How Much Does a Website Cost in BC?

One of the most common questions we hear from Vernon and Okanagan business owners is: “How much does a website cost?” It’s also one of the hardest to answer honestly — because the range is enormous and the factors that drive price are rarely explained clearly.

This guide breaks down what you actually get at different price points in BC, what drives costs up or down, and how to figure out what’s right for your business — without getting oversold or undersold.

The honest answer: it depends — but here are real ranges

Tier 1: $0–$1,500 — DIY website builders

Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy Website Builder. You do everything yourself. These platforms are genuinely viable for very simple businesses — a single-service tradesperson, a freelancer, or someone who just needs a basic online presence with a contact form.

The catch: you’re trading money for time. Design is limited to templates. You’re also locked into the platform — if you want to leave, you start from scratch. And many businesses outgrow these platforms faster than they expect.

Tier 2: $3,000–$8,000 — Entry-level professional WordPress sites

A freelancer or small local agency building a custom WordPress site with a premium theme, your content, and basic SEO setup. This is the right range for most small Vernon businesses that want a professional online presence without a large budget.

What you should expect at this price: 5–10 pages, mobile-optimized design, contact forms, foundational on-page SEO (meta tags, schema, page speed optimization), and a handoff so you can manage basic content updates yourself.

What you may not get: custom functionality, e-commerce, advanced integrations, or ongoing support (which typically comes as a separate maintenance plan).

Tier 3: $8,000–$15,000 — Mid-range custom WordPress development

A more experienced developer or agency, custom design (not just a theme), more complex functionality — booking systems, membership areas, e-commerce, third-party integrations. Appropriate for businesses where the website is a significant revenue channel.

Tier 4: $15,000+ — Enterprise and complex web applications

Custom web applications, large e-commerce operations, multi-location businesses with complex needs. Not typically relevant for Vernon SMBs unless the website is core to the business model.

What actually drives the cost of a website?

Number of pages

More pages = more design, more content, more development time. A 5-page brochure site is fundamentally different from a 30-page service site with individual location pages for every Okanagan city you serve.

Custom design vs. premium theme

A custom-designed site built from scratch costs significantly more than one built on a premium WordPress theme. For most small businesses, a well-configured premium theme is indistinguishable from custom design to the average visitor — and costs less..

Functionality and integrations

A static informational site costs far less than one with booking software, an online store, a client portal, or custom database functionality. Every additional integration adds development and testing time.

Who writes the content

Copywriting — the actual words on your site — is often excluded from web design quotes and invoiced separately. Professional copywriting for a small business site can add $1,000–$3,000 to the project cost. If you’re writing your own content, factor in the time this will take — it’s often the biggest bottleneck in getting a site launched.

Photography and video

Stock photos are included in some builds. Professional photography of your team, premises, or products is typically a separate cost. In the Okanagan, a commercial photography session runs roughly $500–$1,500 depending on scope.

SEO included or not

Some web designers do the design work and hand you a file. Others build with SEO as a foundation — proper URL structure, meta tags, schema markup, page speed optimization, and mobile performance baked in from the start. Ask explicitly whether SEO is included before signing anything. A cheap site with no SEO foundation will need expensive remediation later.

Ongoing maintenance

A WordPress site needs ongoing maintenance — plugin updates, security patches, backups, and occasional fixes. A website maintenance plan typically runs $50–$200/month depending on scope. This is a real and ongoing cost that’s often not discussed upfront.

What does website hosting cost in BC?

Hosting is separate from the site build. For a small WordPress site, quality managed WordPress hosting in Canada runs roughly $25–$60/month. Cheaper shared hosting exists but often causes performance problems, security vulnerabilities, and support headaches that cost more to fix than the savings were worth.

Red flags in website pricing

• “Complete website for $299” — This is a DIY platform with a template, not a professionally built custom site.
• No itemized quote — A reputable provider can break down what you’re paying for: design, development, content, SEO, hosting, domain.
• Ownership ambiguity — Some agencies build sites on proprietary systems. If you leave, you lose the site. Always confirm: Do I own this website outright after launch?
• SEO not mentioned — If a provider’s quote makes no mention of SEO, page speed, or meta tags, you’re getting a design deliverable, not a business asset.
• No post-launch support discussed — “We’ll hand it over and you’re on your own” is not a sustainable arrangement for a non-technical business owner.

What Tachyon builds and what it costs

Tachyon designs and builds WordPress websites for Vernon BC and Okanagan businesses. Every build includes foundational SEO (meta tags, schema markup, page speed tuning, mobile optimization) as part of the standard deliverable — not as an upsell. For clients seeking deeper search performance, we also provide comprehensive in-depth SEO as a separate, optional service tailored to your growth goals.

We offer transparent, itemized quotes based on what your business actually needs. After launch, we offer maintenance and security plans that keep your site updated, secure, and backed up without requiring you to become a WordPress expert.

Get a free, itemized website quote →

The bottom line

For most Vernon BC small businesses, a professionally built WordPress website in the $3,500–$6,000 range is the right investment — custom enough to reflect your brand and built on a platform you own, without paying for complexity you don’t need.

The questions to ask any provider before signing: What’s included? Do I own the site? Is SEO part of the build? What happens after launch?

Tachyon Business & Computer Solutions provides WordPress web design, website hosting, and maintenance services for businesses in Vernon BC and throughout the Okanagan Valley. Contact us for a free quote.