What’s the Cheapest Way to Start a Website? – Small Business Marketing Questions Answered

What’s the cheapest way to start a website? See a step-by-step, low-cost plan local small-business owners can follow, backed by stats, quotes, and real prices.

Launching a website for your small business does not require big money. This guide shows local business owners the cheapest way to start a website, using real prices, hard stats, and quick tasks any office manager can handle.

You’ll see where to spend (and where not to), why design still matters, and how to upgrade later without waste.

Why cost control matters

• 71% of small businesses already have a site, leaving price-conscious owners in the 29% who risk falling behind (WebFX).
• 75% of visitors decide if a company is credible based on design alone (DesignRush, Clutch).
• 32% of firms now build sites in-house with DIY tools (WebFX).

A low price is good, but a sloppy site loses trust.

The goal: spend just enough for speed, security, and clean design.

What’s the cheapest way to start a website? A one-sentence answer

Choose a $10/year domain, pair it with $2–$3/month shared hosting, install free WordPress, apply a no-cost theme, and add only essential free plugins—total outlay: under $50 in year one (InMotion Hosting, Hostinger, Cloudways).

“Times have changed. There’s no reason why launching your own website should cost an arm and a leg.” — Tooltester (Tooltester)

Step-by-step budget blueprint

1. Grab a domain (10 min, ≈ $10/year)

• Use registrars like Namecheap or Domain.com; .com prices start near $6–$15/year (Cloudways).
• Pick something short, easy to spell, and matches the business name.

2. Pick rock-bottom shared hosting (15 min, ≈ $3-6/month)

• InMotion, Hostinger, or similar plans start at $2–$5/month (InMotion Hosting, Hostinger).
• Confirm SSL, one-click WordPress, and email come included.

3. Install WordPress (10 min, free)

WordPress powers 43% of the internet (Clutch), so tutorials abound and most hosts automate the install.

4. Apply a no-cost, mobile-ready theme (15 min, free)

Storefront, Astra, and Twenty Twenty-Four are clean, fast, and $0.

5. Add only must-have free plugins (20 min, free)

• Security: Wordfence.
• SEO: Rank Math Free or Yoast SEO.
• Backups: UpdraftPlus free plan.

Each plugin’s premium tier can wait until revenue grows.

6. Build the core pages (1–2 hrs, free)

• Home, About, Services, Contact, and a Blog hub.
• Use Pexels, Unsplash, Canva, or Apple Photos for your own images to avoid license fees.

7. Basic SEO & launch (30 min, free)

• Submit the XML sitemap in Google Search Console.
• List the site on Google Business Profile.

Check out Done-For-You Websites by Diffyweb for a managed option when DIY time runs out.

Cheap builder vs. cheap hosting

Verdict: DIY WordPress on ultra-cheap hosting is the absolute floor price. Builders add ease but cost more each month.

Hidden fees to watch

• Renewal shock. Intro hosting rates triple on renewal—lock multi-year deals or budget ahead (HostingAdvice.com).
• Email add-ons. Some builders charge $6+ per mailbox. Host-based cPanel email is included on most shared plans.
• Design tweaks. Freelancers average $50–$500 per page (Cloudways)—good motivation to learn simple edits yourself.

When cheap becomes costly

Slow sites lose 53% of mobile visitors who bail after three-second delays (Clutch). If page speed or uptime suffers, upgrade hosting before ad spend or PPC campaigns.

“Yes, you can use free website builders like Wix or WordPress.com, but these often come with limitations, such as subdomains and fewer customization options.” — Cloudways (Cloudways)

Simple upgrades for growing firms

1. Move to managed WordPress hosting (~$12+/mo) once traffic tops 10k visitors/month (Cloudways).
2. Buy a premium theme ($79 one-time) for pro visuals.
3. Add ecommerce with WooCommerce (free) plus Stripe fees as sales justify.
4. Outsource content to save time; freelancers on vetted platforms can write from $50/page (Cloudways).

If DIY upkeep drains focus, a low-flat-rate agency option such as Diffyweb’s DFY Websites keeps costs predictable while handing off tech tasks.

Key takeaways for busy small business owners

• Total year-one DIY spend can sit under $50 if you follow the seven-step plan.
• Keep the site clean; design drives trust for three-quarters of visitors (DesignRush, wearetenet.com).
• Lock multi-year hosting to dodge renewal spikes.
• Upgrade only when speed or sales demand it.
• Bookmark this guide and share it with any teammate asking “what’s the cheapest way to start a website?”

Cheap does not mean flimsy. It means smart spending today so cash stays free for marketing tomorrow.