Website pricing is all over the map, and a lot of what you'll read online is either written by someone trying to sell you something expensive or someone selling you something cheap. We're going to be straightforward about what different options actually cost, what you get, and what the right choice is for most local businesses.
The main options and what they cost
DIY website builders (Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy)
These run $16–$50/month and let you build your own site using templates. The upside: low cost, no developer needed. The downsides: they take real time to build well, SEO is mediocre out of the box, templates look generic, and the finished result often doesn't inspire confidence from customers.
If your time is worth $25+/hour, the "free" builder often isn't actually cheaper once you account for the 20–40 hours it takes to build something decent. And if it doesn't convert visitors to customers, it's not saving you anything.
Freelancers
A solo freelance web designer typically charges $500–$5,000 for a small business site, depending on experience and complexity. Quality varies enormously. A good freelancer can deliver excellent work; a bad one disappears after taking your deposit. Maintenance and updates after launch are usually extra and often slow.
Marketing agencies
A full-service agency will quote you $5,000–$30,000+ for a custom site, plus ongoing retainers. For a local plumber or salon, this is almost certainly overkill — you're paying for project managers, account reps, and overhead that doesn't make your phone ring more often.
Specialized local web design (like Peak Beak)
A focused local web design shop builds specifically for small businesses and charges accordingly. At Peak Beak, plans start at $110/month (all-in: design, build, hosting, and updates). That's less than most business owners spend on coffee.
| Option | Cost | SEO | Quality | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY Builder | $16–$50/mo | Mediocre | Template | Self-serve |
| Freelancer | $500–$5K one-time | Varies | Varies | Slow/extra cost |
| Agency | $5K–$30K+ | Good | Custom | Included |
| Peak Beak | $110–$429/mo | Built-in | Custom | Included |
What actually matters in a small business website
Most business owners think about websites in terms of how they look. That matters — but it's not what determines whether your site makes you money. Here's what does:
- Load speed — Google penalizes slow sites. So do visitors. Over 50% of mobile users leave a page that takes more than 3 seconds to load.
- Mobile design — More than 60% of local searches happen on phones. If your site looks bad on a phone, you're losing most of your traffic.
- Clear call to action — Every page should make it obvious what to do next: call, book, or get a quote. A pretty site with no clear next step doesn't convert.
- Local SEO basics — Your city, your services, and your business name need to appear in the right places so Google knows who you are and where you operate.
- Real content and photos — Generic stock photos and filler text don't build trust. Real photos of your work, your team, and your space do.
Hidden costs to watch for
Whatever option you choose, watch out for these add-ons that can quietly double the price:
- Domain name — Usually $12–$20/year. Should be included or clearly itemized.
- Hosting — Cheap hosts ($3–$5/month) are usually slow. Good hosting costs $15–$40/month. At Peak Beak, it's included.
- SSL certificate — The padlock icon in browsers. Some builders charge extra. Should be free in 2025.
- Content changes — After a one-time build, most freelancers and agencies charge hourly ($75–$150/hr) to update anything. Monthly plans include this.
- Ongoing SEO — Many agencies sell a basic site and then pitch a $500–$2,000/month SEO retainer. For a local business, the right foundation built into the site handles most of this without ongoing fees.
What's the right choice for most local businesses?
For a local service business — an HVAC company, salon, roofer, restaurant, or contractor — the sweet spot is a custom, professionally built site with local SEO baked in, hosted reliably, with someone available for updates and questions. You don't need a $15,000 agency site. You need something that loads fast, looks sharp, ranks in your area, and turns visitors into calls.
That's exactly what our plans are designed to do, starting at $110/month with no big upfront cost.
Can I get a one-time price instead of monthly?
Yes — we offer one-time builds starting at $2,490. You own the site outright. Hosting and ongoing care are available as an add-on at $105/month. Some business owners prefer to own it; others prefer the lower monthly cost with everything bundled. Either way works.
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