Direct answerThere is no single responsible market price for a small-business website because scope, content, design depth, integrations and service model change the work. Compare offers by the exact deliverables, ownership, dependencies and ongoing costs—not by the headline number alone.
Start with the job the website has to do
A five-page lead-generation site for a contractor is a different product from an online store, booking platform or membership portal. Before comparing prices, write down the pages, primary action, content volume, required systems and number of decision-makers.
- Marketing site: explain services, proof, fit and contact path
- Commerce site: products, payments, tax, fulfilment and customer service
- Custom application: accounts, data, permissions and ongoing product development
Separate the cost categories
A quote becomes easier to evaluate when one-time production, recurring infrastructure and optional growth work are not blended together.
| Category | Typical items | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Build | Strategy, design, development, content setup | What exact scope is delivered? |
| Ongoing | Domain, hosting, email, paid tools | Who owns each account and what renews? |
| Optional | Copywriting, photography, booking, care, SEO | Is this required or genuinely optional? |
What changes the build price
The largest cost drivers are usually not the number of colours or animations. They are content volume, decision complexity, custom functionality, integrations, discovery depth, revision cycles and the amount of original media or copy required.
- More unique pages or complex content models
- Multiple stakeholders and approval rounds
- Stores, portals, databases and custom workflows
- Original copy, photography, illustration or video
- Migration, multilingual content and regulated review
Where the CAD $900 product fits
The $900 Website offer deliberately fixes the variables: up to five standard pages, one design direction, one consolidated revision round, client-supplied source content, a contact or quote form and clear technical foundations. Hosting and optional add-ons remain separate.
It is a strong fit when that container can solve the business problem. It is the wrong fit when the project needs a store, portal, advanced booking, large content library or open-ended exploration.
A five-question quote check
Before signing, ask for plain answers.
- What exactly is included and excluded?
- When does the delivery clock begin?
- How many concepts and revision rounds are included?
- Who owns the domain, accounts and final approved assets?
- Which fees recur, and which services are optional?