How to get a website for your small business
Updated October 26, 2026
You have three real options: build it yourself, hire an agency, or have it done for you. This is an honest look at each, what your site actually needs to bring in customers, what it should cost, and how fast it can be live. The short version: you can see your finished site built for you first, free, and only pay if you want it.
The three ways to get one
1. Build it yourself. Website builders like Wix, Squarespace, or GoDaddy let you drag blocks around for roughly $15 to $40 a month, forever. They work, but the time is yours: you design it, write it, add your photos, keep it updated, and pay every month for as long as the site is up. For a busy owner, the project often stalls half-finished.
2. Hire an agency or freelancer. You get a professional result, but it typically costs $3,000 to $8,000 up front, takes weeks or months of back and forth, and many then bill a monthly retainer on top. It is the right call for a large custom project, and heavy for a straightforward local business site.
3. Have it done for you. A done-for-you service builds the site from your existing public information, shows it to you, and takes it live on your own domain. You do nothing technical. This is what we do: a full multi-page site for a flat one-time $995, no monthly bill for the site, usually live within a few days.
| Build it yourself | Hire an agency | Done for you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Low | $3,000 to $8,000 | One-time $995 |
| Ongoing cost | $15 to $40 every month, forever | Often a monthly retainer | No monthly bill; $199 a year to stay online |
| Time to live | Many evenings, and it often stalls | Weeks to months | Usually a few days |
| Your effort | You design, write, and maintain it | A lot of back and forth | You review it, nothing technical |
| You own it | On the builder's platform; it stops if you stop paying | Usually, but ask first | Yours, on your own domain, and it stays yours |
What your website actually needs
Most local businesses do not need anything fancy. They need a site that loads fast on a phone and makes it obvious who you are and how to reach you. The essentials:
- Your name, what you do, and the area you serve, clear in the first few seconds.
- A tap-to-call button and your hours, so a ready customer can reach you now.
- Your services, a few real photos, and your reviews, so a stranger trusts you.
- Your address with a map, and a simple quote or appointment request.
- Built to be found: so Google and assistants like Siri and ChatGPT can read and recommend you.
What it should cost
Watch for the monthly-bill trap. Builders and agencies often tie you to a subscription that outlives the value you got on day one. A local business site is a one-time thing that should then just stay online cheaply. We keep it one payment of $995, you own it, and keeping it live after the first year is $199 a year for hosting and your domain, not a monthly fee.
How long it takes
Doing it yourself can eat many evenings. An agency build runs weeks to months. A done-for-you build is usually live within a few days, because the first draft is already made from what is publicly known about your business. You spend minutes reviewing, not weeks building.
The easy way: see yours built first, free
You do not have to decide on faith. We build a free preview of your own website from your public listing, your real name, hours, services, and photos, before you pay anything. Look it over, change whatever you want, and make it live only if you love it. If we cannot get it live, you pay nothing.