Small business websites in Australia
A practical guide for Australian small businesses: what a website costs in AUD, what the .com.au rules actually require, which payment options local customers expect, and the fastest route to a live site.
Quick answer
Most Australian small businesses spend between $0 and roughly A$400 in their first year: nothing for a free AI-built site, about A$20–A$30 a year for a .com.au domain, and A$25–A$30 a month if you want your own domain connected and the builder branding removed. A freelance build runs A$2,500–A$8,000, and an agency A$8,000–A$30,000+.
What each route costs an Australian small business
| Route | Year-one cost (AUD) | Time to live | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free AI builder | $0 | Under an hour | Testing the idea, or a first site |
| AI builder + .com.au | ~$350–$400 | An afternoon | Most service businesses |
| Hosted builder (Wix, Squarespace) | ~$300–$700 | 15–40 hours | Wanting more design control |
| Freelance designer | $2,500–$8,000 | 3–8 weeks | Established brands |
| Agency | $8,000–$30,000+ | 8–16 weeks | Multi-location or e-commerce |
Step-by-step
- 1
Check whether you need a .com.au or a .com
A .com.au domain signals to Australian customers that you're local, and it is what most people default to typing. To register one you need an Australian presence — in practice an ABN or ACN — and the domain must relate to your business name or activity. If you don't have an ABN yet, a plain .com works perfectly well and can sit alongside a .com.au later. Register it in your own name, not through a designer's account.
- 2
Decide what the site actually has to do
For most Australian service businesses — trades, salons, allied health, consultants — the job is credibility and contact, not e-commerce. That means a clear description of what you do, the suburbs or regions you cover, real photos, pricing or at least a price range, and an obvious way to get in touch. Everything beyond that is optional and can wait.
- 3
Build it
Describe your business in plain English to an AI builder and you'll have a complete site in about a minute — services, about, contact, the lot. Then edit the parts that aren't quite right. The alternative routes are a hosted builder like Wix or Squarespace, which trades time for design control, or paying a freelancer if brand differentiation genuinely drives your sales.
- 4
Add the payment and contact options Australians actually use
For bookings and deposits, card payments via Stripe or Square cover most cases. PayID and bank transfer remain very common for larger invoices and trade work, so listing your details plainly is worth doing. Buy-now-pay-later options like Afterpay and Zip matter in retail and some beauty and health services, less so in trades. A phone number and an SMS-capable mobile still convert better than a form for most local work.
- 5
Set up your Google Business Profile before you worry about SEO
For local Australian searches, your Google Business Profile does more work than your website does. Claim it, verify it, add real photos, list your service areas, and start collecting reviews. Your website then serves as the credibility check people run after they find you there.
Tips & best practices
- ▸Register the .com.au yourself — losing control of a domain to a former designer is the most common and most painful website problem Australian businesses hit.
- ▸Put your service areas in plain words ('Inner West, Northern Beaches, Lower North Shore'), not just a map — that's what people search and what Google reads.
- ▸If you're registered for GST, say whether your listed prices include it. Ambiguity here costs enquiries.
- ▸Real photos of your work, taken on a phone in daylight, beat any stock library and cost nothing.
Common questions
How much does a small business website cost in Australia?
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Between A$0 and roughly A$400 in year one for a DIY build with your own .com.au domain. A freelance designer typically charges A$2,500–A$8,000 one-time, and an agency A$8,000–A$30,000+. Ongoing costs after year one are the domain renewal plus either a builder subscription or hosting and maintenance.
Do I need an ABN to get a website?
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Not for the website itself, and not for a .com domain. You do need an Australian presence — usually an ABN or ACN — to register a .com.au domain. Plenty of businesses launch on a .com first and add the .com.au once the ABN is sorted.
How much does a .com.au domain cost?
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Typically around A$20–A$30 a year through most Australian registrars, sometimes less on multi-year terms. Buy it directly in your own name so you keep control of it.
Is it worth paying an Australian web designer?
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It's worth it when brand differentiation genuinely drives your sales — competitive retail, hospitality, premium services. For most local trades and service businesses, a well-built DIY site converts just as well, and the A$3,000 difference is better spent on photography, a van wrap, or Google Ads.
What should an Australian small business website include?
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What you do, the suburbs or regions you serve, real photos of your work, pricing or a price range, your ABN if you're registered, reviews, and an obvious way to contact you — ideally phone and a form. For trades, licence numbers where they apply. That's genuinely the whole list for most businesses.