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The Smart Starter’s Guide to cut Website costs in the Netherlands

Nov 15, 2025

A budget-friendly option for Dutch small businesses, solopreneurs, and freelancers who would like a website without high hosting renewal costs or other technicalities.

How to Set Up a Website for Your Business in the Netherlands Without Overspending

If you’re a starter, solopreneur, freelancer, or even a small business dipping your toes into the Dutch market, getting a website feels like the obvious first step. And honestly, it is important. It's like a kind of modern “visitekaartje” (Business card). But it doesn’t have to drain your bank account or your sanity.

In the Netherlands, we have a lot of hosting companies waving shiny deals in your face. €1 domains. Gratis (free) hosting for the first few months. Big banners shouting “Perfect for beginners!” And in true Dutch fashion, we all love a bargain. You know how it goes: zuinig maar slim. in other words "careful with money, but clever about it?

But here’s the catch. These starter deals can end up costing a lot more once renewal time comes around. I’ve seen this first-hand. Clients come to me for a website design, and I help them pick a hosting provider with a great starter deal to keep their start-up cost low. A year later, their business is still growing, which is great, but it’s not yet at the stage where it’s generating huge steady profits. Suddenly, that low-cost starter deal turns into a much bigger hosting fee, which can really drain a small business or solopreneur in the early stages. That’s exactly why I wanted to create a solution that lets small businesses start small and smart, giving you a space to grow until your business is ready for a bigger, full-featured website.

The Hosting Trap: Cheap the First Year, Painful After

African american man lifting a light box but is there is a lock attached that is stopping him

Let’s be honest: some of the hosting deals in the Netherlands are like a stroopwafel — sweet at first, sticky afterwards. You get the €1 domain, maybe even free hosting. Lovely.
Then year two rolls around and suddenly you’re paying:

• €12–€20 for your domain renewal
• €10–€25 per month for hosting, vat excluded and which most of the time you pay annually
• Extra for SSL (sometimes). If you didnt know what it is, this is what keeps your data safe while you check out or fill out forms on websites.

That “cheap” website slowly turns into a recurring cost you didn’t plan for, especially when your business is still growing.

Another Issue: Trapped by your website builder

Here’s what most people don’t notice until later. When you build your site using a hosting provider’s own website builder, you often can’t move it anywhere else. No export. No transfer. No “take your design with you”. By then, you have invested a lot of time and money into your website.

It’s like renting an apartment and the landlord says, “Sure, you can move, but you can only take your curtains.” You know how difficult finding a house in the Netherlands can be, and you can’t exactly afford to leave your furniture behind when you move. That’s what it’s like when your website is built on a platform you can’t easily leave. You might have to start all over if you switch.

So if you want cheaper hosting later, or you want to switch platforms as you grow, you have to rebuild your entire site from scratch. New layout. New text. New everything. That is a waste of time and money.

Seeing this happen first-hand with clients inspired me to create a platform where design costs are low and time-consuming setup is minimal, Actually you won't even have to lift your finger on your website. You might still face limitations if you ever want to transfer your website, but at least you won’t have to worry about big hidden costs or wasted effort. Think of it like renting a fully furnished apartment. You won't be able to take everything with you if you move, but starting here keeps your initial costs manageable while your business grows.

Tools Are There… but Most Starters Don’t Know How to Use Them

Dutch lady with brunette hair is confused by the seo analytics program

Here’s the honest truth. Most Dutch hosting platforms do offer SEO fields, analytics options, meta descriptions, headings, alt text. All the good stuff. These are all features that help you to rank better on google and get your website see. But knowing how to actually use these properly? That’s another story.

SEO isn’t as simple as “add keywords”. Analytics isn’t just “look at numbers”. Ranking in Rotterdam, Den Haag, or Amsterdam takes structure, content, and consistency.

For many starters, a website ends up being a digital business card and nothing is wrong with that. It’s perfectly okay for a starter to want a professional online space where people can see an overview of your services, find and contact you. That’s already a big step. But paying for a full hosting platform that’s built for large websites when all you need is a simple online base? That’s where many small businesses start overspending without realising it.

The Real Starter Struggle: Time, Energy, and Budget

Running a business here takes time. Getting your first clients takes time. Figuring out your branding takes time. So building a full-scale website, maintaining it, updating it, and learning SEO on top? It’s a lot. Most starters simply need a clean, trustworthy place online where people can find them and contact them. Nothing fancy. Just functional. Stap voor stap or in other words step by step

Start Slow, Build as You Grow

Not everything has to be perfect from day one. We’re not building the iconic Erasmusbrug bridge in Rotterdam. Sometimes the smartest move is starting small, steady, and stress-free while your business finds its footing. And that’s where MyNiche fits in naturally.

Introducing MyNiche: Your Starter-Friendly Web Space

MyNiche isn’t trying to replace a full website. If anything, it's trying to support you where you are, so that you can expand when you are ready. It’s your beginning space. A simple, clean webpage for Dutch locals and international starters who want to look professional without jumping straight into high hosting costs and technical setups.

Laptop screen displaying MyNiche website for elly sankes

No yearly Domain Fees

With MyNiche, you don't have surprise yearly domain fees. You will get a MyNiche URL that reflects your niche, so you can start building your online presence without worrying about additional domain fees. Your website will still look credible from day one, helping clients, partners, and collaborators find and trust you, all while keeping costs manageable as your business grows. But there are more benefits.

No High Yearly Hosting Costs

Instead of facing drastically higher, expensive hosting fees, you only pay a small annual membership to join the MyNiche platform. This fee covers everything you need to stay online, including SSL security, a professional URL with your business name, and access to the MyNiche Hub, where potential clients, partners, and collaborators can find you. Starting this way keeps your costs low. Plus, as your business expands, you can easily upgrade or move to a full website when the time is right, without having wasted time or money along the way.

No Paying for Features You Don’t Need

Paying for 50 features you’ll never use. Many website platforms bundle a wide range of tools and extras into one expensive package. As a starter, solopreneur, or small business, most of these features are unnecessary, yet you’re still paying for them. It’s like buying a full toolbox when all you need is a hammer. The result? Higher costs, a more complicated dashboard, and extra time spent figuring out tools you’ll never actually use.

With MyNiche, you only pay for what you need. The platform is simple, focused, and affordable, giving you the essentials to get online quickly and professionally. You won’t get lost in dozens of unnecessary features or surprise fees, and you can focus on growing your business while keeping your website manageable. It’s a smart, frugal approach — zuinig maar slim.

You become part of a like-minded community

What's even better? You automatically become part of the MyNiche Hub. A digital space where clients, partners, and collaborators can find you. You’re not buried in the internet. You’re part of a curated community.

And when you’re finally ready to build your full website, whether it's WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace or even local Dutch website and hosting providers, like mijn domein, jouweb or whatever suits you, I can guide you through that journey rather than leaving you stranded with a platform you’ve outgrown.

Why MyNiche Works Perfectly for Starters in the Netherlands

• No unpredictable renewal fees
• No domain renewal fees
• Low stress, low maintenance
• Perfect for small business owners, freelancers or anyone just starting out
• Works for bilingual NL/EN businesses
• Gives you visibility through the MyNiche Hub
• Lets you upgrade only when you want to
• Supports your growth, not your headaches

Ready for a website without breaking the bank?

If you’ve been hesitating about creating a website maybe because it felt overwhelming, expensive, or just too technical start simple with MyNiche

Begin with something manageable.
Something affordable.
Something you can grow from.

And if you want a little space online that doesn’t break the bank, MyNiche is a pretty good place to begin.

👉 Join MyNiche today and start small, keep costs low, and build your presence at your own pace