Average cost of website design for small business Australia
The TL;DR version (Too long, didn’t read!)
If you’ve not built a website for your business before then you’re probably going to want to know how much it will all cost, and when you start looking into it - you’ll see there are more options than you were expecting!
That said there are some key things to look out for and our quick guide below should help you to figure out what you need, how much it will cost and how to avoid being ripped off!
How Do I Figure Out What My Business Website Needs?
First off you need to know what you want. When you engage a web design company they’re going to want to know a bit about the business and what your intentions are, is this to help sell a product or to advertise a service? If it’s a service, is it something physical or is it your expertise - what is the angle they need to get across to the online audience to make sure your new website delivers results.
Websites can help your business by increasing leads, sales and exposure (and if done well, all three at the same time!)
What do you know?
The more you know about what you need before engaging a web design company the easier this will all be, if you don’t want to spend tens of thousands on a site - let them know at the beginning! Most reputable web design companies will take your budget and work with you to extract the most out of it.
That being said - there are some budgets that honest web design companies will know simply won’t work. The same as a plumber will tell you they can’t fix a tap for $1.50, a reputable web design company isn’t going to be creating anything meaningful online for under $1000. As a ballpark web design price guide, once you setup your hosting server, your domain name, your email addresses you’re up to around $400 in spend (don’t forget to add the gst on that too!)
From there the web design company needs to design a website for you - so throw in some stock images ($200) and spend a good day and a half on design, content writing and putting it altogether, you’re already up over $1000 - and that’s for a single page web design.
How Much Does a Business Website Actually Cost to Build in Australia?
To understand web design pricing, it helps to look at the baseline hard costs before a single line of code is written:
Domain, Hosting & Professional Email: ~$400/year (+ GST)
Licensed Stock Imagery: ~$200
Design, Development & Copywriting: 10–12 hours of specialized labor
Because of these foundational expenses, a reputable Australian web design agency cannot deliver a functional, strategic website for under $1,000. For example, at Alta Image Web Design, our entry-level Quick Web Launch package starts at $1,295. This covers a 2–3 page custom layout, a dedicated contact page with integrated Google Maps, mobile optimization, and foundational SEO.
How Does Competitor Web Design Impact Your Quote?
If you’re looking to beat a specific retailer or service provider online - the best thing you can do is show that very website to your web designer. That way you can get a like for like quote. For us one of the easiest ways to price a project and scope is like for like - it’s very easy for us to do a quick technical analysis of a competing website design and let you know - if we had to build the exact same thing, what it would cost and how long it would take.
So getting back to how much a website design costs for small businesses in Australia.
Website Design Packages & Pricing
| Package | Investment (AUD) | Best For | Key Inclusions & Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick Web Launch | $1,295 | Startups & small businesses needing a fast, professional online presence |
|
| Growth Package | $1,695 | Growing businesses wanting to increase visibility and conversions |
|
| Advanced Design | $1,895 | Established service providers requiring a strong lead-generation focus |
|
| eCommerce Package | From $2,495 | Small businesses wanting to sell products or services online |
|
| Domination | $2,995 | Businesses seeking to maximize online reach and outpace local competitors |
|
| Revamp & Redesign | Custom Quote | Existing sites needing a modern overhaul or SEO performance boost |
|
| Bespoke / Enterprise | Custom Quote | Complex business requirements or tailored digital strategies |
|
Standard Inclusions (All Packages)
Every fixed-price package built by Alta Image includes:
- Custom WordPress Design (mobile-friendly & user-editable CMS)
- Australian Server Hosting Integration for fast page load speeds
- Lead Generation Tools (contact forms, call-to-action buttons)
- SEO & Analytics Foundations (Google Analytics tracking & Google Business setup)
- Stock Media & Copywriting Assistance if required
When thinking about the overall costs to your business, there’s also the ongoing management/maintenance and upkeep of your website.
We don’t for example charge a monthly subscription or ‘lock in’ fee to keep you with us - we want you to stay because you’re happy with the service we provide. Our yearly renewal cost covers your server, hosting DNS (how your domain name talks to the internet) and domain name/s depending on your requirement. It also covers any email services you may run through us as well, and covers your websites daily, weekly, monthly backup rotation (for data integrity)
If you need a service on your website, which we recommend to look into once a year (much the same as having your car serviced) then we can offer a fixed price costing on the service, that is on a request only basis, we don’t make you run a service on your website - but again, like your car, if you don’t service it you could find yourself broken down one day and the repairs bill often outweighs the service costs!
Overall if you’re looking for a small business web design (without eCommerce or online payment functions) you should be able to get online for between $1000 and $5000 depending on the size and scope of your business.
The more you spend, the more functions you’ll have.
You will find with a larger site with more content, that your search position will likely be higher when you launch as well, search engines love content and well written content can work wonders for your business online.
FAQs on how much a website design will cost
Are there hidden monthly lock-in fees with web design agencies?
Not with transparent agencies. At Alta Image Web Design, we don’t use lock-in subscriptions. You pay an annual renewal to cover your Australian hosting, domain, DNS, and automated backups.
Do I need to pay to service my website every year?
Servicing is on a request-only basis. Just like servicing a car, updating your site's core CMS, plugins, and security features annually prevents costly breakdowns down the line.
Will a more expensive website rank higher on Google?
Larger sites naturally offer more space for well-written, keyword-rich content. Because search engines prioritize comprehensive, high-quality information, larger build-outs often launch with an initial advantage in search rankings.
Websites built for your business or industry
Lead-generating websites and Google Ads landing pages for small, medium and large businesses, tradies, health and care providers.
