Ask five people what a website costs and you'll get five different answers. That's because the price depends entirely on how you build it. Let's break down every option honestly.
Option 1: Do it yourself with Wix or Squarespace
Monthly cost: $16-45. Upfront cost: $0. Time cost: 40-80 hours.
These tools are cheap in dollars but expensive in time. You need to choose a template, customize it, write copy, find images, set up forms, configure SEO, and learn the editor. For a business owner billing $75/hr, 40 hours of DIY work costs $3,000 in lost revenue.
Ongoing: Every change requires you to log in and figure out the editor again. Most DIY sites go stale within 6 months because the owner gets busy with actual work.
Option 2: Hire a web agency
Monthly cost: $200-500 retainer. Upfront cost: $3,000-15,000. Time cost: 10-20 hours in meetings.
Agencies produce quality work, but the process is slow (4-12 weeks), expensive, and requires multiple meetings. You'll sit through discovery sessions, review wireframes, approve mockups, and go through revision rounds. Every change after launch costs $100+/hr.
Best for: Businesses with complex needs and budgets to match.
Option 3: A done-for-you service like Dagny
Monthly cost: From $149. Upfront cost: $0. Time cost: 2 minutes.
You tell us your business name. We look you up, build a professional website in 24 hours, and you only pay if you like it. Changes? Text us. No editor to learn, no meetings, no contracts.
This model works because AI makes it possible to build quality websites fast. The savings get passed to you.
The hidden cost nobody talks about
The biggest cost of a website isn't the monthly fee. It's the opportunity cost of not having one, or having a bad one.
A plumber without a website loses an estimated 4-7 leads per week to competitors who show up on Google. At $500 per job, that's $2,000-3,500/week in lost revenue. The $149/month for a professional website pays for itself with a single new customer.