How Much Does a Website Cost for a Small Business in Ontario?

The honest answer is: it depends. But here's a real breakdown so you know what to expect.

If you're a small business owner in Ontario trying to figure out what a website should cost, you've probably seen quotes ranging from free to $25,000. That's not helpful. So let's walk through the actual options, what you get with each, and where the trade-offs are.

DIY Website Builders ($0--$30/month)

Platforms like Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress.com let you build a site yourself for little or no money upfront. You pick a template, drag some blocks around, and publish.

The upside: It's cheap. If you have more time than budget, it's a reasonable starting point.

The downside: It takes longer than you think. Most business owners spend 20-40 hours getting something live, and the result often looks like a template because it is one. SEO control is limited on most plans. And when something breaks -- a form stops working, your site looks wrong on phones, Google can't find your pages -- you're on your own figuring it out.

For some businesses, this is fine. But if your website is supposed to bring in leads, a generic template with no SEO foundation is going to sit there quietly doing nothing.

Freelancers ($500--$3,000)

Hiring a freelancer can be a great option. You get a real person building something custom for your business, usually at a reasonable price.

The challenge is consistency. Some freelancers are excellent -- fast, communicative, and skilled. Others disappear mid-project or deliver something that doesn't quite match what you discussed. Timelines can slip. Revisions can drag on. And if you need changes six months later, that freelancer might be unavailable or have moved on to other work.

The price range is wide because the quality range is wide. A $500 freelancer and a $2,500 freelancer are often delivering very different things. If you go this route, ask for recent examples of their work, check that the sites are fast and mobile-friendly, and get a clear scope in writing before you start.

Agencies ($5,000--$25,000+)

Agencies bring teams, process, and polish. For a large business or a complex project -- custom integrations, e-commerce, membership portals -- an agency is often the right call.

But for a local business that needs a clean 3-5 page site? It's usually overkill. You're paying for project managers, multiple rounds of design review, and overhead that doesn't add value when the goal is straightforward. A plumber in Barrie or a physiotherapy clinic in Orillia doesn't need a $15,000 website. They need something professional, fast, and findable on Google.

If your project genuinely requires complexity, an agency makes sense. If you need a solid online presence that works, you can get there for a lot less.

Fixed-Price, Done-for-You ($1,500--$2,500)

This is how we do it at Digiteria Labs. A starter site is $1,500 and a growth site is $2,500. Fixed price, fixed scope, no surprises on the invoice.

Here's what that includes: a custom-built site (not a template), mobile-friendly design, a working contact form, basic SEO setup so Google can actually find you, and the whole thing is live in about a week. We handle the design, the build, and the launch. You show up with your content and we take it from there.

It's not the cheapest option. But it removes the two biggest problems with the other approaches: you don't have to build it yourself, and you know exactly what you're paying before you start. You can see the full breakdown on our pricing page.

What Should You Actually Spend?

Match your investment to your business stage.

If you're just starting out and cash is truly tight, a DIY builder can get you online. That's better than nothing. But know that you'll probably outgrow it within a year and rebuild anyway.

If you have an established business and your website is either outdated or nonexistent, spending $1,500-$2,500 on a professional site is one of the better investments you can make. A site that brings in even one new client per month pays for itself quickly. For most local service businesses, that math works out within the first month or two.

The real cost isn't what you spend on a website. It's the clients you lose because you don't have one -- or because the one you have doesn't work on phones, loads slowly, or doesn't show up when someone searches for what you do.

Whatever you choose, don't overthink it. A good website is a tool. Get one that works, keep it updated, and let it do its job.