Published June 25, 2026 · By Matt McWilliam, MJM Design
It is the first question almost every business owner asks, and the honest answer is the one nobody likes to hear: it depends. A five-page site for a Tremont restaurant and a 200-product online store are both "websites," but they are not the same project and they should not cost the same. You still deserve real numbers, so here they are.
Typical website costs in Cleveland in 2026
These are realistic ranges for quality work done by a professional, not a recycled template stuffed with someone else's stock photos:
- Simple brochure site, 3 to 6 pages: roughly $1,500 to $4,000. Home, about, services and contact, done well.
- Small business website, 8 to 20 pages: roughly $4,000 to $9,000. Deeper service pages, galleries, SEO groundwork and lead forms.
- E-commerce store: roughly $6,000 to $20,000 and up, depending on how many products you sell and how complex your payment and shipping rules are.
- Large or custom web application: $15,000 and up. Booking systems, member portals, anything with custom functionality.
Most local owners we work with land in the $3,000 to $7,000 range for a site that looks sharp, loads fast, and is built to be found on Google.
What actually drives the price
Two quotes can differ by thousands of dollars for reasons that have nothing to do with anyone overcharging. Here is what moves the number:
- Number of pages and depth of content. More pages and more detailed copy take more time.
- Custom design versus a template. A site shaped around your brand costs more than an off-the-shelf theme, and it is worth it. We hand-code every site from scratch.
- Who writes the words. Strong SEO copywriting is the difference between a brochure and a site that brings in customers. If we write it, that is part of the cost.
- Selling online. An online store needs a cart, secure checkout, tax and shipping logic, and ongoing care.
- Hosting, email and updates. A website is not a one-and-done purchase. Plan for hosting and business email and the occasional update.
What you should be suspicious of
If a quote seems too good or too vague, ask questions. A few warning signs from 20 years of cleaning up other people's messes:
- The $99 offshore special. You usually get a recycled template, thin content, no real SEO, and nobody who answers the phone when something breaks.
- "Free" website builders. The site is free until you add a custom domain, remove the ads, unlock e-commerce, and pay every single month forever. Add it up over three years.
- An agency that will not name a person. Who, specifically, is building your site? If they cannot tell you, that is your answer.
How we price at MJM Design
We keep it simple. You tell us what you need, we send a clear, itemized quote within 24 hours, and the number does not move unless the project does. One person, Matt McWilliam, is accountable for your project from the first call through launch and beyond. No account managers, no offshore hand-off, no surprise invoices. That approach has kept clients like Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth and Case Western Reserve, alongside hundreds of local small businesses, working with us since 2005.