You typed “small business website cost” into Google, then asked for three quotes. The first says €1,500. The second €3,200. The third €6,000. All three promise “a professional website”. None says clearly what you get for the difference.
This fog has a cause: the price of a small business website is posted nowhere. As a result, you compare things that cannot be compared, and you put the decision off. Meanwhile, a customer who types your trade and your city on their phone lands on your competitor.
This article gives you figures with sources, the list of costs people forget, the cases where free is enough, and a simple way to read a quote. You will know what to pay, even if you buy nothing from us.
Small business website cost: what are the benchmarks in 2026?
The La Fabrique du Net barometer, July 2026 edition, is based on 1,312 website project budgets submitted by companies. It gives a median of €5,200 across all profiles, and a median of €4,000 for very small businesses (La Fabrique du Net).
Two clarifications so you read this figure correctly:
- These amounts come mostly from projects handled by agencies. It is a benchmark of what the market charges, not a price floor.
- La Fabrique du Net itself states that its goal is to show how budgets are distributed, not to set the price of a website. Half of the projects cost less than the median, the other half more.
In other words, if your €1,500 quote seems “too cheap”, it is below the median, not out of touch with reality. And if someone asks you for €6,000 for a showcase site of a few pages, you are above what the average small business pays.
Why do quotes differ so much from one provider to another?
Four reasons explain the gap.
- The number of pages. A single page and a five-page site are not the same amount of work.
- Who writes the copy. Some quotes include the writing, others ask you to provide everything. That is often where the bill climbs afterward.
- Custom or not. A design drawn from scratch costs more than a proven layout adapted to your business.
- The provider's management time. Meetings, back-and-forth, a project manager. An agency passes those hours on in the price.
A baker who wants to say “here are our hours, our menu, come in” does not need the same site as an architecture firm presenting forty projects. The right price depends on what the site has to do.
What are the 4 ways to build a site, and what do they really cost?
Doing it yourself (Wix, Squarespace, Jimdo)
You pay a monthly subscription and build the site yourself. The cost in money is low. The cost in time is high: count several evenings for a decent result, and even more if you want to rank well on Google.
It is a good choice if you enjoy it and your site is not your main storefront. Otherwise, you pay with your evenings.
The freelancer
A freelancer delivers a custom site. Quality varies a lot from one person to another. Ask for sites they have already delivered that you can open on your phone, and check who will be reachable in two years when you want to change an opening time.
The agency
You get a contact person, a team, follow-up. You also pay for the structure. This is the zone of €4,000 and above in the small business median. It is justified for a complex site: catalog, client area, several languages.
The pack with a posted price
You pick a plan whose price, content and turnaround are written in advance. No quote to negotiate. The price is lower because the scope is fixed: a number of pages, a number of revisions, a delivery date.
This is the Fiddes Web approach, detailed below.
What costs do people forget when comparing quotes?
A €490 site that costs you €600 more every year is not a €490 site. Ask these questions before signing:
- The domain name. It must be in your name, not the provider's. Otherwise, you cannot leave with your site.
- Hosting. A site has to be hosted somewhere, continuously. How much per month, and until when is the rate guaranteed?
- Professional email. An address like contact@your-company.com inspires more trust than a Gmail address. Is it included?
- Backups. If the site crashes or gets hacked, who puts it back online?
- Changes. An opening time changes, a price moves. Is every change billed? At what rate?
- Length of commitment. A low monthly subscription can hide a commitment of several years.
Do the math over three years, never over one month. It is the only honest way to compare.
Cheap website: when free is enough
Let's be clear: not everyone needs to pay for a website.
- Your free Google profile (Google Business Profile) shows your hours, address, photos and phone number. For a business that lives on foot traffic and word of mouth, it already covers the essentials. If you have not filled it in yet, start there.
- A Facebook or Instagram page can fill the gap to announce an event or a new delivery.
- A self-service builder works if you have time and the desire to learn.
These solutions have limits. A Google profile does not let you tell the story of your trade, present your prices or receive quote requests your way. A social network belongs to a platform that can change its rules. And a site in your own name is still what customers check before calling you, especially for a service worth several hundred euros.
How to read a website quote in 5 minutes
Take your three quotes and look for these five lines:
- How many pages exactly? “Showcase site” means nothing. Demand a number.
- Is the copy included? Who writes it, who proofreads it?
- Is the site mobile-friendly? Your customers look for you on their phones. It should be written in black and white.
- How many rounds of revisions after delivery? One, two, unlimited?
- What happens after launch? Monthly price, what it covers, length of commitment.
A quote that does not answer these five points is not a quote, it is an intention. Send it back with these five questions. A good provider answers in two lines.
How much does a website cost at Fiddes Web?
At Fiddes Web, the price is posted. You order online, fill in a form about your business, pay, and the work starts. No work before payment, no quote to wait for. Prices in euros excl. VAT.
| Pack | Price | Content | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | €490 | 1 full page, copy written for you, mobile-friendly, basic local Google profile, contact form, map, opening hours, 1 round of revisions | 5 days |
| Pro | €990 | Up to 5 pages, optimized Google profile, simple appointment or booking system, 2 rounds of revisions | 7 days |
| Custom | from €1,490 | Advanced booking, several languages, catalog. Meeting first, then quote. | Quote on request |
The turnaround starts when we receive your payment and the completed form.
Hosting and maintenance: €39 per month as an option. They include hosting, the domain name in your name, the professional email address, backups and 30 minutes of changes per month. The commitment is 12 months.
Let's do the three-year math, as promised. An Essential site with the monthly plan comes to €490 plus 36 months at €39, so €1,894. A Pro site comes to €990 plus €1,404, so €2,394. You know exactly what you pay, from the first day to the last.
Money-back guarantee. If your project is bigger than the pack you chose, we let you know within 24 hours: you move up to the next pack by paying the difference, or you are fully refunded. No unpleasant surprises.
Essential, Pro or Custom: which one to choose?
A few examples of trades to help you find your place.
- A plumber or an electrician who wants to be found and called back: Essential is enough. One clear page, the phone number in large type, service areas, a form.
- A bakery or a hair salon: Essential if you simply want your hours and your menu, Pro if you want customers to book online.
- A practice (physiotherapist, accountant, lawyer): Pro. Several services to present, a team page, appointment booking.
- A coach or a trainer: Pro, with one page per offer and a contact page.
- A restaurant with advanced booking, or a shop with a catalog: Custom, from €1,490.
The Essential pack includes only one round of revisions. If you know you will hesitate over the copy, take Pro and its two rounds.
Can a cheap website actually pay off?
Yes, provided it gets found. According to the 2024 France Num barometer, more than one business in two says at least 5% of its customers come from the internet, five points more than in 2023 (survey of 10,125 businesses, including 6,425 very small ones, published September 16, 2024, French Directorate General for Enterprises).
Do a simple calculation. If an average job earns you €300, two extra customers thanks to the site cover an Essential pack. The price of a website is decided less on the invoice than on the number of people who find you and call you.
