Salon Website Cost & Pricing Guide
Understanding salon website costs is crucial for making the right decision for your business. This guide breaks down pricing for all major options, including hidden costs you might not expect.
Salon Website Pricing Overview
| Option | Upfront Cost | Monthly Cost | Total Year 1 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY Builders (Squarespace, Wix) | $0 | $12-$40 | $144-$480 | + booking integration ($20-$50/mo), + your time |
| Custom Agency | $3,000-$15,000+ | $100-$300 | $4,200-$18,600+ | + hosting, + updates, + booking system |
| Hybrid Solution (Glammatic) | $0 | $349 | $4,188 | All-inclusive: design, hosting, booking, support. Beauty industry loyalty programs may offset costs. |
Detailed Pricing Breakdown
DIY Website Builders: $12-$40/month
What's Included:
- Website builder platform access
- Template selection
- Basic hosting
- SSL certificate
- Customer support (varies by plan)
Additional Costs:
- Online booking integration: $20-$50/month (Acuity, Calendly, etc.)
- Domain name: $10-$15/year
- Email marketing tools: $10-$30/month (if needed)
- Premium templates: $0-$100 one-time (some platforms)
- Your time: 20-40 hours initial setup, 2-5 hours/month maintenance
Realistic Year 1 Total: $500-$1,200+ (including booking integration and your time investment)
Custom Agency Development: $3,000-$15,000+ upfront
What's Included (varies by agency):
- Custom design and development
- Initial setup and configuration
- Content migration (sometimes)
- Basic training
Additional Costs:
- Hosting: $10-$50/month
- Maintenance and updates: $100-$300/month
- Booking system integration: $20-$100/month
- Domain name: $10-$15/year
- Content changes: $50-$200/hour (if not on maintenance plan)
- Security updates and backups: Often included in maintenance
Realistic Year 1 Total: $4,500-$20,000+ (including maintenance and integrations)
Hybrid Solutions (Glammatic): $349/month
What's Included:
- Professional salon website design
- Hosting and SSL certificate
- Integrated online booking system
- Service menu and pricing pages
- Stylist profile management
- Portfolio gallery
- Mobile optimization
- SEO optimization
- Ongoing support and updates
- Content updates (within reason)
- Security and backups
Additional Costs:
- Domain name: $10-$15/year (if not included)
- Custom design work: May incur additional fees
Cost Savings Opportunity:
Glammatic partners with various brands and distributors in the beauty industry. Many loyalty programs offer points or exclusive promotions that can be used to cover Glammatic subscription costs, making it more affordable than the listed price for qualifying salons.
Realistic Year 1 Total: $4,188 (all-inclusive, minimal extras). ROI: Average Glammatic websites see 65% increase in organic web traffic—see case studies for real results.
Hidden Costs to Consider
Your Time
DIY builders require significant time investment. If your time is worth $50/hour and you spend 30 hours setting up and maintaining, that's $1,500/year in opportunity cost.
Third-Party Integrations
Booking systems, email marketing, and other tools often cost extra. Factor in $30-$100/month for essential integrations.
Updates and Maintenance
Custom sites need regular updates for security and functionality. DIY sites require you to handle updates yourself or pay someone.
Content Creation
Professional photography, copywriting, and content creation can cost $500-$3,000+ regardless of platform choice.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
DIY Builders Make Sense If:
- You have time to invest (20+ hours initially, ongoing maintenance)
- You're comfortable learning new software
- Budget is extremely tight and monthly subscriptions aren't feasible
- You enjoy DIY projects and want maximum control
Custom Agency Makes Sense If:
- You have $5,000+ budget for upfront investment
- You need unique features or complex integrations
- Brand differentiation is critical
- You have 6-12 weeks for development timeline
Hybrid Solutions Make Sense If:
- You want professional results without becoming a web developer
- You prefer predictable monthly costs over large upfront investment
- You need salon-specific features built-in
- You want ongoing support and updates included
- You need to launch quickly (1-2 weeks)
ROI Considerations
When evaluating salon website costs, consider return on investment:
- Booking conversion: A better website converts more visitors to bookings. If your site generates 5 extra bookings/month at $100 average, that's $6,000/year in revenue.
- Time savings: Integrated booking reduces phone calls and manual scheduling. Estimate 2-3 hours/week saved = $5,000-$7,500/year in time value.
- Professional image: A polished website attracts higher-value clients and justifies premium pricing.
- SEO value: Properly optimized sites rank in local search, bringing organic traffic without paid ads.
Making the Right Investment Decision
The "cheapest" option isn't always the best value. Consider:
- Total cost of ownership: Look beyond monthly fees to include setup time, integrations, and maintenance.
- Feature completeness: Does the solution include everything you need, or will you need expensive add-ons?
- Support quality: When something breaks, how quickly can you get help?
- Scalability: Will this solution grow with your business, or will you outgrow it quickly?
- Time value: Your time has value. Factor opportunity cost into DIY options.
Ready to Choose Your Salon Website Solution?
Compare all options side-by-side in our platform comparison guide, or get a free consultation with Glammatic to see if it's the right fit.
For more guidance on choosing the right solution, see our complete guide to building the best salon website.