How much does a basic website cost for a small business in Ireland?

Cupán Studio sells café websites. We build them for cafés in Ireland, so we have an interest in the answer.

In a 2019 boards.ie thread, posts gave figures that differed widely: one post said "Approx 1k", another said "600-800" for a non-ecommerce site, and another said "€3-5k" for a lead generation site. One post said "Depends really," and asked whether the site needs ecommerce, hosting and ongoing maintenance; another said it "depends on the content and type". Those are 2019 posters' figures, not current prices, and the thread is about a small business in general, not a café. Our view: write down what you need, then ask every quote what is included, including hosting and who can edit the site, before you compare prices.

Where the question came from

The question comes from a boards.ie thread titled "Basic website - ballpark cost?", started on 14 November 2019. It has an opening post and seven replies, from 14 to 29 November 2019. It is about a small business website in general, not a café.

What did the thread ask?

It asked what a small business should expect to pay for a website that is not too fancy, in 2019. The opening post (14 November 2019) said: "i'm looking to get a website built, six/seven pages for a small business." It went on: "Just wondering what kind of cost I'm looking at for something not too fancy or widget-filled or if there are any designers out there interested?"

What figures did posts give?

Posts gave very different figures, and each is that poster's own, from 2019. We have not averaged, ranked or updated them, and they are not prices now.

One post (15 November 2019, 00:03) said: "Approx 1k". Another post (15 November 2019, 06:49) said: "If you're looking for a professional website, then ballpark in the range of €3-5k for a lead generation site, or €5-8k for an entry-level ecommerce site." A later post (28 November 2019) said: "If it is a non ecommerce one you could get away with 600-800 for a solid modern mobile friendly solution."

What did posts say decides the price?

Two posts said it depends. A post of 26 November 2019 began: "Depends really," and then asked: "Does it need to be ecommerce?", "Do you need hosting / any other dev ops infrastructure set up behind it." and "Do you need on going maintenance with it?" The post of 28 November 2019 said: "As previous posters said it really depends on the content and type."

One post (29 November 2019, 15:51) advised: "Note down your requirements and mail a few local places for quotes." It ended: "If you don't ask for something, don't expect it will be included." A reply (29 November 2019, 18:33) said: "Low cost providers will give you exactly what you ask for, and not an inch more." The same post said: "Higher cost providers will usually help you figure out what you need (often called discovery, roadmapping, diagnosis or similar)." It added: "I find that "You get what you pay for" tends to hold true." The 06:49 and 18:33 posts came from the same poster, but they are two posts.

What did the post about a grant say?

One post said there was a grant, as the scheme stood in 2019. The post (15 November 2019, 06:49) said: "There is a grant, known as the Trading Online Voucher Scheme, available from your Local Enterprise Office that pays 50% of the ex-VAT price, up to €2,500 in total." That is what the post said in 2019. We do not repeat those terms as current. For the scheme as it is now, see our guide to the grant for a café website.

What can a café take from it?

Our view, not the thread's: list what you need before you ask anyone for a price. That means how many pages, whether you sell online, where the site is hosted, who can edit it and who looks after it afterwards. Then ask each quote what is included, so you are comparing like with like. A post of 29 November 2019 (15:51) said: "If you don't ask for something, don't expect it will be included." Our own price is on our pricing page. For keeping a site current once it is built, see is an out-of-date café website losing customers.

Sources

• boards.ie, thread "Basic website - ballpark cost?", 14 to 29 November 2019, read 29 October 2026.
• Cupán Studio, the grant guide for a café website, read 29 October 2026.
• Cupán Studio, pricing, read 29 October 2026.
• Cupán Studio, an out-of-date café website, read 29 October 2026.

This is a summary of a public 2019 boards.ie thread about a small business website, not a café, read on 29 October 2026. The figures are posters' figures from 2019, not current prices, and this is not advice for your shop. The quotes are the posters' own words; our view is marked as ours. Cupán Studio builds websites for cafés in Ireland.