Quick answer
A small business website in Chicago typically costs $2,500–$7,500 from an agency and $1,500–$4,000 from a freelancer, according to published 2026 Chicago pricing guides, plus about $100–$400 a month in ongoing costs. With Media Express, starter business websites begin at $500; larger projects are quoted by scope.
What drives the price
- Number of pages and how much unique content each one needs.
- Content work: whether you supply text and photos or we write and source them.
- Features: booking, online ordering, payments, member areas, AI assistants, integrations.
- Design depth: adapting a proven layout versus a fully custom design.
- Migration: moving content, redirects and email from an existing site.
- Ongoing work: hosting, updates, content changes, SEO and marketing.
Typical website prices in Chicago (2026)
Published 2026 Chicago pricing guides put most small business websites in these ranges. Use them as a market reference, not a quote.
| Option | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| DIY builder | $0–$500 per year | Testing an idea, very small budgets |
| Freelancer | $1,500–$4,000 | Simple brochure sites |
| Agency, small business site | $2,500–$7,500 | Custom design, SEO foundations, support |
| Mid-size site (10–30 pages) | $15,000–$40,000 | Larger service businesses |
| E-commerce | $10,000–$50,000+ | Online stores and ordering |
| Ongoing costs | $100–$400 per month | Hosting, updates, backups, content |
Sources: Seven Seas Web Design, Clique Studios, 312 Digital.
Starter websites
Under the current Media Express offer, starter business websites begin at $500. A starter site is smaller in scope than the market averages above: a focused set of pages on a proven layout, launched fast, that can grow later. Domain, hosting and optional maintenance are separate. SEO and larger projects are quoted by scope, so you see a clear price before work begins.
Monthly plans
Monthly plans make it easier to get started and to develop the website over time. We agree on setup, ongoing services, payment terms and what is included before you commit, built around your needs and budget.
Beware of the one-hour website
Getting a basic page online in an hour is possible with a template. It does not include what brings customers: content that answers buyer questions, search foundations, tested forms, security and someone responsible when something breaks. Your own time is part of the price. Read the full answer in our FAQ.
Get a clear quote
Tell us your budget and priorities and we will recommend a practical starting point with a clear scope and price. Call 773 800 1520Mówimy po Polsku or request a website quote.
Related
Questions and answers
How much does a small business website cost in Chicago?
With Media Express, starter business websites begin at $500 under the current offer, with domain, hosting and optional maintenance separate. Larger or custom projects are quoted by scope.
Do you offer monthly payment plans?
Yes. Monthly plans are available, with setup, services, payment terms and inclusions agreed before you commit.
Is SEO included in the price?
Every site we build includes SEO foundations: clean structure, titles, descriptions, structured data and a sitemap. Ongoing SEO and marketing are quoted separately by scope.
Are there hidden costs?
We list domain, hosting, maintenance and any third-party tools separately so you know what each part costs before you decide.
See the full Chicago web design picture, from first call to launch.
More services
- WordPress websites
- Website redesign
- E-commerce websites
- Slow website? We fix it
- Same-day websites
- Polish-American & bilingual websites
- AI search (AEO / GEO)
- Landing page design
- Website accessibility (ADA / WCAG)
- White-label web design
- Web development Chicago
- Affordable web design
Popular pages
Our own audience
We don’t buy traffic. We create it.
Most agencies build a website and leave you to find visitors. Media Express owns the audience. Polish Network is the largest Polish-American network of owned media in the USA: 120+ of our own websites and portals, social media channels and news portals.
We also run the world’s largest aggregator of Polish radio stations, with 300+ stations from Poland, the United States and the diaspora in one place. We are building the American edition now, and next an edition for every country.
And we run your business on Szef.AI, our own AI operating system and CRM that works with everything, everywhere. New and better AI models appear every day, and Szef.AI is already connected to them. It is a solution nobody can match.
More than 8 million Americans report Polish ancestry (U.S. Census Bureau). Through our network, millions of people can become your customers. A typical web design agency cannot offer you this.
Ready to talk about your website?
31+ years of continuous web work, same-day website design that grows from a business card site to a portal for millions of views, a media network of our own, Szef.AI, our AI operating system connected to every new model, and direct access to the people who build your site. Tell us what you have in mind; you will get a clear recommendation, scope and price before any work begins.