Website
How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost in Australia in 2026?
The cost of a small business website in Australia can vary by a factor of ten or more, from about $750 for a one-page site to over $30,000 for a bespoke build. The price depends mostly on the scope of work, not just on who builds it.
According to GoDaddy Australia's cost guide (updated 1 May 2026), a designer-built brochure website typically costs $2,500 to $10,000, while an online store runs from $8,500 to more than $20,000. Those figures cover the initial build only.
What gets mentioned less is the yearly running cost: the domain, hosting, business email and the work of looking after the site. Those are what decide whether the website keeps working after launch day.
Key Takeaways
- Designer-built brochure website: about $2,500–$10,000. One-page website: $750–$7,500. Online store: $8,500 to more than $20,000. Large bespoke website: above $30,000.
- Running costs include a .com.au domain ($20–$50 a year), hosting ($6.95–$29.95 a month for a brochure site) and business email ($3.50–$22.90 a month), before any ongoing care.
- To register a .com.au domain, a business needs an ABN, ACN, ARBN or an Australian trade mark, and the name must connect to the business.
- The most important question on any quote: whose name the domain, hosting and code sit in after handover.
Put the ranges side by side and the spread is wide. The spread comes from scope: how many pages, who writes the content, whether the site sells online, and how much of the design is made specifically for the business.
Source: GoDaddy Australia, "How much does it cost to build a website in Australia?", updated 1 May 2026. Initial designer-built cost, excluding running costs.
The Initial Build: Four Common Tiers
Each price tier matches a different kind of website and a different business need. Work out the need first, then compare prices.
1. One-page website: $750–$7,500
Suits a new business that needs a professional presence online: what it does, where it works and how to get in touch. The limit is room to grow, and it is harder to show up on Google for several different services.
2. Brochure website: $2,500–$10,000
A common choice for service businesses: a page per service, an about page, a contact form and basic search optimisation. Whether it lands at the low or high end depends mostly on who writes the content, who supplies the photos, and whether the design is custom or template-based.
3. Online store: $8,500 to $20,000+
The cost rises because the site has to handle products, a cart, payments, shipping and connections to stock or accounting software. Product count and the number of systems to connect are the two biggest drivers.
4. Large bespoke website: above $30,000
For sites with their own functionality, such as a customer portal, complex booking or deep integration with internal software. At this level, the website is closer to a piece of software than a brochure.
A note on the source: GoDaddy also sells a website builder and hosting. Treat these ranges as a market reference point, not a fixed price list.
Holdrix website design and care
The Yearly Running Costs Quotes Rarely Mention
A website needs to be kept running after launch. The costs below recur monthly or yearly, and belong in the budget from the start.
- .com.au domain: $20–$50 a year.
- Hosting: $6.95–$29.95 a month for a brochure site; from $24.50 a month for an online store.
- Business email (for example info@yourbusiness.com.au): $3.50–$22.90 a month.
- Website care (backups, security updates, content changes): $90 to more than $2,000 a month, depending on scope.
- SEO services (optional): $300–$3,500 a month.
For example, taking only the lowest figures for a domain, hosting and one mailbox, running costs come to about $145 a year ($20 + $6.95 × 12 + $3.50 × 12), before any website care. The amount is small, but if nobody tracks the renewals, an expired domain can take the website and email down together.
On top of that, business.gov.au recommends turning on two-factor authentication for admin accounts and keeping website software up to date. That is part of website care, and not the place to save money.
The .com.au Domain: What Your Business Needs
According to auDA, which administers .au domains, a .com.au registrant must be a commercial entity with a connection to Australia. The most common way to show this is an active ABN or ACN. A foreign company trading in Australia can use an ARBN, or an Australian registered or pending trade mark. A physical Australian address is not required.
The name must also connect to the business: a match or acronym of the business or trading name, a trade mark, or a description of the services or goods it provides. Names are allocated first come, first served to the first eligible applicant, for terms of one to five years, and the business must keep meeting the rules while it holds the name.
That is why the domain should be registered directly in the business's own name and ABN, not the web agency's.
Five Questions to Ask Before You Sign a Quote
1. Whose name are the domain, hosting and code in?
The business should own its accounts and logins. If you change providers later, you keep the website, the email and your Google rankings.
2. Does the quote include content and images?
Writing content and preparing images is often the most time-consuming part. Two quotes can differ widely simply because one includes it and the other leaves it to you.
3. Can you make updates yourself?
If prices, opening hours or images change often, ask which changes you can make yourself and which need the provider, and what each change costs.
4. What is the total yearly cost after launch?
Ask for the domain, hosting, email, website care and any paid plugins or software to be listed in full, so quotes can be compared on the same basis.
5. Who supports the site after launch, and for how long?
Small issues often appear in the first weeks, once real customers start using the site. Know how long the included support period runs.
When You Don't Need a Full Website Yet
Not every business needs to spend thousands up front. If you have just started and are still testing the market, a complete Google Business Profile plus a one-page site may be enough for customers to find and contact you.
A DIY website builder is also a fair choice for simple needs, at around $14.95–$22.69 a month according to GoDaddy. The trade-off is the owner's own time spent designing, writing and maintaining the site.
A full website becomes worth the investment when you have several services to present separately, want to be found on Google for each one, or need the site connected to booking, quoting or sales systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a website cost to run each year?
A domain, hosting and business email start from about $145 a year at the low end. Paying a provider to look after the site adds from $90 a month upwards, depending on scope.
Should we use a DIY website builder?
Yes, if your needs are simple and you have time to do it yourself. Once you need several service pages, proper SEO or connections to other software, a designed website is usually the better fit.
Do we have to use a .com.au domain?
No, but .com.au tells customers you operate in Australia. To register one, you need an ABN, ACN, ARBN or Australian trade mark, and the name must connect to your business.
The Short Version
Website costs in Australia vary widely because the scope varies widely. Before comparing prices, define what you need, count the yearly running costs, and make sure every account is in your own name.
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