One Website, Six Budgets: What Does a $500 and Up Website Budget Look Like?

Structure’s mission is to deliver the most efficient yet human website design and build experience while being on budget. We ultimately improve our client’s businesses by helping them get better business results from their websites. 

One of the ways we do this is by providing unbiased information about website design and development costs upfront. Hence, potential clients have a better idea of the budget they need for the project they envision. 

We also go through a website project budgeting exercise with all new clients during onboarding and design their website to that budget. We have website designers and developers with many years of experience on staff. We have created countless website estimates over the years, so we share what we know from our firsthand experience around website design costs to help clients planhttps://wearestructure.com/website-budget-template/ a successful project. 

What Do Most Websites Cost?

Potential clients frequently ask us what different budgets will afford them: “Is $5,000 a good budget,” “What will $10,000 get me?” or “What does a $50,000 website even look like?”. 

So, we devised a breakdown of one website with six different budgets, from $500 to $100,000. As you’ll see, a budget can be exhausted quickly in website design and development, but with smart choices and good planning, you can make the most out of any budget.

Remember that these estimates are if the website is designed and built top-to-bottom. Most clients phase large projects so that payments (and development) are completed in manageable chunks over time.

Any website design or budget exercise starts with the existing website. Gather all your website ideas and inspiration, then note what you’d like to keep, remove, or add. 

Let’s assume the website we will redesign has the following five pages with no more than basic functionality. Think simple, local, small business website.

1. Home page
2. About page
3. Products or Services page
4. Blog page
5. Contact page (with a basic contact form)

A $500 Website Redesign: Personal

Ultra-low budgets like a $500 website are only possible using a DIY platform, theme, or template. It’s doubtful that you’ll be able to hire anyone to help redesign the website unless they’re just starting and you’re one of their first clients.

The best options are using WordPress with quality hosting and a premium theme. You’ll likely need to buy the theme and a few plugins to go along with it. You could start with Squarespace or Wix; however, if you’d like to grow shortly, you’ll want to migrate or replatform to WordPress—so you might as well start there if you’re able. It’ll save you time and money later!  

• WordPress Hosting (through WP Engine): $250/yr
• WordPress Theme: $200
• Contact Form Plugin (through Gravity Forms): $50

A $5,000 Website Redesign: Informational

The $5,000 website budget stays very simple, but you no longer need to DIY and have room to find a website freelancer. Most freelancers would be thrilled to redesign a website on this budget.

With this budget and someone helping with the work, you’ll get a website template that’s semi-customized and molded to your needs, with a few additional bells and whistles. 

For example, the contact form might be more advanced with drop downs, radio buttons, or multi-page. The web designer might also include text animations or cleaner breakpoints for mobile devices.

Lastly, you’ll likely be able to include some SEO and content creation or population help there. You’ll still be sourcing media and managing the project yourself.

• WordPress Hosting (through WP Engine): $250/yr
• WordPress Theme: $200
• Contact Form Plugin (through Gravity Forms): $50
• Freelance Template Customization & Build: $3,500
• SEO & Copywriting: $1,000

A $15,000 Website Redesign: Transformational

The $15,000 website redesign makes a giant leap and allows you to hire help and add uniqueness to your website with a custom design. Additionally, you’re likely getting out of most freelancer territory here and will need to find and hire a professional website designer like Structure to design and build your website.

At this budget, you’ll also get away from website themes, templates, and DIY platforms like Squarespace or Wix and will get a custom design unique to your business. 

You’ll have the chance to consider your Website Strategy: how your company uses your website, how your customers are using your website, and how you can design and build your website to facilitate quicker purchases and simpler user flows. This is something that your website design team could facilitate with you.

• WordPress Hosting (through WP Engine): $250/yr
• WordPress Theme: $200
• Contact Form Plugin (through Gravity Forms): $50
• SEO & Copywriting: $2,500
• Custom Design: $7,000
• Development: $5,000

Along with custom design will come professional copywriting and stock image sourcing. You’ll want to let someone else help clarify your message on your website.

