Asking "how much does a website cost" is like asking how much a car costs. Here are the real ranges quoted in Melbourne for a Consultancy, and what each option does and doesn't include.
Four options and their ranges
- DIY on a platform: £0 upfront, £20–50/month forever. The real cost is your time, which is usually the expensive part.
- Freelancer: £600–£2,500. Quality varies a lot and timelines stretch when they take on another project.
- Traditional agency: £2,000–£15,000 plus monthly maintenance. Excellent if the budget allows; overkill for a local business.
- Fast-delivery service (us): from £399 one-time, first-year hosting included, live in 24h.
The hidden costs nobody mentions
- Domain: £10–15/year. Non-negotiable, and it must be registered in your name, not your builder's.
- Hosting: £5–20/month depending on provider.
- SSL certificate: should be free (Let's Encrypt). If it's billed separately, that's a red flag.
- Later edits: this is where the money goes. Ask the per-edit price BEFORE signing.
- Photography: a decent stock library is £100–300, unless your real photos are used.
What any serious quote must include
If a quote for a Consultancy in Melbourne doesn't explicitly mention responsive design, local SEO, a working contact form, a connected Google listing and who owns the domain, it isn't a quote — it's a guess.
What you should actually spend
For a local business in Melbourne, spending more than £2,000 on a first website is rarely justified. Start with something professional and affordable, measure how many calls it brings, and reinvest from there.
Get an exact quote here or request a free preview and compare it with any other quote on your desk.