How much does a small business website cost in 2026? If you’re a Maryland business owner, here’s the straight answer real ranges, what actually drives price, and a simple way to estimate your own scope. No fluff.
If you’re a small business in Maryland trying to figure out what a website will cost you in 2026, good luck getting a straight answer from Google. One minute you’re seeing quotes for $500, the next it’s $15,000. What gives? The truth is, both can be accurate depending on scope, platform, and who’s doing the work. That’s why this guide breaks everything down no bait-and-switch just real numbers based on actual builds in Maryland.
We’re going to unpack what a modern small business website costs across different approaches from DIY builders like Wix, to scalable WordPress builds, to advanced custom setups. You’ll also get real pricing examples from Maryland businesses, insight into what drives costs up (or keeps them down), and a clear picture of what to expect not just upfront, but year over year. Because web projects don’t end at launch and neither should your budget.
How much does a small business website cost in 2026 (Maryland)
If you choose a builder vs WordPress vs custom? The quick tables below spell it out, then we’ll show you exactly where money goes, where to trim, and how to plan ongoing costs without
These are typical bands we see for small and midsize businesses in the state. Numbers include design + build + basic launch setup; they don’t include heavy custom features or paid ads.
| Build Route | Upfront | Monthly Platform/Apps | Care Plan | 12-mo TCO | 24-mo TCO | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site Builder (Wix/Squarespace) | $300–$1,500 | $16–$49 | $0–$99 | $500–$2,700 | $800–$4,000 | Simple brochure, solo operator |
| WordPress Brochure (5–12 pages) | $2,500–$6,000 | $25–$60 | $100–$300 | $3,800–$9,600 | $5,000–$13,800 | Local services, lead gen |
| Custom/Advanced WP (12–25 pages) | $7,500–$20,000 | $40–$120 | $150–$400 | $9,500–$25,800 | $12,100–$34,400 | Multi-location, bookings, integrations |
| Ecommerce (Shopify/WP, 50–300 SKUs) | $6,000–$30,000+ | $39–$399 + apps | $150–$500 | $8,000–$37,000+ | $10,800–$50,000+ | Retail/DTC, catalogs |
Why the spread? Page count, design level, features, content, and who builds it (freelancer vs agency) matter more than anything else.
What Actually Drives Cost in Maryland
Pages and complexity. Five tidy service pages with a simple contact form won’t cost the same as a 20-page site with resources, case studies, and a booking flow. Obvious, but worth stating.
Design fidelity. Light template tweaks are cheaper. A custom design system with reusable blocks (the thing that makes future pages faster) costs more upfront and saves later.
Features. Ecommerce, member areas, scheduling, calculators, gated content, multi-language, custom post types, and API integrations all add hours. Hours add dollars.
Content and assets. If copy and imagery are “we’ll send later,” your timeline slips. If we’re writing, editing, sourcing, or shooting, the scope grows.
Performance + compliance. Core Web Vitals, accessibility basics, backups, staging, security. They don’t sound sexy, but they keep you fast, findable, and safe.
Team + process. Research, UX, QA, revisions, project management, training this is the unglamorous part that keeps launches clean.
Who’s building. Freelancers are lean and fast for smaller scopes. Agencies bring depth, QA, and continuity for bigger ones. Rates reflect that.
Want to stay under a number? Trim here first.
| Target Budget | Keep | Park for Phase 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Under $3k | Builder or light WP, 4–6 pages, stock photos, basic on-page SEO, analytics | Custom illustrations, fancy animations, advanced forms, migrations |
| $3k–$6k | WP brochure, 8–12 pages, clean lead forms, service schema, speed basics | Bookings with logic, gated content, multilingual, heavy copy rewrites |
| $6k–$12k | Custom layouts, 12–18 pages, blog, simple bookings, local SEO setup | Complex integrations, calculators, multi-location routing |
Builder vs WordPress vs Custom: Which Path Fits?
Site builders (Wix/Squarespace). Cheap and fast. Great for simple one-pagers and early-stage consultancies. You trade flexibility and deeper SEO control for convenience.
WordPress (templated). The sweet spot for most Maryland service businesses. Strong SEO, huge plugin ecosystem, sane monthly costs if you keep plugins tidy and updates regular.
WordPress (custom). When you’re serious about content architecture, component libraries, performance, and “don’t paint us into a corner” growth. Higher upfront; better long-term control.
