How Much Does a Website Cost in Brisbane for Small Businesses?

If you’re a small business owner in Brisbane wondering how much a website will cost in 2025, you're not alone. It’s one of the first questions asked and one of the trickiest to answer without context. The short version? Prices vary widely depending on what you need, who’s building it, and how much time and strategy go into the job.

Let’s unpack the real costs behind small business websites in Brisbane, and what you can expect at each tier.

Key Takeaways

• The right platform depends on your business goals, not just your budget.
  
  
• DIY sites are fast and cheap but often limit growth, SEO, and flexibility.
  
  
• Professional builds offer better performance, structure, and long-term value.
  
  
• Who builds your site matters just as much as the platform itself.
  
  
• Ongoing hosting and maintenance are essential for speed, security, and performance.
  
  
• Plan for long-term results, not just short-term savings.

The Real Cost Behind the Platform You Choose

Not all platforms are created equal. Each one has strengths, but they also come with limitations that affect cost, performance, and scalability.

DIY platforms like Wix or GoDaddy let you build a website for next to nothing. But these often fall short when it comes to long-term growth. Templates can look generic, SEO tools are basic, and page speed might not meet modern expectations.

WordPress is flexible and well-supported, especially when used by professionals. You could build a cheap WordPress site yourself—but hiring a skilled web developer can make all the difference in performance and polish.

Webflow is popular among web developers in Australia for its balance of design control and power. When handled by a professional, it delivers a responsive, high-performance site that’s ideal for small businesses wanting a standout digital presence.

Shopify is often the go-to for businesses focused on eCommerce. It includes everything needed to run an online store—inventory tools, payments, shipping, and apps. But while it’s easy to launch a basic store with a theme, getting the design and functionality just right usually means hiring a Shopify expert.

Common Website Pricing in Brisbane

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Here’s how prices typically look for small business websites in Brisbane in 2025:

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Free or DIY Templates

$0 – $300

1-3 (basic static pages)

*Basic online presence  

*Hobby projects, very early-stage

*Poor branding, limited SEO, no scalability

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Template-Based, Some Customisation

$800 – $2,000

3-7 (core brochure pages)

* Basic professional look  

*Budget-conscious businesses

*Generic, limited for growth, not for high page counts

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Freelancer / Small Studio (WordPress)

$2,500 – $5,000

5-12 (service pages + blog)

* Custom branding, SEO setup, plugins 

* Service-based businesses

* Scale limited by freelancer; fewer complex features

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Professional Builds (Webflow, WordPress, Shopify)

$5,000 – $10,000+

10-25 (info pages) OR up to 50 (eCommerce products)

* Strategic, custom design, mobile-optimised 

* Fast, CRM/booking/eCommerce integration

* Higher initial investment

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Shopify-Specific (eCommerce)

$1,500 – $8,000+

10-100 (products + core content pages)

* Online store focus (UX, filtering, payments) 

* From basic themes to professional stores

* Primarily for sales; not general websites

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Custom-Coded Websites

$12,000 – $25,000+

Highly variable (e.g., 5-50+ unique screens/pages); cost driven by complex features.

* Advanced unique functionality, custom design 

* Complex integrations, web applications, high performance

* Highest investment; only for unique/complex needs

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Important Note on Website Cost Factors: 

Please note: The page counts listed are typical estimates for sites within each tier's general scope. However, the final cost for any website is significantly influenced by its overall complexity, unique features, custom design requirements, and integrations. More complex functionality or custom web design (even on fewer pages) or a significantly higher number of simpler pages will generally increase the development effort and thus the investment required, regardless of the platform.

If you're weighing your options, our website pricing and platform comparison page breaks down what influences cost—and shows how different tools like WordPress, Webflow, and custom builds stack up in real-world scenarios.

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Hosting and Maintenance: The Ongoing Costs You Can’t Ignore

Website costs don’t stop once your site goes live. Hosting and maintenance are essential if you want your site to stay fast, secure, and up-to-date.

Hosting varies depending on the platform you use. DIY builders like Wix and GoDaddy bundle it in, but the performance is often average at best. Self-hosted WordPress setups give you more control—but you’ll need to choose a reliable provider and manage things like backups and SSL certificates. Webflow includes fast hosting, a global CDN, and security features—but comes at a higher price point. Shopify also includes secure hosting, but you’ll pay monthly for the platform itself.

