If you're searching for a website for your business in Columbus, Ohio, the first question is usually the same: how much is this going to cost? The honest answer is that a website costs anywhere from a few thousand dollars to well into six figures, and most of that range comes down to what you're actually buying.
This guide gives you realistic numbers for 2026, explains what drives the price, and helps you budget for a site that earns its keep. I'm Scott Baker, a web designer and developer in Columbus, and these are the numbers I see across real projects, including mine.
Realistic website costs in 2026
Across designers, agencies, and developers in and around Columbus, Ohio, typical ranges for custom work look like this:
- Landing page or campaign microsite: roughly $2,500 to $7,500
- Small business website (5–15 pages): roughly $5,000 to $15,000
- Larger custom site with ecommerce, CMS, or integrations: $15,000 to $40,000 and up
- Complete brand identity plus website: budget 20–40% more on top
Monthly fees are a separate line item. Hosting, a domain, and ongoing maintenance usually run $50 to $300 per month depending on the platform. If you need someone to make updates, add copy, or handle changes, add a retainer for that too.
What drives the price
Three things make up almost the entire cost of a website:
1. Scope
The biggest driver is how many pages you need, how custom the design is, and what the site has to do. A simple brochure site is one project. A site with a custom content management system, a product catalog, booking, payment processing, or integrations with your CRM is another project entirely. Each feature is design time, development time, and testing time.
2. Content
A website is only as good as its content. If you bring copy, images, and brand assets ready to go, the project moves fast and costs less. If you need copywriting, photography, or brand work, that's additional scope, but it's also what separates a site that converts from one that just looks nice.
3. Who builds it
A freelancer who both designs and develops (like me) removes the handoff between separate design and development teams, which saves time and keeps the final build faithful to the design. A larger agency brings more capacity and specialties, but also more overhead. Neither is "right"; it depends on the size and goals of your project.
Beware the cheap website
You can buy a template website for a few hundred dollars, or pay an experienced developer with a builder subscription $500 to put your business on a template. That can work for a very simple presence. But remember what you're not getting: strategy, custom design, SEO, performance, accessibility, and the ability to scale. Many businesses end up paying twice: once for the cheap site and once for the rebuild that actually performs.
If a website is a real part of how you win customers, treat it as a business investment, not a commodity. A site that converts even a few more visitors per month pays for itself quickly.
Questions to ask before you commit
- Is design and development done by the same person or team?
- Who writes the copy, and is that included or extra?
- Is the site responsive on phones, tablets, and desktops?
- Can my team edit the content after launch without developer help?
- What's included after launch: support, training, maintenance?
If you'd like a realistic quote for your project, get in touch. You'll get a timeline and a clear breakdown of what's included, before any work starts. And if you're still deciding between a template and a custom build, this guide on custom websites vs. website builders should help.