A $25,000 Website Redesign: Transactional

At $25,000, your custom-designed website and professional content will get new functionality. At this price point, you’ll be able to add e-commerce functionality, payment processing, and integrations to your business systems, like your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform, your Email Service Provider (ESP), and others.

• WordPress Hosting (through WP Engine): $250/yr
• WordPress Theme: $200
• Contact Form Plugin (through Gravity Forms): $50
• SEO & Copywriting: $3,500
• Custom Design: $10,000
• Development: $5,000
• Service E-Commerce Pages & Payment: $5,000
• Business Systems Integrations (CRM, ERP, ESP): $1,000

Your website has turned from personal to transactional. You can now use your website for more than just information and brand recognition; it’s a business tool that can take orders, support customers, and process data.

A $50,000 Website Redesign: Growable

The $50,000 website is entirely custom while still on a CMS like WordPress and built for processing transactions at scale.

With the same 5-page structure, this budget invests beyond the website infrastructure into optimizing and growing the website operations. You’re investing in content development, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), and Content Marketing and advertising for growth—plus help with website management to keep it running smoothly.

• WordPress Hosting (through WP Engine): $250/yr
• WordPress Theme: $200
• Contact Form Plugin (through Gravity Forms): $50
• SEO & Copywriting: $5,000
• Custom Design: $10,000
• Development: $5,000
• Service E-Commerce Pages & Payment: $5,000
• Business Systems Integrations (CRM, ERP, ESP): $1,000
• Content Marketing & Ads: $17,500
• Website Management: $6,000

A $100,000 Website Redesign: Scalable

A $100,000 Website Redesign further expands the content into custom photography and video, increasing SEO, CRO, Content Marketing, Advertising, and Management budgets.

• WordPress Hosting (through WP Engine): $250/yr
• WordPress Theme: $200
• Contact Form Plugin (through Gravity Forms): $50
• Copywriting: $5,000
• Custom Design: $10,000
• Development: $5,000
• Service E-Commerce Pages & Payment: $5,000
• Business Systems Integrations (CRM, ERP, ESP): $1,000
• Custom Photography & Videography: $18,000
• SEO & CRO: 
• Content Marketing & Ads: $37,500
• Website Management: $6,000

How to Design to Your Website Budget

At Structure, we discuss your budget at the start of the website design process to minimize surprises when it comes to build. We want to ensure our design team can personalize your website, delivering a vision that includes what’s most important for business and industry—while keeping costs within range. 

Ready to level up your website and grow your business with a professional website design? Schedule a Free Consult Call or explore our design packages today!

Common Questions About Website Budgets & Cost

What should I budget for a website in 2023?

If you’re alive in 2022, you’ll notice that costs are going up around you. Your website will likely cost more next year than it does this year. However, the cost factors are the same.

These factors can include the complexity and size of your website, the features you require, your industry and business goals, and the level of expertise of the website designer or agency you hire. Additionally, costs may be affected by market conditions and competition.

However, some general estimates can help to provide a starting point. For example, according to Entrepreneur magazine, the average cost of building a simple website from scratch is between $3,000 and $15,000. Factors that impact this price range include the complexity of your design requirements, the number of pages, and the level of technical expertise involved.

The costs may be much higher if you want to develop a more complex website with interactive features or ecommerce functionality. However, there are many ways to reduce your overall web design budget by working with an experienced agency like Structure that offers custom packages and flexible pricing models. 

Ultimately, the best way to determine the cost of your website design is to take the Website Builder Quiz or Schedule a Consult Call and discuss your goals, design requirements, and budget constraints with Structure. With this information, our team can work with you to create a custom package that meets your needs and budget.

Can I build a website for less than $500?

You don’t have to delay building a website because you can’t afford a professional web designer or developer. Keep in mind that you may not get a full-blown e-commerce store; there are many things you can do (including selling products) for $500 or less.

Most people who build a website for less than $500 do so for a specific reason. You might want to test a market or your web presence and determine what kind of customer base you will have once you get off the ground. 

Or maybe you have a successful brick-and-mortar store and need to expand online to increase sales and business. You want to do it quickly and cheaply to ensure it’s even going to work before you pay $15,000 to $50,000 for a website. 

