What Should a Small Business Website Cost in New Zealand?
Does every small business need a $10,000 website?
No.
In fact, one of the biggest mistakes a business can make is investing in a website that is far more complicated than it needs to be.
The opposite can also be true.
Saving money on a website that doesn’t properly represent the business or generate enquiries can prove expensive in the long run.
So what should a small business website actually cost?
Start with what the business needs
Before thinking about budget, consider the purpose of the website.
For many small businesses, the requirements are relatively simple:
- Explain who you are
- Clearly show what you do
- Build trust
- Show examples of your work
- Provide customer reviews
- Make your contact details easy to find
- Generate enquiries
A well-designed one-page website may achieve all of this.
For other businesses, customers need considerably more information before making contact. In that situation, separate service pages, projects, case studies, FAQs or other content may be worthwhile.
What is a realistic small business website budget?
At the entry level, a professionally built website might start from roughly $1,500 to $3,000+.
A more developed small business website might sit around $4,000 to $8,000+, depending on its design, size, content and functionality.
These aren’t fixed package prices. They simply provide a useful starting point when planning a website budget.
Where can a small business save money?
There are sensible ways to reduce the cost of a website.
Start smaller
You don’t necessarily need to launch with every possible page.
A strong one-page website can provide an excellent starting point and potentially be expanded later.
Use an established design framework
Not every website needs to be designed completely from scratch.
Starting from a proven framework can reduce design and development time while still creating a professional result.
Supply your own content
If you already have good photography and well-written business information, this may reduce the amount of additional work required.
Keep functionality simple
Custom functionality adds development time.
If a standard enquiry form achieves the same business outcome as a complicated online system, the simpler solution may make more sense.
Where is it worth investing more?
There are also areas where cutting costs can work against you.
Professional imagery
Customers often want to see who they are dealing with.
For trades, construction, professional services, manufacturing and many other industries, real photography can build considerably more trust than generic stock imagery.
Copywriting
Business owners know their companies extremely well, but that doesn’t always make writing website content easy.
Good copy helps customers quickly understand what you do, why they should choose you and what they should do next.
SEO
If Google is an important source of future enquiries, it is worth thinking about SEO when the website is being planned rather than trying to add it afterwards.
DIY website, freelancer or agency?
There isn’t one correct option.
A DIY website can make sense for a new business with a very limited budget.
A freelancer may provide a cost-effective solution where the project aligns with their skill set.
An agency becomes valuable when a project requires several different areas of expertise.
At MoMac, for example, website projects can involve web developers, designers, content creators, photographers, digital marketers and client managers.
The advantage isn’t simply having more people.
It is having people who specialise in different parts of the project.
Think beyond launch day
Your relationship with your website provider shouldn’t necessarily end when the website goes live.
Businesses change.
Staff change. Services evolve. New projects are completed. Technology changes. Marketing priorities shift.
Having someone available to help with the website over the long term can therefore be just as important as the initial build.
The best small business website isn’t necessarily the cheapest or the most expensive. It is the one that achieves what the business needs without unnecessary complexity.
