After it's built, a typical small business website costs about $25 to $350 a month to run, or roughly $300 to $4,000 a year. The biggest variable is whether you pay someone to maintain it.
Monthly running costs
| Item | Typical cost (AUD) | Needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name (.com.au) | About $15–$30 a year | Yes |
| Hosting | $10–$30 a month | Yes |
| Business email | A few dollars per user a month | Recommended |
| Care plan (updates, backups, edits) | $50–$300 a month | Recommended |
| Premium plugins or apps | Varies | Sometimes |
| SEO | $800–$2,500 a month for most local businesses | Optional |
Hosting and care plan ranges from Bark and What's the Damage, 2026.
Three realistic budgets
- DIY: domain, hosting and email only. About $25–$50 a month, but you do the updates yourself.
- Maintained: add a care plan. About $80–$350 a month.
- Growing: add monthly SEO. From about $900 a month.
Online stores cost more to run
Shopify stores add a monthly plan, apps and payment fees. A Perth guide puts typical Shopify running costs at $250–$1,500+ a month once live. See ecommerce website costs.
Ranktide's care plan is $79 a month including hosting. See pricing and what maintenance should include.