Whatever your reason for building a website for less than $500, research and choose the right platform or template. We recommend WordPress if you’re looking to integrate into complex business systems or Shopify if you want an all-inclusive, simple platform. 

Ultimately, whether you can build a website for $500 or less depends on your goal and skills, but it’s possible to create an online presence at a meager cost.

What factors go into website cost?

Several factors can impact the cost of website design, including the complexity and size of your site, the features you require, your industry and business goals, and the level of expertise of the designer or agency you work with. Additionally, costs may be affected by market conditions and competition.

Some common examples of website features that can affect the total cost of your project include ecommerce functionality, custom design and development, SEO optimization, and integration with business systems like CRM and ERP. Other factors that can impact costs include the quality of your content, the level of personalization you require for your site visitors, and whether you need any ongoing support or maintenance services.

That said, here’s a standard estimate of website cost factors for most websites annually.

• Domain ($0.95 – $12 / DOMAIN)
• SSL certificate ($0 – $1500 / CERTIFICATE)
• Website hosting ($24 – $24,000 PER YEAR)
• Style or theme ($2,000 – $15,000)
• Responsive design ($3,000 – $25,000)
• Website pages ($1,000 – $10,000)
• Interactive media ($250 – $10,000)
• Content management system ($2,000 – $25,000)
• Ecommerce functionality ($2,000 – $25,000)
• Database integration ($2,000 – $25,000)

Can I get financing for my website design project?

Yes, there are many options for financing your website design project. One popular option is to work with an agency that offers flexible payment plans and custom pricing models, such as Structure. This can help you spread your project’s cost over time while getting a high-quality website that meets your needs and budget.

Other financing options may include working with a bank or other financial institution, taking out a personal loan, or using online platforms like Kickstarter or Indiegogo. 

In our article: Website Budgeting: What to Spend, Where to Save, and How to Finance, you can learn more about our recommendations for financing a website design, redesign, or development project.

How much should I budget for a website builder?

Many website builders offer low-cost plans with basic templates that allow you to quickly get online at an affordable price.

Website builders can be free or cost up to $500 monthly, with annual maintenance fees between $0 and $5,400. The cost of a website builder will depend on several factors, including the features and functionality you require, your budget constraints, and the level of support and maintenance services included in your package.

However, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the opportunity cost of a website builder. What you don’t pay for in money, you will pay for in time.  Building a website yourself or with the help of an agency requires extensive time and expertise, which can sometimes be just as expensive—if not more so—than working with a website builder.

Suppose you consider using a website builder to develop your online presence. In that case, it is crucial to carefully evaluate what you’d be losing in time or sales if you try to build your website yourself because the opportunity cost may be higher than the custom website design package cost you were considering.

How much should I budget for website maintenance? 

Keeping your website up and running can range from $35 to $50,000 (or more) per month, depending on several factors. However, it’s important to note that prices vary monthly, so many service providers may request upfront payment for the entire year.

Factors that can affect your monthly website maintenance costs include the size and complexity of your site, your industry, the level of customization required, and whether you need ongoing support or updates. Other considerations may include marketing services and marketing automation tools to help increase traffic, engagement, and conversions on your site.

To get a more accurate picture of your website’s total costs, consider the upfront and ongoing expenses of developing, maintaining, and growing your online presence. 

How much should I budget for website marketing?

Companies spend anywhere from $2,500 to $12,000 monthly marketing their website. Some invest even more, depending on the marketing strategies they pursue.

Services like SEO, Content Marketing, and Digital Advertising all fall under the umbrella of digital marketing. This is just a tiny sample of what’s included in the budget for marketing. Your company can decrease costs by cutting down on how many strategies it employs.

If a company solely decides to focus on SEO rather than adding digital advertising into its marketing strategy, it will have lower costs. Revenue and sales numbers have improved for businesses that use digital marketing as part of their plan; however, this method’s success is contingent upon your website.

For example, marketing tactics such as SEO and Digital Advertising bring users to your website. If you want these visitors to stay on your site, it’s essential to have a user-friendly design that is easy to navigate.