What Does a
Website Actually Cost?
A website isn't magic, and the price isn't arbitrary. This page breaks down exactly where your money goes — the one-time build cost, the recurring infrastructure costs, and what it takes to keep a WordPress site healthy over time.
Everything here is transparent and negotiable. These are starting points, not ultimatums. If the numbers seem high, read the whole page — you might change your mind. If they seem low, you're probably comparing to the wrong thing.
One-Time Build Costs
Every website we build has the same basic infrastructure: WordPress as the platform, Avada as the theme builder, and hosting. These are the costs you pay once to get a professional site launched.
The development fee covers everything from initial design through to a working, tested, live website — including up to three rounds of revisions so you're not locked into the first draft.
| Item | Notes | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Avada Theme License One-Time | Lifetime updates included. You own it forever. | $69 |
| Domain Registration 1st Year Free | Your .com address. Renews ~$15–18/yr after first year. | $0–$18 |
| SSL Certificate Included | The padlock in the browser. Required for trust & SEO. | $0 |
| Hosting Setup Included | Account setup, DNS config, WordPress install. | $0 |
| Website Development | Design, build, content integration, testing, launch. 3-5 pages. 3 revisions. | $500–$1,200 |
| E-commerce (WooCommerce) Optional | Online store, cart, payments. Adds scope and complexity. | +$300–$600 |
| Photo Gallery Plugin Optional | e.g. NextGen Plus for photography portfolios. | $140–$350 |
| Typical Total | 3–5 page brochure site, no e-commerce | $600–$1,300 |
Hosting — The Ongoing Infrastructure
Your website lives on a server somewhere. That server costs money to run. Hosting is the rent you pay for that server space — and like rent, skimping on it has real consequences.
Cheap shared hosting ($2–3/month) puts your site on an overcrowded server with hundreds of other sites. Your site loads slowly, has more downtime, and is harder to secure. We recommend InMotion Hosting or AWS because they're reliable, well-supported, and fast.
| Plan | Intro Price | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| InMotion WP Core Recommended | $3.49–$4.49/mo (1–3 yr) | ~$11–$14/mo |
| InMotion Backup Manager Smart Add-on | ~$2.50/mo (3 yr) | ~$3/mo |
| AWS Lightsail Advanced | $5–$10/mo | Same (no intro) |
| Typical Annual Cost | $60–$180/year depending on plan | |
Hosting is the one cost that never goes away. Budget for it from day one.
Build Your Estimate
Use the options below to get a ballpark for your specific situation. These are ranges, not quotes — actual pricing depends on complexity, timeline, and what content you can provide.
Project Estimator
Adjust the options to see how the numbers change. Nothing is locked in — this is a starting point for a conversation.
More pages = more content to design, build, and populate.
Longer terms lock in the intro rate. Shorter = more flexibility.
Select any that apply to your project.
Monthly plan to keep the site updated, secure, and running.
These estimates include: Avada theme ($69), development fee, first year of hosting, and your selected add-ons.
Actual quotes may vary. Contact us to discuss your specific project.
Why Not Just Use Wix?
Fair question. Wix and Squarespace are fast and cheap to start. Here's the honest comparison — including the things the ads don't mention.
| Feature | Wix / Squarespace | WordPress + Avada (Coastal Digital) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost (ongoing) | $17–$35/mo ($204–$420/yr) | ~$5–$15/mo ($60–$180/yr) |
| You own the site | ✗ Wix owns it. You rent access. | ✓ You own everything. |
| Move to a different host | ✗ Locked in forever. | ✓ Move anytime. |
| Custom functionality | ~ Limited to Wix App Market | ✓ 60,000+ WordPress plugins |
| SEO control | ~ Basic, improving but limited | ✓ Full control via Yoast/RankMath |
| Performance / Speed | ~ Often slow on shared infra | ✓ Optimized per-site |
| Someone else can maintain it | ~ Any Wix "expert" (limited pool) | ✓ Any WordPress developer worldwide |
| What happens if you stop paying | ✗ Site goes offline. Content may be lost. | ✓ Content is yours. Export anytime. |
| 5-year total cost estimate | $1,020–$2,100 (and nothing to show) | $900–$1,800 (and you own it) |
Keeping a WordPress Site Healthy
This is the part most people don't expect — and it's the reason we're transparent about it. WordPress is powerful precisely because it's built from many moving parts: the core software, your theme, and dozens of plugins that add functionality. All of those parts receive regular updates, and an unmanaged WordPress site is a security liability.
Hosting
$5–$15/monthYour site lives here. No hosting = no website. This never goes away.
Domain Renewal
~$15–$18/yearYour .com address. Let it lapse and someone else can buy it. Set to auto-renew.