Number of distinct pages
A page that needs its own layout and its own words costs real time. Ten service pages for a plumber are ten pieces of writing and ten chances to rank for a search. On our side each extra page is CAD $150 / page.
Pricing guide
How much does a website cost in Nanaimo in 2026?
A one-page site from a local studio starts around CAD $790, a small business site with several service pages usually lands between CAD $970 and $4,500, and an online store starts near CAD $4,500. Then there are running costs. Here is what sets the number, what you pay every month, and what three years really cost.
The short answer
Most quotes you get in Nanaimo will fall into three bands. A single landing page for one service or a brand new business is the cheapest. A small business site with separate pages for each service, an about page, reviews and a contact page is the middle band, and it is where most trades, clinics and studios end up. An online store costs the most because every product, payment and shipping rule has to be set up and tested.
Location matters less than people think. A designer in Nanaimo, Victoria or Vancouver is pricing the same work: pages, words, photos and features. What changes the number is scope, and who does which part of it. Below we break that down, and we show our own published prices so you have a real benchmark instead of "it depends".
Our published prices (Island Web Design Studio, Nanaimo)
These are the same numbers that appear on our pricing page. Every project still gets a fixed written quote before work starts.
| Type of site | What it usually includes | Price | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| One‑Page Website | One long page, Contact form + click‑to‑call, Basic SEO + Google Analytics, Live in about a week | CAD $790 | About a week |
| Starter Website | 1–5 pages, Contact form, Basic SEO, Mobile responsive | CAD $970–$2,000 | 1 to 3 weeks after content arrives |
| Business Website | 6–12 pages, Service and town pages, Local SEO foundations, Analytics and call tracking | CAD $2,500–$4,500 | 1 to 3 weeks after content arrives |
| E‑commerce | Shopify/WooCommerce, Payments + shipping, Product setup, SEO-ready structure | CAD $4,500+ | Depends on product count |
Prices in Canadian dollars, before tax. The timeline starts when your text and photos are ready, not when you sign.
What actually drives the price
Two quotes for "a five-page website" can differ by thousands. These are the line items that explain the gap.
Who writes the copy
If you hand over finished text, the build is faster and cheaper. If the designer writes it, budget for it: we charge CAD $90 / page. Copy is also the part that decides whether Google and AI answers understand what you do.
Photos
Real photos of your crew, your van and finished jobs beat stock images every time. If you have none, plan a half day with a phone or a local photographer before the build. Stock photos are cheap but make a local business look like everyone else.
Features
Online booking, quote forms with file uploads, a price calculator, a members area. Each one adds build and testing time. Booking on our sites starts at from CAD $350.
Integrations
Connecting the site to Jobber, Housecall Pro, a CRM, Mailchimp or an inventory system takes setup and testing on both ends. Ask whether the quote includes it or assumes a simple contact form.
Moving an old site
Moving from Wix, Squarespace or WordPress means mapping every old address to a new one so you keep what Google already knows about you. We price that from $300 (CAD). Skipping it is the most expensive saving you can make.
One-time costs vs monthly costs
The build is paid once. These are the things that keep billing you after launch, so ask about every row before you compare quotes.
| Cost | How often | Who you pay | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design and build | Once | Designer or studio | Fixed price in writing, and what counts as a change |
| Domain name | Yearly | A domain registrar | Registered in your name and your account, not the designer's |
| Hosting | Monthly or yearly | Host, builder or studio | Our Hosting plan is CAD $35 / month: CDN, SSL, backups, monitoring |
| Business email | Monthly, per person | Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 | Usually separate from the website, even on builders after a free first year |
| Care and updates | Monthly, optional | Studio or freelancer | Our Hosting & Care plan is CAD $129 / month and includes edits and support |
| Local SEO | Monthly, optional | Studio or SEO specialist | Ours is from CAD $150 / month: profile posts, review requests, new pages, a report |
A monthly plan with us is optional. You own the domain, code and content either way, and you can move the site to any host.
