Every agency quotes a different number and most won't tell you why. Here are the real 2026 ranges Australian small businesses pay, channel by channel, plus how to tell if you're being overcharged, and a free custom quote with no lock-in.
That's the range most Australian small businesses land in once you add up the channels they actually run. The reason quotes vary so wildly is that "digital marketing" isn't one thing, it's four or five different jobs with very different costs. Here's what each one actually runs in 2026.
Ongoing local and organic SEO. Below about $500 a month you're usually buying automated link spam that risks a penalty. SEO is slow to start and compounds for years. See our dedicated SEO for small business page.
Management is typically $500 to $1,500 a month on top of your actual ad budget. Unlike SEO, the leads stop the day you stop paying, but it's the fastest way to test demand. Most small businesses start with $1,000 to $3,000 a month in ad spend.
Done-for-you content across LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Higher if you add paid social or, for brands targeting Chinese-Australian audiences, WeChat and Xiaohongshu.
A fast, mobile-first small-business site built to convert. The range depends on page count, custom design and functionality. A good website is the foundation every other channel sends traffic to, so it's rarely the place to cut.
Three red flags: a lock-in contract of 12 months or more, no plain-English reporting on what the money produced, and a bundled retainer where you can't see what each dollar buys. A good agency shows you exactly what's included, reports in language you understand, and keeps you through results, not paperwork. DC Groups runs month-to-month, no lock-in, and you keep everything we build. For the full deep-dive with worked examples, read our no-BS 2026 budget guide.
We'll do a free 30-minute call, look at your goals and market, and give you an honest, itemised quote, with no lock-in and no pitch deck. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you that too.
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