No authoritative source sets a universal amount a small business should spend on a website. Price depends on scope, content readiness, provider model and support requirements. For current Ontario pricing ranges, see how much a website costs in Ontario. This planner is for the question that article can't answer for you: what will your specific project actually cost to own?
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3-Year Total Cost of Ownership
A planning calculation, not an accounting standard. Formula: project cost + (36 × monthly recurring) + (3 × annual recurring) + (3 × annual maintenance/support).
Hosting, apps, plugins, booking software
Domain, annual licences
3-year total cost of ownership
$8,410
What to put on each list
One-time
- Discovery / strategy
- Content architecture & copywriting
- Custom design
- Development
- Photography / video
- Migration & redirects (if a redesign)
- Ecommerce setup
- Integrations
- Accessibility testing
- Data / content import
- QA & training
Recurring
- Domain
- Hosting / platform plan
- CMS or commerce plan fees
- Plugins / apps
- Booking software
- Email marketing / CRM
- Security & maintenance
- Backups
- Support
- Ongoing SEO / content
Future / possible
- New pages or sections
- New integrations
- Platform migration
- Redesign
- Ecommerce expansion
- Multilingual content
- Accessibility remediation
- Custom features
Must have, should have, later
Rate website importance to your business from 1 (basic digital presence) to 5 (mission-critical revenue channel), then separate every feature under consideration into Must have at launch, Should have, or Later. Higher importance generally justifies more attention to risk, measurement, support and quality. It doesn't mechanically determine a dollar amount.
A low initial quote doesn't reveal total cost of ownership. Compare 3-year TCO across proposals, not just the number on the first page.
Comparing what different proposals actually include?
How to Compare Website Design Quotes
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Vortio gives a clear quote after a short conversation about your goals, not a generic package price.
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How to Compare Website Design Quotes
Website proposals can use the same labels for very different scopes. Compare the work before comparing the price.
WordPress vs Wix vs Squarespace vs Shopify vs Custom
Provider choice and technology choice are two separate decisions. A requirements-based comparison of the major platforms, not a popularity contest.