What Does a Website Actually Cost? A Real-Number Breakdown
One of the most common questions I hear on intro calls is some version of: "So... what does a website actually cost?"
And I get it. The internet will give you answers that range from $500 to $50,000 and somehow both feel true. So I'm going to do what I do on those calls — skip the vague ranges and give you real numbers, broken down by exactly what you're paying for.
Because the domain is just the beginning.
I've broken this into two buckets: the things you can't skip (Must-Haves) and the things that take your site from functional to genuinely impressive (Nice-to-Haves). Use this as your planning guide — bookmark it, share it, come back to it.
The Must-Haves: What Every Website Needs to Exist and Function
1. Your Domain Name
Your domain is your address on the internet. Think savvyandstyle.com. Most .com domains run between $10 and $20 per year, depending on where you register it (Squarespace Domains, Namecheap, and GoDaddy are common options).
*If you build on Squarespace, you get a free custom domain for the first year included with most annual plans. That's one less thing to set up from scratch.
2. Website Hosting (Squarespace Plans)
Hosting is what keeps your site live on the internet. On Squarespace, your hosting and website builder are bundled — which is one of the reasons I recommend it for service providers. You're not paying for hosting separately or troubleshooting server issues.
Current Squarespace plans (billed annually):
Personal — $16/month: Good for simple portfolio or brochure sites
Business — $23/month: Adds ecommerce, promotional pop-ups, and more
Commerce Basic — $28/month: For product or service sales
Commerce Advanced — $52/month: Subscriptions, advanced shipping, and more
For most coaches, consultants, and service providers, the Business plan is the sweet spot. Ask me how you can save 20% on your first year!
One thing worth knowing: all Squarespace plans include a free SSL certificate — that's the padlock in your browser bar that tells visitors your site is secure. It matters for trust and it matters for Google. If you build on a different platform, make sure SSL is included. It's non-negotiable.
3. Visual Branding
Here's something that gets skipped more than it should: before anyone builds your website — including you — you need a visual brand. That means logos, a color palette, and typography that actually work together. Without it, you're making design decisions from scratch every single time you create anything, and nothing ever quite feels cohesive.
If you're DIYing, you can pull together a color palette and fonts in Canva — but be honest with yourself about whether it's actually working or just "good enough for now." Good enough has a way of following you around for years.
If you're ready to do it properly, The Styled Brand is a complete visual foundation — logo suite, color palette, typography, and a brand guide that tells you exactly how to use everything. The result is that content creation gets faster, everything starts looking like it belongs to the same brand, and you stop second-guessing every design decision. Investment: $397 - $997.
Already have a website project in mind? The Styled Brand and The Styled Site can be combined — so your site is built from a solid visual foundation from day one, not pieced together after the fact.
4. Website Design
This is the widest range on this list because your options are genuinely different — not just in price, but in outcome.
Option 1: DIY with a premium template — $200 to $500
Premium Squarespace templates from designers like Go Live HQ (use my affiliate link and code SAVVYANDSTYLE10 to save 10%) give you a professional starting point you can customize yourself. This is a solid route if you have time, a clear brand, and enjoy that kind of work.
Option 2: Hire a professional web designer — $1,500 to $6,000+
A designer builds it for you — strategy, layout, structure, the works. You get a site that's cohesive and on-brand. At Savvy & Style, there are two options: The Styled Site — a full multi-page website (up to 6 pages) for established service providers ready for a complete online presence — and the Savvy Starter Site, a streamlined one-page option for those who need a polished home base now, built to grow later.
The honest take: if you've been tweaking a template for months and it still doesn't feel right, the problem probably isn't the template.
5. Professional Email
A yourname@yourbusiness.com email address is not optional at this level. Gmail.com in your email signature quietly signals that your business isn't quite there yet.
I recommend Google Workspace. Squarespace includes it free for the first year with most annual plans — after that, it's around $7/month per user (pricing at time of writing). Worth every dollar.
6. Legal Pages
This one catches people off guard, but here's the rule: if your site has any kind of form — a contact form, a discovery call request, a freebie opt-in — you are collecting personal information. That means you legally need a privacy policy.
