What Does a Professional Website Actually Cost?

“What does this cost?” is the first question everyone asks, and rightfully so. But the answer to “what does a website cost” depends entirely on what kind of website we’re talking about.

Let’s cut through the noise and give you a clear picture.

The landscape

Website costs range from zero to six figures. Here’s the realistic spectrum:

Free: Website builders with a subdomain (yourname.wixsite.com)
100-300/year: DIY builder subscription with your own domain
500-2,000: Professional personal website or digital business card
2,000-5,000: Full corporate website with multiple sections
5,000-15,000: Custom multi-page site with content strategy
15,000+: Enterprise builds with complex functionality

For executives and consultants, the sweet spot is typically in the 500-5,000 range: depending on scope.

What are you actually paying for?

When you invest in a professional website, you’re not just paying for code. You’re paying for:

Strategy. Someone who understands how to position a C-suite professional online. What to emphasize, what to leave out, how to structure the narrative.

Design. A visual identity that matches the caliber of your work. Typography, spacing, color. The details that separate professional from amateur.

Technical execution. Clean code, fast loading, mobile optimization, SEO foundations, security. The things you never see but that make everything else work.

Your time saved. Perhaps the biggest value. A professional website is done in days, not the weeks or months it takes to figure it out yourself.

What you shouldn’t be paying for

Watch out for these common cost inflators:

Monthly “platform fees” for basic hosting (should be minimal)
Per-change fees for simple text updates
Mandatory multi-year contracts that lock you in
Hidden costs for mobile responsiveness (this should always be included)
SEO packages that promise page-one rankings without substance

Transparency in pricing isn’t just nice to have. It’s a trust signal. If a provider can’t clearly explain what you’re paying for, that’s a red flag.

The real ROI question

The cost of a website is straightforward. The value is where it gets interesting.

Consider this: you’re an interim manager charging 1,500 per day. One new client engagement covers the cost of your website many times over. If your site helps convert even one prospect who was already , whether through a referral, a Google search, or a shared link, the investment has already paid for itself.

For consultants and executives, a website isn’t an expense. It’s a business tool with a measurable return.

What about ongoing costs?

A well-built website shouldn’t drain your budget month after month. Here’s what ongoing costs typically look like:

Domain renewal: 10-30 per year
Hosting: Often included or very low cost with modern platforms
Maintenance: Updates, security, backups, ideally bundled into a simple annual fee
Content updates: Most providers include basic updates at no extra charge

The key principle: no surprises. You should know exactly what you’re paying, when, and what you get for it.

The free preview approach

Here’s something that changes the equation entirely: what if you could see your website before you pay anything?

No mockups, no wireframes, no “imagine it looking something like this.” An actual, live preview of , with your real name, your real information, your real photo, that you can click through on your phone.

That’s how we work. The preview costs you nothing. If you like it, we move forward. If you don’t, no hard feelings.

It eliminates the biggest risk in the traditional website process: paying for something you’ve never seen.

A professional website is one of the highest-leverage investments an executive can make. The question isn’t whether you can afford it. It’s whether you can afford the impression you’re making without it.