Here’s what you can expect in 2025:

• DIY platforms: $150–$400/year with limited flexibility.
  
  
• Self-hosted WordPress: $100–$500/year depending on performance needs.
  
  
• Webflow: $250–$600+/year with built-in speed and security.
  
  
• Shopify: $600–$1,500/year when you include the monthly plan, apps, and upgrades.
  
  

Maintenance is just as important—especially for WordPress and Shopify. Without regular updates to plugins, themes, or security patches, even the best site can start to break down. Many business owners don’t budget for this and end up paying more later when things go wrong.

Typical costs in Brisbane:

• Freelancer or small studio support: $50–$150/month for ongoing updates.
  
  
• Professional agency care plans: $100–$300/month including backups, bug fixes, and minor content tweaks.
  
  

Cutting corners here usually backfires. Ongoing investment in hosting and maintenance keeps your site running smoothly—and helps you avoid costly rebuilds down the track.

For a closer look at why this matters so much in the long run, this guide to website maintenance and support breaks it all down in plain terms.

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Time Affects Cost Too—Here’s Why

Time and cost go hand in hand. A simple site might take two weeks. But if your business requires a site with booking systems, eCommerce, or CRM integrations, development could take 6–10 weeks or more.

Here’s how timelines typically break down:

• DIY builds: 1–4 weeks (longer if learning as you go)
  
  
• Freelancer builds: 2–6 weeks
  
  
• Professional agencies: 6–10+ weeks depending on complexity
  
  

And let’s not forget—rush jobs rarely end well. Sites built too quickly often cut corners, which can hurt performance and cost more in fixes later.

If you want a clearer breakdown of how timelines really work, this guide to building a business website in Brisbane dives deeper into what impacts the process—and how to plan it right from the start.

Who Builds Your Site? This Might Be the Most Important Factor

The biggest cost factor isn’t always the platform—it’s who’s building the site.

When people plan a site, they often want more pages or features than they truly need. A good developer can sense this. They'll actively guide you, regardless of the project's size, to focus on the essential architecture that builds a more focused, high-impact site with everything your business needs to succeed. This strategic advice ensures your initial investment leads to a far better, more impactful web presence.

And when that developer is local, the benefits go even further. A web developer in Brisbane brings insight into how your audience searches, why a .com.au domain builds trust, and what mobile-first really means for users in your area.

A well-built site by a professional offers more than polish—it performs better, loads faster, and delivers results long after launch.
If you’re looking for that kind of strategic, local support, our South Brisbane web development services are a great place to start.

What You Get at Higher Tiers

When you invest in professional web development in Brisbane, you’re not just paying for aesthetics. You’re getting:

• A tailored design that fits your business and brand.
  
  
• Pages structured for SEO and conversions.
  
  
• Integration with tools like CRMs, booking systems, and analytics.
  
  
• Faster load times with optimised code and hosting.
  
  
• Ongoing support when issues pop up or updates are needed.
  
  

It’s this combination of performance, polish, and reliability that sets expert-built websites apart.

Want to see how it plays out in real businesses? Check out our case studies like Ozcon Air Solutions—where a tailored redesign led to faster load times, stronger branding, and long-term performance.

Hidden Costs to Watch Out For

Some cheaper websites come with hidden costs you may not expect upfront:

• No SEO foundation: which means you won’t be found easily on Google.
  
  
• Limited scalability: templates may not grow with your business.
  
  
• Weak support: fixing things later often costs more than building it right from the start.
  
  
• Domain and hosting upsells: many DIY platforms lure you in with free trials but charge heavily over time.
  
  

Smart business owners plan for long-term value, not just launch-day savings.

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Final Thoughts: Plan Smart, Build Once

The true cost of a small business website in Brisbane isn’t just in dollars—it’s in how well that site performs, scales, and supports your goals.

A cheap build may get you online quickly, but often at the cost of missed conversions, slower performance, and eventual rebuilds. By investing in custom web design services from experienced web developers in Australia, you gain a platform that works hard for your business—both today and as you grow.

If you're unsure what level of investment makes sense for your goals, start by talking to a local developer who understands the Brisbane market. They can help you choose the right platform and process for where you are—and where you're heading.

Because the right website isn’t just built—it’s carefully planned, purpose-driven, and designed to grow with you. Let’s talk about your vision and start building a website that lives up to its full potential.

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