And it's not just forms. If your site uses Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any tracking tool at all, you're dropping cookies on your visitors' browsers. Most countries now require you to disclose that — and in some cases, give visitors the option to opt out. A cookie consent banner isn't just a nice touch. It's a legal requirement in a lot of jurisdictions.
My go-to recommendation is Termageddon (receive 10% off your first year payment with code SAVVYSTYLE) — around $119/year. What I love about it: your policies automatically update as laws change. You're not responsible for monitoring privacy legislation in California, the EU, and everywhere else your clients might be located. Termageddon handles it. You set it up once and it stays current.
If you're a therapist, financial coach, or work in any regulated field, also loop in your attorney for anything specific to your industry.
The Nice-to-Haves: What Makes a Website Actually Work for You
None of these are required on day one. But they're the things that separate a website that exists from a website that converts.
7. Brand Photography
Your photos are doing heavy lifting on your website. Blurry headshots or generic stock images tell a story you don't want told.
A brand photographer who works with service providers typically runs $500 to $2,500 depending on your market and what's included. This is a one-time investment that pays off every time someone lands on your site.
Not ready for a shoot? Haute Stock is a membership I love for high-quality, styled stock photos that don't look like generic stock photos. Plans start around $15/month. Save 15% when you use my affiliate link and code SAVVYSTYLE.
8. Email Marketing
Your website should be collecting email addresses. Full stop. Social media algorithms change; your email list is yours.
Two options I recommend:
Squarespace Email Campaigns: Built right into your site, no extra login required. Included with some plans, add-on for others. Great if you want to keep everything in one place.
Flodesk: Beautiful templates, flat-rate pricing ($35/month or $350/year regardless of list size), and genuinely easy to use. My pick if you care about how your emails look.
9. Scheduling Software
If you want clients to book calls directly from your site — and you should — you need a scheduling tool. Going back and forth over email to find a time is friction you don't need, and it makes your business feel smaller than it is.
Popular options:
Calendly — free for basics, paid plans from ~$10/month. Easy to embed a booking link anywhere on your site.
Acuity Scheduling — more robust, starts at ~$16/month. Great if you need intake forms, packages, or multiple service types.
Squarespace Scheduling (powered by Acuity) — built right into your Squarespace site, no extra login. Worth considering if you want everything in one place.
10. Copywriter
Your website copy is doing as much work as the design. Maybe more. And writing about yourself is genuinely hard — most service providers either go blank or write way too much.
If you have the budget, hiring a copywriter who specializes in service-based businesses is worth it. They'll nail your messaging, write to your ideal client, and make every page feel intentional. Rates vary widely depending on experience and scope — a single landing page might run $500, a full website $1,500 to $3,000+.
Not ready to hire a copywriter? I provide copywriting prompts with every project to help guide what you write and where. It's not the same as a pro, but it gets you a lot further than a blank page.
11. SEO Strategy
Getting your site found on Google doesn't happen automatically — it takes intentional keyword strategy, page structure, and ongoing attention. Every site I build includes SEO-friendly page setup as a foundation, but if you want to go deeper — think keyword research, a content strategy, blog SEO, or local search optimization — that's where an SEO specialist comes in.
Depending on scope, expect to pay $500 to $2,500+ for a one-time SEO audit and strategy, or a monthly retainer if you want ongoing support. It's a longer-term investment, but for service providers who want to be found without relying solely on referrals or social media, it's worth the conversation.
So What Should You Spend?
That depends on where you are in your business — but here's the question I'd ask: what is it costing you not to have a site that actually works? If potential clients are landing on something outdated, inconsistent, or clearly DIY'd in a hurry, you're losing them before they ever reach out.
Your website is your hardest-working team member. It's on 24/7, talking to people while you're with clients, sleeping, or on vacation. It deserves an actual investment.
Ready to stop piecing it together and have a website that actually reflects where your business is now? Explore The Styled Site to see both options — full multi-page site or streamlined one-pager — and find the right fit.
Or book a discovery calland let's figure out the best next step together.
