Updated 2 September 2026 · Grateau Agency
Brochure website design: what it is and what it costs
A brochure website is a site that presents a business rather than selling through it. No shopping cart, no accounts, no transactions: pages that explain what you do, show that you are credible, and make it easy to get in touch. It is what most small businesses actually need, and it is the cheapest kind of site to build well.
What is a brochure website?
The name comes from print. A paper brochure presents the business and leaves the customer to call. A brochure website does the same job online: home, services, about, proof, contact, and often a blog and an FAQ. The visitor reads and then contacts you. The transaction, if there is one, happens off the site.
It is sometimes called an informational site or a static site. Static here means the content does not change per visitor, not that it never changes. You still add pages, publish articles and update prices.
Brochure website compared with the alternatives
- Brochure website: presents the business, generates enquiries. Cheapest to build, cheapest to run, nothing to break. Right for services and trades.
- E-commerce site: sells products directly, with a catalogue, payment and stock. Far more expensive to build and to maintain, and only worth it if you sell online.
- Web application: customer accounts, bookings, dashboards. This is software development, priced accordingly.
- One page website: a brochure site compressed into a single scroll. Cheaper, and it limits you to one topic in search.
The common mistake is buying an e-commerce platform for a business that does not sell online. You then pay a monthly fee and maintain a shop that nobody uses.
Who a brochure website is right for
Trades and services, mostly: builders, electricians, plumbers, accountants, lawyers, consultants, coaches, therapists, restaurants, salons, florists, caterers, agencies. Any business where the customer needs to trust you before they call, and where the sale happens in conversation rather than in a checkout.
What a brochure website should contain
- A home page that answers who, what and for whom before the visitor scrolls.
- A page per service. This is what lets you rank for each of them separately.
- Proof: past work, customer reviews, photographs of the real thing.
- An about page. For a small business the people are the product.
- Prices, or a range. Withholding them costs more enquiries than it protects.
- A contact route that suits your customers, and your address if they visit you.
- A blog or FAQ: the practical way to be found for the questions people actually ask.
- Privacy and legal pages.
How much does a brochure website cost?
Less than any other kind, because there is no transactional machinery to build. US market ranges in 2026: $500 to $5,000 from a freelancer, $5,000 to $30,000 from an agency, with most professional small business sites landing between $2,000 and $8,000. On a website builder you pay $10 to $99 a month and do the work yourself.
Running costs are low: a domain name at $10 to $20 a year and shared hosting from about $2 a month. There is no platform fee and no transaction fee, because there are no transactions.
What we build
Brochure websites are the only thing we do. Up to thirty pages, custom design, mobile layouts, on-page search optimisation, blog, FAQ, contact form, reviews section, gallery, legal pages and a second language. €299, paid once, delivered in five business days. Hosting and maintenance are separate, optional and cancellable at any time.
If you need an online shop or customer accounts, we are not the right supplier and we will tell you so rather than stretch the package to fit.
Frequently asked questions
What is a brochure website?
A brochure website presents a business rather than selling through it. It has no shopping cart, accounts or transactions: pages that explain what you do, show that you are credible and make it easy to get in touch. The sale happens in conversation, not in a checkout.
What is the difference between a brochure website and an e-commerce site?
A brochure website generates enquiries; an e-commerce site takes payments. E-commerce needs a catalogue, checkout and stock management, which makes it far more expensive to build and to maintain. If you do not sell online, you do not need it.
How much does a brochure website cost?
In the United States a freelancer charges $500 to $5,000 and an agency $5,000 to $30,000, with most professional small business sites between $2,000 and $8,000. Running costs are a domain at $10 to $20 a year and hosting from about $2 a month.
How many pages should a brochure website have?
Enough for one page per service, plus home, about, proof, contact and legal pages. Ten to thirty pages is typical. A separate page per service is what allows each one to rank in search.
Is a brochure website good for SEO?
Yes, and better than a one page site, because each service and each question can have its own page targeting its own search. A blog or FAQ extends that further.