Ecommerce (Shopify/Woo). Built to sell. Budget both the build and the ongoing app/add-on costs. Product data hygiene and PDPs matter more than flashy themes.
Where the Money Goes (Line Items Explained)
- Domain: $10–$20/yr
- Hosting: shared $5–$15/mo; managed WP $25–$60/mo; VPS $40–$120/mo
- SSL: often included; otherwise $0–$150/yr
- Theme/Builder license: $0–$300/yr
- Plugins/Apps: $0–$500/yr (WP) or $30–$300/mo (Shopify apps)
- Design: 15–60 hours (wireframes, styles, layout passes)
- Development: 20–120+ hours (templates, CPTs, forms, integrations)
- Copywriting: $150–$400/page if we create it; cheaper if you draft and we polish
- Analytics & events: GA4, Search Console, basic conversion tracking
- Security & backups: part of a care plan or $10–$30/mo for tools
- Training & handoff: Loom/Zoom walkthrough + quick guide
Ongoing Costs You Should Plan For
- Care & updates: $100–$300/mo (brochure), $250–$500/mo (ecom/advanced)
- Local SEO starter: $500–$1,500/mo (GBP, citations, reviews, on-page)
- Content ops: $300–$800/post for brief → draft → polish → publish
- PPC testing: $500–$1,500/mo (excluding media management)
- Email/CRM: $50–$200/mo in tools plus setup hours
If your plan is “launch and forget,” budget for the relaunch you’ll be forced into next year. Maintenance is cheaper than rebuilds.
Real-World Maryland Examples
Baltimore plumber 8-page WordPress
Home, four core services, About, Reviews, Contact. Clean schema, quick-load pages, simple forms. $4,200 upfront + $150/mo care. Launch in ~4 weeks when content’s ready.
Frederick boutique Shopify, 80 SKUs
Theme customization, tidy PDP template, payments/shipping, email capture, a couple of promo banners. $8,500 upfront + $79/mo plan + ~$120/mo apps + $250/mo care.
Annapolis professional services 15-page WP + booking
Custom layouts, blog, Calendly integration, resource hub, small brand tune-up. $9,800 upfront + $200/mo care.
(Prices are ballparks; exact scopes vary.)
Quick Website Cost Estimator (Maryland, 2026)
| Build Route (SMB) | Upfront (Design/Build) | Monthly Platform/Apps | Care & Maintenance | 12-mo TCO | 24-mo TCO | Good For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site Builder (Wix/Squarespace) | $300–$1,500 | $16–$49 | $0–$99 | $500–$2,700 | $800–$4,000 | Solo, simple brochure |
| WordPress Brochure (5–12 pages) | $2,500–$6,000 | $25–$60 (managed WP) | $100–$300 | $3,800–$9,600 | $5,000–$13,800 | Local services, lead gen |
| Custom/Advanced WP (12–25 pages, integrations) | $7,500–$20,000 | $40–$120 (VPS) | $150–$400 | $9,500–$25,800 | $12,100–$34,400 | Multi-location, bookings, gated content |
| Ecommerce (Shopify/WP, 50–300 SKUs) | $6,000–$30,000+ | $39–$399 + apps $30–$300 | $150–$500 | $8,000–$37,000+ | $10,800–$50,000+ | Retail/DTC, catalogs |
Includes design, responsive build, basic on-page SEO setup, analytics, launch. Excludes large-scale copywriting, pro photography, heavy custom features, paid marketing.
FAQs
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What’s a fair price for a small business site in Maryland?
For a solid WordPress brochure site, $2,500–$6,000 upfront plus $100–$300/mo for care is normal. Heavier features or multiple locations push it higher.
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How long does it really take?
Builder: 1–2 weeks. WordPress brochure: 2–6 weeks. Custom/advanced: 6–10+ weeks. Content is usually the bottleneck.
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What hidden costs trip people up?
Paid plugins/apps, stock assets, rush fees, and the monthly care plan you thought you could skip. Ecommerce apps are the usual surprise.
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Redesign or rebuild?
If your stack can’t meet Core Web Vitals or the content model is wrong for growth, rebuild. If performance is fine and the bones are good, a focused redesign may be enough.
Next Step
If you want exact numbers for your scope, let’s look at your homepage and one key service page together.
Book a free 10-minute teardown → Web Development page