Small business web design
What a small business website costs in Columbus, Ohio
At Lorien Web, a small business website costs $399 to set up plus $99 a month, or from $999 to $5,999 as a one-time project. Which one fits depends on how many pages you need, whether you sell online, and who keeps the site updated.
These are my prices, not a market survey. I have not surveyed other studios, so I am not quoting their rates. Below, you can see what each price includes and the questions to ask any vendor.
Prices at a glance
- Essentials
- $399 setup + $99 a month
- Starter
- $999, one time
- Growth
- $2,499, one time
- Premium
- $5,999, one time
The four plans
What each price includes
These are list prices. Qualifying nonprofits, churches, and community organizations receive at least 10% off.
Essentials
$399 setup + $99 a month
The lowest upfront cost. It includes your first 5 pages, design, copywriting, stock photography, domain setup, hosting, and an SSL certificate, plus ongoing care for as long as you stay on the plan. Extra pages are $50 each.
Starter
$999, one time
A focused first site of up to 5 pages, with custom design, a contact form, and on-page SEO setup. You own the site outright, and it comes with 2 weeks of support after launch.
Growth
$2,499, one time
Up to 10 pages, a content editor so you can update the site yourself, and an online store of up to 50 products. It comes with 1 month of support after launch.
Premium
$5,999, one time
Pages scoped to your project, full e-commerce, full site copywriting, blog setup, and SEO reporting. It comes with 2 months of support after launch.
Side by side
The four options compared
Here is how they compare on the things that usually decide it.
| Plan | Price | Pages | Timeline | After launch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $399 + $99/mo | First 5 (extra $50 each) | 2–3 weeks | Ongoing care while subscribed |
| Starter | $999 | Up to 5 | 2–3 weeks | 2 weeks of support |
| Growth | $2,499 | Up to 10 | 4–6 weeks | 1 month of support |
| Premium | $5,999 | Scoped to the project | 8–12 weeks | 2 months of support |
Choosing a plan
What decides which one you need
Four questions sort most small businesses into the right plan.
How many pages do you need?
Up to 5 fits Essentials or Starter. Up to 10 points to Growth. Beyond that, Premium is scoped to the project.
Do you sell online?
Growth includes a store of up to 50 products, and Premium includes full e-commerce. Starter and Essentials can add a store for $799.
Who writes the copy and finds the photos?
Essentials includes copywriting and stock photography. Growth includes homepage copywriting, and Premium includes full site copywriting.
Who updates the site after launch?
Essentials includes ongoing care. Growth and Premium include a content editor so your own staff can make changes.
After launch
What happens after launch, and what it costs
The build price is only part of the picture. Here is what happens to the site afterward under each approach.
- On Essentials, $99 a month covers hosting, updates, and ongoing care. You pay it for as long as you stay on the plan.
- With a one-time package, you own the code, and hosting and SSL are set up as part of the project. When post-launch support ends, you can keep hosting where it is, move it, or sign up for a care plan. There is no lock-in. What hosting costs afterward depends on the provider, so ask before you sign.
- A monthly retainer is $299 a month and adds hands-on updates and priority support beyond Essentials care.
Monthly or one time?
Essentials is $399 plus $99 a month, which comes to $1,587 over 12 months and $2,775 over 24. A Starter site costs $999 once. The monthly plan stays under $999 for the first six months and costs more after that, but it also includes hosting, copywriting, stock photography, and ongoing care that Starter does not list.
If you want to hand the site off and stop thinking about it, the monthly plan can be worth it. If you want to own the build and handle small changes yourself, a one-time package has the lower total on paper, before you add hosting and any updates you pay someone else to make.
Extras
Extras that change the price
Most projects stay inside their plan. These add-ons are what move the number.
- Additional page on Essentials: $50 each
- Extra revision round: $149
- Blog setup with 5 SEO-focused posts: $399
- E-commerce upgrade for Starter or Essentials: $799
- Speed and Core Web Vitals pass: $249
- Monthly retainer for hands-on updates and priority support: $299 a month
Every project gets a fixed quote in writing before work begins, so the number you approve is the number you pay.
Before you hire anyone
Questions to ask any vendor
Price alone will not tell you whether a project fits. These questions work on any quote, including mine.
- Is the price fixed, and what is not included?
- Do I own the site and the code when it is finished?
- Who writes the copy and supplies the photos?
- What do hosting and updates cost after launch, and who handles them?
- Is accessibility part of the baseline, or a separate charge?
- What happens if I outgrow this site in two years?
Common questions
Straight answers before you reach out.
Prices on this page match the Pricing page as of October 2026. If the two ever disagree, the Pricing page is the one to trust.
Get a fixed quote
Before you write
One person answers.
Tell me what you are building: how many pages, whether you sell online, and when you need it. A few sentences is plenty. I will write back with a real number, not a sales script.
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