How much does a website really cost for a small business?
Introduction: the million-euro question (well, a bit less than that)
If you're thinking "I need a website but I don't know how much it costs", you're in the right place. The honest answer is: it depends. But in this article I'll explain everything with real numbers, no beating around the bush.
Let's start with a fact: according to ISTAT data (Businesses and ICT 2024), around 74% of Italian businesses with at least 10 employees have their own website. But only 14.7% sell online. This means most companies use their website as a digital showcase, not as a shop.
Meanwhile, 54% of Italian consumers use search engines before making a purchase, and over 44% say they use the internet to search for products and brands (idealo E-commerce Report 2025). If your business can't be found online, those customers are going to someone else.
But how much does it actually cost to have a website? Let's look at it together.
The honest answer: price ranges
There's no single price for a website, just as there's no single price for "a car". It depends on what you need. Here's a realistic overview of costs in the Italian market in 2026:
| Type of website | Price range |
|---|---|
| Landing page / One-page | €400 - €800 |
| Showcase website (5-10 pages) | €700 - €3,000 |
| Full business website (15-30 pages, blog, multilingual) | €2,500 - €8,000 |
| Starter e-commerce (up to 200 products) | €3,000 - €6,000 |
| Professional e-commerce | €6,000 - €15,000 |
Why is the range so wide? Because a €700 showcase website and a €3,000 showcase website are two very different things. The first might be a customised template with basic text, the second a project with bespoke design, professional photography and SEO optimisation. As with everything, quality comes at a price.
What's included in the price (and what's NOT)
When you receive a quote for a website, don't assume everything is included. Here are the main items that make up the total cost:
Domain (.it)
The domain is your address on the internet (e.g. yourbusiness.it). It costs €10-20 per year. It's a small but recurring cost: you pay it every year to keep it active.
Hosting
Hosting is the space on a server where your website "lives". For a showcase website, basic shared hosting costs €80-150 per year. For an e-commerce site, which requires more resources and performance, it goes up to €200-1,000 per year.
SSL Certificate (security)
The SSL certificate is what makes your website secure (the padlock in the browser bar). Good news: today it's FREE with Let's Encrypt, and it's included in almost all modern hosting. If someone is charging you extra for it, ask why.
Design and development
This is the main item in the quote: graphic design, page structure, programming. This is where most of your initial investment goes.
Content (text and photos)
Attention: content is almost never included in the quote. This means that page texts, photos of your products or shop, videos, you either provide them yourself or pay for them separately. A professional copywriter can cost €50-150 per page. A professional photo shoot starts from €200-500.
GDPR and Privacy (cookie banner, privacy policy)
Since 2018 every website must comply with the GDPR. You need a compliant cookie banner, a privacy policy and, if you collect data, a processing register. Services like iubenda start from about €29/year for the basic plan. A complete professional setup costs about €100-200 per year.
Professional email
Having an email address like info@yourbusiness.it costs €50-100 per year for 2-5 mailboxes, using services like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. It's a detail that makes a difference: a @gmail.com address doesn't communicate the same professionalism.
Hidden costs nobody talks about
So far, the "declared" costs. But there are items that often only emerge afterwards, and they can weigh on the budget:
Domain ownership
Some agencies register the domain in their name, not in yours. This means that if you want to switch provider, you might have trouble taking your own web address with you. Always check that the domain is registered to you or your business.
Inflated renewals
Low entry price, then hefty renewals. This is more common than you'd think. Some providers offer the first year for €1, then charge €15-20 from the second year onwards. Always check the renewal costs before signing.
Maintenance
A website isn't like a business card: you don't print it and forget about it. WordPress, the most widely used platform in Italy, requires regular updates to the software, plugins and theme. Without maintenance, the site becomes slow, vulnerable to attacks and can stop working altogether. Realistic budget: €250-1,000 per year.
Premium plugin and theme licences
Many WordPress sites use paid plugins and themes that require annual renewal to continue receiving updates and support. This recurring cost ranges from €200 to €500 per year and is often not mentioned in the initial quote.
SEO (getting found on Google)
Having a website without SEO is like opening a beautiful shop on a street where nobody walks. Also find out how to appear on Google Maps so local customers can find you. Search engine optimisation is an ongoing effort that costs several hundred euros per month when entrusted to a professional. Without SEO, your website risks remaining invisible.