DIY builder vs freelancer vs studio vs agency
Prices vary too much between providers to quote honest averages, so here is how the four options compare in shape rather than in dollars. Our honest take on the first row is in website builder vs web designer.
| Option | Upfront cost | Ongoing cost | Your time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace) | Lowest, often just the first plan payment | Plan fee every month or year, plus apps | High: you write, design and fix it | Testing an idea, very tight budgets, people who enjoy building |
| Freelancer | Low to medium | Varies, often none | Medium | A simple site when you know exactly what you want |
| Small studio | Medium | Optional plan | Low: a call, content, two review rounds | Businesses that need leads and want one accountable person |
| Agency | Highest | Often a retainer | Low, but more meetings | Larger companies with many stakeholders and a marketing team |
Ranges are qualitative on purpose: prices for each option vary widely between providers.
A 3-year total cost example with our numbers
Comparing quotes on the build price alone hides most of the cost. Here is what three years look like with our published prices, before tax, and leaving out the domain and email, which you pay to the registrar and email provider in any scenario.
For the same exercise against a builder plan, see Wix and Squarespace vs a custom website: the 3-year cost.
| Scenario | Build (once) | Monthly plan x 36 | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| One‑Page Website + Hosting | CAD $790 | CAD $1,260 | CAD $2,050 |
| Starter Website + Hosting | CAD $970–$2,000 | CAD $1,260 | CAD $2,230 to $3,260 |
| Business Website + Hosting | CAD $2,500–$4,500 | CAD $1,260 | CAD $3,760 to $5,760 |
| Business Website + Hosting & Care | CAD $2,500–$4,500 | CAD $4,644 | CAD $7,144 to $9,144 |
Prices in Canadian dollars, before tax. Domain and business email are extra in every scenario.
Where Vancouver Island businesses overspend, and where they underspend
Overspending usually looks like paying for twenty thin pages when six strong ones would do, or for animations nobody notices on a phone. It also looks like a monthly fee to a provider who owns your domain or your site, so leaving means starting again.
Underspending looks like a single page trying to rank for ten services, or a site with no page for the towns you drive to. A roofer based in Nanaimo who also works in Parksville and Ladysmith needs words on the site about those places, which is why our Business Website tier includes service and town pages. You can see how we approach that on our pages for web design in Parksville and Qualicum Beach and Ladysmith.
The other common gap is skipping the Google Business Profile. For a local trade it often brings more calls than the website itself. If yours is not showing up, start with why your business is not on Google Maps.
How to get an accurate quote from anyone
List your services
One line each, with the ones that make you the most money first. Each one is a candidate for its own page.
List the towns you serve
Where you actually drive or ship to. This sets the page count and the local SEO work.
Decide who writes
Your words, the designer's words, or a mix. This alone can swing a quote by a fifth.
Name the features
Booking, quote form, gallery, store. If it is not in the quote, assume it is not in the price.
Share a budget range
A range lets a designer tell you what fits, instead of guessing high or low. The project checklist covers the rest.
Keep reading
Questions people ask
How much does a small business website cost in Nanaimo?
A small business website in Nanaimo typically costs between CAD $970 and CAD $4,500 from a local studio, depending on the number of pages and who writes the copy. Our Starter Website is CAD $970–$2,000 and our Business Website with service and town pages is CAD $2,500–$4,500. Builders cost less upfront but take more of your time.
How much does a website cost per month?
A website costs from nothing to a few hundred dollars a month, depending on what you add. Hosting is the only cost you cannot skip: ours is CAD $35 / month. Business email, a care plan for updates and monthly local SEO are separate and optional.
Is it cheaper to build a website myself with Wix or Squarespace?
Yes in cash, usually no once you count your time. A builder plan costs less than a designer in year one, but you write, design and maintain the site yourself, and you keep paying the plan for as long as the site exists. For a business that needs calls and quote requests, the gap often closes within a few years.
How much does an online store website cost?
An online store usually starts around CAD $4,500 with a studio, and the final price depends on the number of products, payment and shipping rules, and integrations. Expect platform fees and payment processing fees on top, every month. A store with a handful of products costs far less to set up than one with hundreds of variants.
What should be included in a website quote?
A good quote lists the pages, who writes the copy, the features, the number of design revision rounds, what happens after launch and who owns the domain and code. Ours also states the payment split: 50% to start and 50% at launch. If an item is not written down, assume it is not included.
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