"How much does a website cost?" is a bit like asking "how much does a car cost?" — it depends entirely on what you're buying. Here's how to think about it so you can tell a fair quote from a lowball or a markup.
What actually drives the price
- Number and complexity of pages — a 5-page brochure site costs far less than a 20-page site with custom booking flows.
- Custom design vs. templates — a fully custom design system takes more hours than adapting an existing template.
- Functionality — e-commerce, booking systems, membership logins, and multi-location support all add development time.
- Content & photography — writing copy and sourcing or shooting photography is real work, whether you or your agency does it.
- Ongoing care — a site that nobody maintains degrades. Factor a monthly care plan into your real cost of ownership.
Typical ranges we see in Chicago
For context, here's roughly what we see across the market for small business sites in the Chicago area:
- $1,500 – $3,000: Template-based sites with light customization, usually 3-5 pages.
- $4,000 – $7,000: Custom-designed marketing sites with a blog or CMS, 8-12 pages.
- $10,000+: E-commerce, multi-location, or highly custom platforms with ongoing strategy support.
Our own packages sit across this range — see our pricing page for specifics.
How to spot a lowball or a markup
A quote far below market for the scope you're describing usually means templated design, limited revisions, or hidden costs later (extra pages, "SEO add-ons," etc.). A quote far above market with vague deliverables is a red flag in the other direction. Ask any agency for a clear, itemized scope before you sign anything.
The real question to ask
Instead of "what does a website cost," ask "what will this website need to do, and what happens after it launches." A cheap site that needs a rebuild in a year costs more than a slightly pricier one built to last.