting and configuration).
Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool tests your site’s performance and offers specific recommendations.
Contact Information
Make it obvious how to reach you. Include a dedicated contact page and put key contact info (phone, email, address if applicable) in the header or footer of every page. If location matters, embed a Google Map.
Basic SEO Setup
Search engine optimization helps people find you through Google. At minimum:
- Every page has a unique, descriptive title tag
- Write compelling meta descriptions for key pages
- Use a logical heading structure (H1, H2, H3)
- Create clean URL structures (readable words, not random characters)
- Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console
The Google Search Central documentation provides a comprehensive starter guide for SEO basics.
Analytics
Install analytics to understand how people find and use your site. Google Analytics is free and provides detailed data on traffic sources, popular pages, and user behavior. Most platforms make installation simple—usually just pasting a code snippet or entering your tracking ID.
Without analytics, you’re guessing about what’s working. With analytics, you can make informed decisions about content and marketing.
Security Basics
An SSL certificate (indicated by “https://” in your URL) encrypts data between your site and visitors. It’s essential for any site collecting information and is now expected by users and search engines alike. Most platforms include SSL automatically.
If you’re collecting customer data or processing payments, understand your obligations under privacy regulations. The FTC’s guidance on online privacy covers basics for U.S. businesses.
Planning Your Website Content
Content is often the weakest element of small business websites. Beautiful design can’t compensate for confusing or unconvincing text.
Core Pages
Homepage — Immediately communicate what you offer and guide visitors to take action (contact you, shop, learn more).
About page — Tell your story and build trust. Include real photos of you and your team rather than stock images.
Services or products — Clearly explain what you offer, ideally with separate pages for each major service or category. Include enough detail for visitors to understand what they’d be getting.
Contact page — Make reaching you easy with multiple options where appropriate (phone, email, contact form, physical address).
Testimonials or case studies — For service businesses, provide social proof that you deliver results. Real testimonials from named clients carry more weight than anonymous quotes.
Product pages — For e-commerce, include compelling descriptions, quality photos from multiple angles, pricing, and a smooth path to purchase.
Writing Effective Copy
Write for your customer, not yourself. Focus on their problems and how you solve them rather than lengthy descriptions of your history or capabilities.
Use clear, conversational language. Avoid jargon unless your audience expects it. Short paragraphs and sentences work better on screens than dense blocks of text.
Include calls to action—tell visitors what to do next. “Contact us for a free estimate,” “Shop our collection,” or “Download the guide” are more effective than hoping visitors figure out the next step.
If writing isn’t your strength, consider hiring a copywriter. Good copy does more for conversions than good design.
Launching and Beyond
Building your site is just the beginning. Ongoing attention keeps it effective.
Pre-Launch Checklist
Before going live:
- Test all links and make sure forms work (submit a test inquiry to yourself)
- Proofread every page for typos and errors
- Verify the site looks correct on mobile devices and different browsers
- Set up analytics and confirm they’re tracking
- Create redirects if replacing an old site (to preserve search rankings)
After Launch
- Submit your site to Google Search Console to help Google discover and index your pages
- Create or claim your Google Business Profile (helps local visibility, free)
- Monitor analytics monthly at minimum
- Look for which pages get traffic, where visitors come from, and whether people take desired actions
- Update regularly—fresh content signals to search engines that your site is active
- Review annually at minimum to ensure all information remains accurate
When to Redesign
Websites aren’t permanent. Plan on a significant refresh every three to five years to keep up with design trends and evolving technology.
Signs you need an update sooner:
- Design looks dated compared to competitors
- Poor mobile experience
- Site speed issues that aren’t fixable with optimization
- Declining search rankings or conversion rates
- Business changes that make current content inaccurate
Getting Started
If you’re building a new website or rebuilding an existing one:
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Clarify your goals — What do you need the website to accomplish? What actions should visitors take?
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Research competitors — What works? What doesn’t? What’s table stakes in your industry?
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Decide on your approach — DIY or hire help, based on your budget, time, and how critical the website is to your business
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Choose a platform — Squarespace or Wix for simplicity, WordPress for flexibility, Shopify for e-commerce
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Invest appropriately in content — Good writing and quality images matter more than elaborate design
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Launch, then monitor and improve — Your first version doesn’t have to be perfect. Get something live, learn from real user behavior, and iterate
Your website is a business asset that works around the clock, representing you to potential customers whether you’re in the office or asleep. Invest in it accordingly.