How Much Does Website Design Cost in New Zealand?


Small business website design in New Zealand costs around $600 to $1500, depending on website features and functionality. Also know that prices may or may not include GST. If a business earns under 60k per year then they are not required to register for and charge any GST on their prices. For businesses that do charge GST, you should check whether this is included in their pricing, or charged on top.

This article will explain what's involved in getting a website built and factors that impact the cost.



What are your requirements?


Before embarking on your journey to getting a website, take some time to consider what your website needs are. It might help to think about the following questions to understand your specific requirements.


  • Do you need an informational website or are you wanting to sell products online?
  • Will a template based design be suitable or do you need something more customised?
  • Have you got your own images or will you need to purchase some?
  • Do you need an online booking system or another type of specific functionality?
  • Is there any custom functionality or third-party software integeration that you need?


Types of Websites


Small Business Websites

Small business websites are your most cost-effective option to get your business online at a reasonable price. They are generally informational brochure-style websites between 1-5 pages. They may utilise a template which is customised to suit your company, and include basic functionality.

Average cost: starting at $600


Ecommerce Websites

If you need to sell products online, an ecommerce site is what you'll need. These websites include shopping cart functionality, user accounts, inventory management and payment gateways. Ecommerce websites may be built on a closed platform such as Shopify. Or they could be built using an open source system such as Wordpress with the WooCommerce plugin.

Average cost: starting at $1200


Custom Websites

Custom websites are the most expensive and are generally for larger businesses. They can help your business stand out with a unique design and include custom features such as online booking systems or other advanced integrations.

Average cost: starting at $1500



Specific costs to design and create a website


There are two mains costs of running a website that you need to be aware of.

  1. Design fee
  2. Domain/hosting fee

One off cost: Design Fee


There is a one-off cost for building the website. This fee will depend on how much customisation you require for the site, and the functionality.

Factors that will influence website cost: Functionality and Features

Cost are influenced by factors such as the number of pages, functionality, design complexity and specific features that your website requires. Below are a few points to consider:


  • An ecommerce online store with payment processing, or sites that require extensive configurations (these will always cost significantly more than a standard website - generally around $1200 at the low end)
  • Membership account functionality (this will probably be $2000+)
  • Whether you want a template or custom design (some web designers build websites based on a template which can allow them to lower their cost)
  • Additional pages (your website package will include a certain number of pages - additional pages will be charged extra)
  • SEO (search engine optimisation is very competitive and costs can be quite high for this)

Website designers may also have tiered pricing packages that include, or don't include, things such as:


  • contact forms
  • image slideshows
  • photo galleries
  • page limits

It's best to compare their packages to find the one that suits your needs.


Ongoing costs: Domain and Web Hosting


The domain and hosting are ongoing costs for your website. Essentially, anyone who has a website needs to pay 'rent' to live on the internet.


Domain Name

Costs for a domain name in New Zealand are around $33 per year.


Web Hosting

Cost for hosting can vary quite a bit depending on which provider you choose to use, but it will generally be around $100-$200 per year. Many web hosting providers have tiered packages which allow you more disk space and bandwidth, as well as additional backup and security features if you purchase their premium plan. If you require a business email address this may be included in your provider's Hosting package, or you may need to purchase it separately. An SSL Certificate is another thing that may either be included in your Hosting package, or purchased as an add-on. This is important for your website's security as it encrypts the connection between your website and a user's web browser.


Some web designers may include a 12 months domain/hosting subscription in their design fee, while others do not. Some may also require you to subscribe to their own provider, whereas others give you the freedom to choose your own.


Hosting and Website Speed

For New Zealanders, it is a good idea to choose a host that has servers located in either New Zealand or Australia. This is because it will help your website load faster, as opposed to having servers that are located further away from us.




Understanding the pricing models for website design in New Zealand


Website design costs in NZ may be offered either as a fixed price package, or at an hourly rate. This will be dependent on the web design company that you use.


Fixed-price packages

Some website design agencies offer fixed-price packages that include a set list of design elements for a specific price. This can be a straightforward option for those who do not want to go over budget, as you'll know up-front what the costs are.

For fixed-priced packages, you can expect to pay $600 for a basic website up to five pages. For websites with additional functionality, such as payment systems or booking functionality, costs will be around $1200+.


Hourly rates

Hourly rates and project-based pricing are common in the website design industry. This pricing model generally suits clients who have unique needs and more flexibility in their budget. Web designers who charge an hourly rate will usually still be able to give you an estimate of total costs once they understand your design requirements.

For hourly rate charges, you can expect costs to be around $80 per hour, as is the starting rate for website design.



Why do website costs vary so much?


Website costs vary in range from $600 to $1500+ due to differences in functionality and the design process. Some web design companies will request to meet with you to discuss your website requirements, and will then spend time doing tasks such as target audience analysis and design mockups, before they begin creating your website. Time spend on these tasks are factored into their costs. Large agencies also have high overhead costs, which makes their services more expensive. In comparison, smaller web agencies or freelance website designers may proceed straight to the development of your website rather than going through a lengthy design process. Their websites usually have more limited functionality and are designed for small businesses who only need a simple website built, therefore costs can be much lower.



Costs to hire a website designer versus doing it yourself?


You may be thinking why you should hire a website designer when there are no-code website builders out there, such as Wix, that allow you to create a website yourself. While it is an option, there are some things you should consider. Do-it-yourself website builders can be finicky to use, especially if you are trying to create a specific layout for your business and their template options don't work for you. Wix websites are also not completely responsive for all screen sizes. And, if you compare the yearly cost of paying for your DIY website builder subscription with the Domain and Hosting cost of using your own provider, you'll find the web builder subscriptions are actually more expensive. For more detailed information, check out our blog post on Wix Website Development


Low Cost Website Design for Kiwi Businesses


We are one of the most affordable website designers in New Zealand, with packages starting from only $350 and 12 months domain/hosting included.

So if you're looking for a low-cost website design company to create your business website, Digital Candy can help you achieve your goal. We have helped many Kiwi businesses throughout New Zealand with our reasonably priced packages.
Please note however, as we specialise in affordable web design, we don't build websites requiring extensive functionality such as online stores, etc.

Take a peek at our packages to see what we offer, and let us help you get your business online!