Your time
If you choose the DIY route, the financial cost is lower, but the cost in hours is very high. Every hour you spend building your website is an hour you're not dedicating to your customers. And for an entrepreneur, time is the most precious resource.
Want to know how much it would cost in your specific case? Ivemind offers free and transparent quotes for small businesses. No hidden costs, no strings attached. 47+ projects delivered. Request a quote →
Real-world example: first year vs subsequent years
To truly understand how much a website costs, you need to look at the full picture. Here's a realistic example for a professional showcase website:
| Item | First year | Subsequent years |
|---|---|---|
| Website development | €3,000 | - |
| Domain + Hosting | €165 | €165 |
| Professional email | €100 | €100 |
| Plugin/theme licences | €300 | €200-500 |
| Technical maintenance | (included) | €400-1,000 |
| TOTAL | ~€3,565 | ~€965/year |
As you can see, the biggest investment is in the first year. From the second year onwards, maintaining the website costs around €900-1,700 per year, depending on the level of maintenance and plugins used. It's a cost comparable to a subscription to business management software.
DIY options (for those with a limited budget or who want to try)
If the budget is really limited, there are platforms that let you create a website yourself. Here are the main ones:
Google Sites - FREE
The simplest option by far. You sign up with your Google account and create a website in a few hours. But the limitations are significant: no blog, no e-commerce, very limited SEO, reduced graphic customisation and the domain remains a Google subdomain (sites.google.com/view/yoursite). It's fine for a minimal online presence, like an information page, but not for a serious project.
WordPress.com - from ~€48/year
The hosted version of WordPress (different from WordPress.org, which is the one used by professionals). The Personal plan starts at about €48/year, but for a custom domain and useful features you need at least the Premium plan. The Commerce plan for selling online goes up to about €540/year. It's the most widely used platform in Italy.
Wix - from ~€161/year
A very intuitive drag-and-drop platform, perfect for those with no technical skills. The Light plan starts at about €161/year, but for business features you need the Core at about €322/year (Wix Pricing). Easy to use, but less flexible than WordPress for complex projects.
Squarespace - from ~€192/year
Elegant and modern design templates. The Personal plan starts at about $16/month (about €192/year). Great for those who prioritise aesthetics, less popular in Italy and with limited Italian-language support. Includes hosting and a free domain for the first year.
Honest assessment
While you decide which solution is right for you, you can start right away with a Google Business Profile: it's free and makes you visible online in just a few minutes.
The DIY route costs less in money, but costs a lot in time. And above all, a professional website communicates trust. When a potential customer lands on your website and finds it amateurish, slow or confusing, they leave within seconds. In the digital world, your website is your business card, your shop window, your first sales tool. It's worth investing in.
The comparison that puts everything in perspective
Sometimes the cost of a website seems high, until you compare it with traditional alternatives:
A professional showcase website (€3,000) costs the same as:
- 6-8 leaflet distribution campaigns (€400-600 each for printing and distributing 5,000-10,000 leaflets - ProntoPro 2025) - but the website works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for years
- 2 full-page ads in a local newspaper (~€1,500 per insertion) - but the newspaper lasts one day, then it ends up in the bin
- 1 year of paid presence on PagineGialle (Italian Yellow Pages) - but the website is yours, you control it and you don't depend on an external platform
The fundamental difference? The leaflet ends up in the bin. The newspaper ad lasts one day. The website works for you 24/7, every day, for years. It's the investment with the best cost-to-duration ratio you can make for your business.
Good news: there are grants to cover the costs
There are interesting incentives available across Italy for digitising your business. Here are some examples:
Regional Digitalisation Vouchers (example: Province of Bolzano)
Non-repayable grant of up to 60% of eligible expenses, with a maximum of €9,000 per business. Specifically designed for micro businesses that want to go digital. Eligible expenses must be between €2,000 and €15,000 (Province of Bolzano - Digitalisation Grants).
Chamber of Commerce Vouchers (example: Bolzano)
Grant of up to 40% of expenses, with a maximum of €10,000 per project. For micro, small and medium businesses registered with Italian Chambers of Commerce. Check active calls in your area at incentivi.gov.it (CCIAA Bolzano - Digitalisation Voucher 2025).
