How much does it cost to design and build a web site for a small company these days? I assume it depends on size of the site and complexity. I am thinking a small "regular" site. no database. no shopping basket.Website design is pretty cheap. Few hundred dollars (definitely less than thousand) depending on your exact requirement.
What is a good budget to start with?
A CMS should be used to allow easy expansion later.
You can use Joomla / modX. I prefer modX and use it on our site because:
1. Allows easy configurability
2. Easy to extend
3. Simpler architecture
4. Better codebase and design
5. MVC: Clean separation of view and controller.