The short answer: a professionally built website for a Brisbane small business usually costs somewhere between a modest fixed package and a larger custom project, plus an ongoing monthly amount for hosting and care. Where your project lands depends far more on what the website needs to do than on how many pages it has.
Most business owners find website pricing confusing because two quotes for "a website" can describe completely different jobs. One might be a theme with your logo dropped in. Another might include planning, copywriting guidance, custom design, search foundations, testing and years of technical upkeep. This guide breaks the price into parts you can actually compare.
Where the money in a website project goes
Before the build
- Planning
- Structure
- Content
The build
- Design
- Development
- Testing
After launch
- Hosting
- Security
- Updates and support
The seven things that drive website cost
Every quote is a combination of the same handful of variables. Understanding them helps you see why prices differ and where you can save without hurting results.
1. Unique layouts, not just page count
Ten service pages that share one strong layout take much less work than ten pages that each need a different structure. Ask how many distinct page designs a quote includes.
2. Content and copy
Clear, approved text and organised photos reduce production time. If the provider has to interview you, research your services and shape every page, that is real work and should be priced.
3. Design approach
A lightly modified template is cheaper upfront. A custom design built around your brand and customers usually converts better and looks less like your competitors, but it takes more skilled time.
4. Functionality
Bookings, quote forms with logic, calculators, member areas, directories and online stores are systems rather than pages. Each one needs building, connecting and testing.
5. Integrations
Connecting a CRM, email platform, booking tool or inventory system can save hours of admin each week. Cost depends on how well the other system supports connections.
6. Search foundations
Crawlable structure, sensible headings, metadata, mobile usability and speed should be part of any sound build. Ongoing SEO such as local content and link building is a separate, continuing service.
7. Ongoing hosting and care
Hosting, security, backups, updates and small changes are the costs people forget. A cheap build with no care plan can become expensive the first time something breaks.
Typical website types and what shapes their cost
| Website type | Typical scope | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Starter business website | A focused set of core pages for a service business | Number of services, content support, enquiry forms |
| Growth business website | More service and location pages, stronger search structure | Unique layouts, content volume, integrations |
| Larger or multi-location website | Many pages, multiple service areas, advanced structure | Information architecture, content planning, custom functions |
| Online store | Products, cart, checkout, shipping and payments | Product count, catalogue complexity, shipping rules, apps |
| Custom web application | Portals, accounts, dashboards or unique workflows | Business logic, data, permissions, testing |
Launch North pricing, shown openly
We publish our prices because we think transparency makes choosing easier. The figures below are read live from our current package catalogue, so they always match what you will be quoted. Each business website package includes a custom design, search foundations and a defined page allowance, with Hosting and Care required so the site stays secure and maintained.
| Package | Scope | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | Up to 20 standard pages. 1 monthly blog post, separate to your page allowance. | $1,000 once-off + $49/month Hosting and Care |
| Growth | Up to 30 standard pages. 2 monthly blog posts, separate to your page allowance. | $1,500 once-off + $69/month Hosting and Care |
| Scale | Up to 40 standard pages. 3 monthly blog posts, separate to your page allowance. | $2,500 once-off + $99/month Hosting and Care |
Full inclusions, page allowances and the comparison table are on our website packages and pricing page. If you want to see the quality before thinking about price, browse our website design examples.
What about Shopify and ecommerce websites?
Online stores cost more than brochure websites because they involve products, payments, shipping, tax settings, customer emails and a checkout that has to work perfectly on mobile. The biggest price drivers are product count, how complex your catalogue is (variants, bundles, subscriptions), shipping rules and any wholesale or custom functionality.
| Package | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Launch | A new store with a straightforward catalogue | $2,000 once-off + $99/month Hosting and Care |
| Shopify Growth | Larger catalogues and more merchandising | $3,500 once-off + $149/month Hosting and Care |
Shopify also charges its own platform subscription and transaction fees, which are paid to Shopify and change over time, so check their current pricing directly. Our Shopify website design page explains what each store package includes.
Ongoing costs to budget for
- Domain name: a small yearly renewal, usually paid to your registrar.
- Hosting and care: hosting, SSL, security monitoring, backups and technical upkeep. At Launch North this is the monthly Hosting and Care amount shown in the tables above.
- Platform subscriptions: for Shopify or other hosted platforms, paid directly to the platform.
- Third-party tools: booking software, email marketing or CRM subscriptions if you use them.
- Growth work: optional SEO, content or advertising once the site is live.
Optional functionality that adds cost
Extras are where quotes quietly grow. Live chat, logo design, extra pages, booking integrations and multilingual content are all legitimate needs, but they should be listed clearly. Our add-ons are priced in the same live catalogue and shown on the packages page so nothing is hidden.
Redesign or new build: which costs less?
A redesign is not automatically cheaper. If your current site is on an outdated platform, has messy content or poor structure, rebuilding properly can cost about the same and deliver far more. If the content and structure are sound and only the look is tired, a refresh may be enough. We cover this decision in detail in website redesign vs new website.
Interactive guide
Website Budget Planner
Use a few broad requirements to see which current Launch North website level may fit. This is a guide, not a quote.
Monthly blog posts do not count towards your page allowance.
Suggested starting point
Launch
$1,000 once-off
$49/month Hosting and Care while your site is live with Launch North
Launch is the lowest current package that covers up to 20 standard pages, 1 monthly blog post.
Your final recommendation depends on the full scope and is confirmed after the guided brief.
How to compare website quotes fairly
Self-audit
Ask every provider these questions
Put each answer side by side. The cheapest quote often leaves out the items at the bottom of this list.
- 1How many unique page layouts are included?
- 2Is the design custom or based on a purchased theme?
- 3Who writes or refines the page content?
- 4What search foundations are included at launch?
- 5How is the site tested on mobile and for speed?
- 6What does hosting and ongoing care include, and what does it cost monthly?
- 7Who owns the domain, content and design?
- 8How are changes after launch handled and priced?
A quote that answers all eight clearly is easier to trust than one with a lower headline figure and vague scope.
The bottom line
A good website should be priced as an investment that brings in enquiries, not just a line item. Work out what you need it to do, compare quotes on the same scope, and budget for care after launch. If you are a Brisbane business ready to get a clear, fixed price, start your website brief and we will recommend the right package. You can also read more about our approach to Brisbane web design.