2026 Website Cost Guide with Juxtaposed Tides

(aka: “What a professional website really costs”)

If you’ve been quoted everything from $999 to $50,000 for “a website,” you’re not crazy—scope and expertise vary wildly. Here’s a clear, no-nonsense map of what businesses typically pay professional studios in 2026 (U.S./EU rates, ~$120–$225/hr blended).

Following is your go-to guide for a 2026 Website Cost Guide! So what does it cost this day in age to get a website designed/developed (there's a difference??? Yes, in due time, yes). But for now, if you just do a quick Google search, and let ai compile all the collective data, you will quickly find the following data:

Typical one-time project bands

1) Starter Brochure

$4,000–$8,000What it is: ~5 pages, light copy/SEO, a simple contact form, modern visual design, built on a visual platform (Wix/Webflow).Good for: New businesses validating demand; clear, credible online presence.

2) Professional SMB

$8,000–$20,000What it adds: 5–10 pages, full copywriting, local SEO, booking, basic policy pages, analytics, blog setup, starter automations (email/SMS confirmations).Good for: Service brands that need bookings, leads, and trustworthy content.

3) Brand + Growth Kit

$20,000–$50,000What it adds: positioning workshop, design system, 10–20 pages, advanced SEO, content playbook, CRM/automation build-out, accessibility audit.

Good for: Growth-minded teams ready to scale content, SEO, and operations.

4) Regulated/Enterprise or Headless

$50,000–$150,000+What it adds: custom development, third-party integrations, complex roles/permissions, stringent compliance, headless architecture.

Good for: High complexity, security, or custom workflow requirements.

Ongoing retainers (common ranges)

• Care & updates: $250–$750/mo

  • Hosting oversight, updates, security, small edits.

• Growth (SEO + content + CRO + analytics): $1,000–$4,000/mo

  • Content cadence, technical/on-page SEO, conversion testing, reporting.

• Automation/CRM maintenance: $300–$1,500/mo

  • Pipelines, segments/labels, lifecycle emails/SMS, QA, platform upkeep.

Why quotes vary so much

• Scope: pages, features (booking, payments, memberships, gated content).

• Depth: custom copy, photography, brand system, accessibility, localization.

• Tech: low-code vs custom dev, integrations, data/compliance needs.

• Team: strategist + designer + copywriter + developer + SEO + PM ≠ freelancer pricing.

• QA & performance: device testing, speed, analytics events, schema.

Quick self-assessment (pick your lane)

• “We need to look legit and get inquiries.” → Starter Brochure / lower-end SMB

• “We want bookings, reviews, and local findability.” → SMB

• “We’re investing in brand + SEO content to scale.” → Brand + Growth Kit

• “We have complex operations/integrations.” → Regulated/Enterprise

How we solve this (without the five-figure burn and burn-out)

Juxtaposed Tides — Smart Starter™ Sites on Wix Studio

Launch a sharp, conversion-ready website fast—then add power later without a rebuild.

Smart Starter™ — $749 (plus tax & processing)

• 5 pages × 3 sections each (e.g., Home, Services, About, Contact, Specialty)

• Clean header/menu + footer, mobile optimization

• Simple intake/contact form (Wix Forms)

• Basic SEO setup (titles, descriptions, indexing prep)

• Straightforward hand-off you own on day one

Perfect for: owner-operators, local services, and startups that mean business now and want room to grow.

Why Wix Studio (and why only Wix Studio)

All-in-one site + business tools: bookings, payments, invoices, forms → CRM, segments/labels, automations, email/SMS campaigns, pipelines, and analytics—in one platform. Fewer vendors, faster ops, easier hand-offs. We’re not affiliated with Wix; we choose it because it’s the most effective small-business stack out at the moment.

Grow when you’re ready (optional upgrades)

• Blog/Articles, Local SEO boosters, Booking & Payments, policy pages

• Wix CMS training, Wix CRM pipelines & automations, additional pages

Ready to make a smart move?

Start your Smart Starter™ at $749 (plus tax & processing) — launch credibly now, and scale on your schedule.

 • Web: juxtaposedtides.com/smart-series/smart-starter-sites

Wix® is a registered trademark of Wix.com Ltd. Juxtaposed Tides is not affiliated with Wix; we simply build on Wix Studio because it’s the most effective all-in-one platform for owner-led businesses.