What a small business website costs in Melbourne

Before I started building sites, every quote I saw for a simple small business website landed between $3,000 and $8,000. For five pages. That number quietly stops a lot of good local businesses from getting online at all.

Here is the honest version. Most small businesses do not need a $5,000 website. They need a fast, clean site that says what they do, builds a bit of trust, and makes it easy to get in touch. This post breaks down what that should really cost in Melbourne, and why the big quotes are so high.

What actually drives the price of a website

A website quote is mostly about who is doing the work and how much is custom. The real cost drivers are:

• → custom design versus a stock template
• → how many pages you need
• → who writes the words
• → extra features like bookings, logins, or an online store
• → the overheads of whoever builds it

That last one is the big one. An agency quote bakes in account managers, a sales team, and office rent. A five page site for a local trade or cafe does not need any of that. You are paying for the overhead, not the website.

What a small business actually needs

Strip it back to what moves the needle and the list is short:

• ✅ a clear homepage that says what you do and where
• ✅ mobile first, because more than half your visitors arrive on a phone
• ✅ an easy way to call, message, or book
• ✅ shows up when people search your name and your trade
• ✅ loads fast and looks current, not stuck in 2014

You do not need a custom booking engine on day one. You need the phone to ring and the enquiries to land in your inbox. Everything else can come later, once the site is paying for itself.

Website builders versus done for you

Drag and drop builders like Wix or Squarespace start cheap, around $20 to $40 a month. The catch is your time and a templated look that blends in with every other business using the same theme. If you have the hours and the eye, they work.

Done for you is a one off cost. Someone designs it around your brand, writes the words, connects your domain, and hands you a site you own. It goes live faster and it does not look like a template. For most owners who are already flat out running the business, that trade is worth it.

What we charge, and why

We keep it simple. A custom multi page site is $249 AUD, one off. Add SEO done for you for $349. Bigger builds like booking systems or online stores get a custom quote. No subscriptions, no surprises. You can see the full breakdown on the pricing section.

The reason we can hold that price: no agency overhead, a tight process, and a design system we build from rather than starting every project on a blank page. The savings go to you, not to a sales team.

What to ask before you pay anyone

Whoever you go with, get clear answers to these first:

• Do I own the site and the domain?
• Is hosting included, and what does it cost after launch?
• Is it built mobile first?
• How many rounds of revisions do I get?
• How fast can it go live?

If a quote cannot answer those in one email, keep looking. For the basics of registering a domain and getting set up, the Australian Government guide at business.gov.au is a solid, free read.