Here's the direct answer. In Australia, a simple template website can start in the low thousands, a custom small business site usually costs several thousand dollars or more, and custom ecommerce often runs well into five figures. The final number depends on what the site has to do. We don't publish a price list: we quote every project in writing after a 30 to 60 minute discovery call. Our web design in Brisbane page explains how we work.
The problem: website quotes are hard to compare
Most quotes describe different things using the same words. "Five-page website" can mean a template with your logo dropped in, or it can mean research, custom design, written copy, SEO setup and training. On paper they look alike.
The result is that owners often pick on price alone, then pay again a year later when the site doesn't bring in enquiries. We've rebuilt plenty of those sites over 15 years, and the second build usually costs more than doing it right the first time.
What actually drives the cost of a website
Design: template or custom
A template gives you a pre-made layout. It's quicker and cheaper, but your site may look like many others. Custom design means the layout is planned around your customers and your brand, which takes more hours.
Pages and content
Every page needs words and images. If you supply finished copy and photos, the cost drops. If we write the content and source the images, it goes up.
Platform
WordPress suits most service businesses. Shopify suits most online stores. Webflow works well for design-led sites, and a custom PHP build (We often use CodeIgniter) suits apps with unusual logic. Each has different setup time and licence costs. You can compare them on our WordPress website design and Shopify store pages.
Fun fact
W3Techs data shows WordPress powers more than 40% of all websites. That popularity is one reason it's easy to find plugins, support and developers for it.
Features and integrations
Booking systems, quote calculators, member logins, CRM connections and payment gateways all add time. So does connecting your site to tools like GoHighLevel, Xero or a stock system. A shop with 20 products is a very different job from one with 2,000 products and variants.
Who does the work
A freelancer, a local agency and an offshore team will all price differently. Ask who builds it and who will fix it in two years. Our team does everything in-house here in Brisbane.
Typical website cost tiers
These are broad Australian market ranges, not a price list. Every project is quoted on its own scope.
| Type of website | What you usually get | General market guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Starter template site | A few pages, template design, basic contact form | Can start in the low thousands |
| Custom small business site | Custom design, 5 to 15 pages, SEO setup, copy help | Often several thousand to low five figures |
| Ecommerce store | Shopify or WooCommerce, products, payments, shipping rules | Often well into five figures for custom builds |
| Custom web app or portal | Logins, dashboards, workflows, integrations | Priced on scope, often higher again |
How we price our own work
We don't publish prices, because two "five-page websites" can be completely different jobs. We start with a 30 to 60 minute discovery call about your business and what the site needs to do. Then we send a written quote with the scope, features and timeline spelled out, with no obligation to go ahead.
A typical small business website takes our team 1 to 2 weeks to build. Ecommerce stores and custom builds take longer, and your quote will say how long. Once the project is paid in full, you own the website, the domain, the content and any custom code.
If you're selling online, our ecommerce website design page covers what goes into a store build.
Ongoing costs most quotes leave out
The build is only the first bill. Plan for these as well:
- Domain name: a yearly fee for your .com.au or .au address, usually modest.
- Hosting: where your site lives. We run our own cPanel/WHM server in Australia that hosts 200+ client sites. See Australian hosting for details. Hosting is included in your written quote if you want it.
- SSL certificate: the padlock in the browser. Many hosts include a free one now, but check.
- Maintenance: plugin and security updates, backups and small fixes. We quote this separately, so you can see exactly what it covers.
- SEO and content: a site nobody finds won't pay for itself. We cover this in our guide to SEO pricing in Brisbane.
- Licences: premium plugins, Shopify plans, apps and email accounts.
Fun fact
The .au country domain was first delegated in March 1986. Australians have been able to register direct .au domains (like yourname.au) since March 2022.
Expert insights from 15 years of quoting
The biggest cost blowouts we see come from unclear scope, not from design. When nobody writes down how many pages, which features and who supplies content, the project drifts. A one-page scope document saves real money.
The second insight: a cheap site isn't always cheap. If it's slow on mobile or hard to update, you'll pay in lost enquiries every month. We'd rather build a smaller site well and add pages later.
Marketing tip
Before you ask for quotes, write down the one action you want visitors to take (call, book or buy) and list your ten most common customer questions. Send that to every provider. You'll get quotes you can actually compare.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Choosing the lowest quote without checking what's included
- Not owning your domain, hosting login or website files
- Skipping mobile testing (most local searches happen on phones)
- Forgetting to budget for content and photos
- Launching without Google Search Console and GA4 set up
Best practices when getting a quote
Ask every provider the same questions. Who owns the site when it's finished? What happens if you want to leave? Is SEO setup included, and what does it cover? How long is support included after launch?
Check their past work on a phone. Ask for a written scope with page counts and features. Clear quotes are a good sign of a clear process.
Practical tips for affordable web design in Brisbane
If money is tight, you still have good options:
- Start with a smaller site (5 or 6 strong pages) and grow it.
- Write your own first draft of the copy, then have it edited.
- Use a well-supported theme with custom touches instead of full custom design.
- Take your own photos of your team and your work. Real photos build trust.
Marketing tip
Set up your free Google Business Profile this week, even before the new site launches. Add photos, hours and your service areas. It can start bringing in calls while the website is being built.