I want to start this post by saying something that might seem counterproductive coming from a web designer:

Don’t let big companies fool you into thinking a website automatically costs $5,000.

I mean it. I have this on my own website. I will say it to your face in a free consultation without flinching. Because I think the most valuable thing I can do for small business owners is give them an honest picture of what things actually cost and why — even when that honest picture doesn’t necessarily result in the largest invoice for me.

Here’s the thing: sometimes a website does cost that much. Sometimes it costs more. But a lot of times it doesn’t, and the only reason someone was quoted that number is that the company doing the quoting operates at a certain price point for a certain type of client, and a small nonprofit or a new small business or a side hustle trying to go legit is not actually their target market. They’ll take your money, but they built their pricing for enterprise clients.

So let’s actually talk about what goes into a website’s cost, because knowledge is power and you deserve to walk into this with your eyes open.

What makes a website expensive

Custom design from scratch. If a designer is creating a completely original visual system for your website — not starting from a template, but building every visual element from a blank canvas — that takes a lot of hours. Hours cost money. This is “where the $5,000 goes,” as I put it on my own services page, and it’s not a scam. It’s just a high tier of service.

Complex custom functionality. Do you need a web application with user logins, a dashboard, custom data processing, integration with a specialized third-party system? That’s development work that takes serious time and expertise. That’s expensive for good reason.

Content creation. Some web designers charge for copywriting, photography, and content strategy as part of the package. That’s legitimate additional service. It’s also something you might be able to handle yourself to bring the cost down.

Agency overhead. When you hire a full-service digital agency, you’re not just paying for the work. You’re paying for the project manager, the account manager, the office space, the team. That’s baked into the rate. If your budget is small, you might not need all of that — and you might do better with someone who works more leanly.

What makes a website affordable

Starting from a well-built template in a CMS like WordPress. There are excellent templates — some free, some modestly priced — that can be customized to feel genuinely branded and professional without starting from zero. This is how a lot of good, functional websites get built. It is not cutting corners. It is using the right tool for the job.

A client who’s willing to write their own copy, provide their own photos, and be involved in the process. When I partner with a client who knows their business well and can give me good content to work with, the work goes faster and the result is better. Their involvement is an investment that reduces the billable time.

Clear scope. The number one reason web projects go over budget is scope creep — the gradual addition of “can we also add this” and “what about that” features over the course of the project. Starting with a clear, prioritized list of what the site needs to do and being honest about what’s nice-to-have versus essential is one of the most effective cost controls available.

Working with someone who charges hourly and is transparent about it. I charge an hourly rate. I’ll tell you approximately how long things are going to take. If you want to control costs, we can talk about what’s in scope. You’re not signing a contract and praying.

The Squarespace and Wix conversation

I know you’re thinking about it. Let me be honest here too.

DIY website builders are genuinely fine for certain situations. If you have a very simple informational site, a limited budget, and the time and inclination to manage it yourself, a Squarespace or Wix site can work. I will tell you this directly rather than pretending they don’t exist to protect my own business, because that would be ridiculous.

Where they get complicated: when you outgrow them. When you need functionality they can’t provide. When your business grows and you want to migrate away and discover that it’s more involved than you expected. When something breaks and you’re in a support queue for a faceless platform rather than texting a human being who built your site and can fix it in 45 minutes.

(If I can fix a problem within 45 minutes, it’s free. That’s my emergency website policy and I stand by it, because small businesses should not be held hostage by website emergencies and a support ticket queue.)

The question worth asking

Before you get any quote for a website — from me, from anyone else — ask yourself: what does this website need to do?

Not “what do I want it to look like.” What does it need to do. What problems is it solving. What questions is it answering. What actions do I want people to take when they land there. What does success look like in six months.

If you can answer those questions clearly, you’ll be in a much better position to evaluate any quote you receive. You’ll know what’s necessary and what’s upsell. You’ll know whether the scope matches your actual needs.

And if you can’t answer them yet — that’s what the free consultation is for. Not a sales call. A diagnostic. Come figure out what you actually need, and then we’ll talk about what it costs.