MIMIT Voucher - Cloud and Cybersecurity
The Ministry of Enterprises offers a non-repayable grant of up to 50% of expenses, with a maximum of €20,000 per beneficiary. For SMEs and professionals for investments in cloud services and cybersecurity (MIMIT - Cloud and Cybersecurity Voucher).
Nuova Sabatini
Not a direct grant, but an incentive on loan interest for the purchase of capital goods, including hardware and software. The state contribution covers part of the interest, with a surcharge for investments in 4.0 digital technologies (subsidised rate of 3.575% instead of 2.75%). Confirmed and refinanced for the 2025-2029 period with 1.7 billion euros (MIMIT - Nuova Sabatini).
Want to learn more about available grants? Read our complete guide to non-repayable grants for small businesses.
5 questions to ask BEFORE requesting a quote
Before contacting any agency or freelancer, ask these five questions. The answers will tell you a lot about how serious the provider is:
1. Will the domain be registered in my name?
The answer must be yes, always. The domain is yours: it's your address on the internet. If the provider registers it in their name, you're tied to them. Ask for the domain to be registered in your company's name and for you to have the access credentials.
2. Will I be able to update the content myself?
A good website lets you update texts, photos and content independently, without having to call (and pay) the technician every time. Ask for a demonstration of the management panel and make sure it's in your language and intuitive.
3. What's included in the annual maintenance?
"Maintenance" can mean everything and nothing. Ask in detail: does it include WordPress and plugin updates? Does it include backups? Does it include interventions in case of problems? How many interventions per year? Get a written list.
4. Who handles security updates?
An outdated website is a vulnerable website. It must be clear who is responsible for keeping the software updated and monitoring any security issues. If the answer is "it's your responsibility" and you're not a technician, consider including a maintenance contract.
5. If I change provider, can I take my website with me?
This is the most important question. If one day you want to change agency, you must be able to export your website with all its content, database and files. Explicitly ask if the website is built with standard technologies (like WordPress) and if you'll be provided with a complete backup in case of transfer.
Conclusion: a website is an investment, not a cost
A website is not an expense to minimise, but an investment to make well. It's the tool that works for you even while you sleep, that helps new customers find you, that communicates professionalism and trust.
The cost depends on your needs, but now you have the real numbers to make an informed decision. And if it seems like too much, remember that there are grants that can cover up to 60% of the expense. Read our guide on how to advertise your business for free to get started even without a website.
We at Ivemind are an Italian social cooperative and innovative startup and we help small businesses and organisations understand what they truly need, without selling unnecessary services. We offer web development and e-commerce solutions tailored for small businesses. If you want to understand what the right solution is for your business and how much it would cost in your specific case, contact us for a free consultation. No obligation, no pressure: just clear answers.
Why a professional website is worth the investment
After seeing the numbers, you might think: "With all these free tools, do I really need a professional website?" The answer is yes, and here's why:
- First impressions count. A potential customer who lands on your website and finds it amateurish, slow or confusing leaves within seconds. They won't come back. A professional website communicates trust and competence.
- A custom website works better. A template is a one-size-fits-all outfit: it fits everyone, but it looks good on no one. A website built around your needs converts more because it speaks directly to your customers.
- The DIY savings are an illusion. The time you dedicate to building and managing a website is time you're not dedicating to your customers. For an entrepreneur, time is the most precious resource.
- Support makes the difference. A website isn't a static business card: it needs to be updated, maintained, protected. With a professional you have a partner who takes care of all of this.
Ivemind: custom websites for small businesses
Ivemind is an Italian social cooperative and innovative startup. We've delivered 47+ digital projects for businesses and organisations, with a 100% client satisfaction rate. 60% of our profits are reinvested in social inclusion projects.
We offer web development and e-commerce solutions tailored for small businesses. No hidden costs, domain registered in your name, full content autonomy, ongoing maintenance and support.
In many Italian regions you can cover up to 60% of the cost with the non-repayable grants from the Province.
Contact us for a free quote. We'll tell you exactly how much it costs in your specific case, with no surprises.