How much does a website cost for a local business?

Three ways to get a website

For a practice, studio or trade business, there are three main ways. They differ less in the result than in who does the work and when you pay:

• An agency or freelancer: you pay once to build it, then ongoing for hosting, maintenance and changes.
• A website builder like Wix, Squarespace or GoDaddy: you pay a little each month and build and update the site yourself.
• A website subscription: one fixed monthly price, and someone else builds the site, keeps it up to date and makes your changes.

Agency or freelancer: a few thousand dollars up front, plus upkeep

Clutch, a directory of agencies, reports that most web design projects reviewed there cost less than $10,000, with US agencies charging $100 to $149 an hour. Upwork names $500 to $15,000 for custom builds by freelancers, depending on scope.

The upside: a site made exactly for your business. The catch usually comes after launch. WordPress, plugins and servers need regular security updates, and every change, like new hours or a new service, takes time or gets billed by the hour. Ask up front what a maintenance plan covers and what a small change costs.

Website builder: from about $25 a month, but you build it

Builders are the cheapest option as long as you don't count your own time. To run without the builder's ads and on your own domain, you need a paid plan. Online booking often needs a higher plan or an add-on.

Watch for first-year deals that renew at a higher price, and count your own hours: writing the copy, picking photos, setting up pages. If you enjoy that, a builder works well. If you'd rather be treating, cutting or fixing, often not.

The hidden cost: booking platforms

Many studios and practices take appointments through a platform. On top of the website, that means a monthly fee and often a cut of every new client:

• Booksy: $29.99 a month plus $20 per extra team member; its Boost feature takes 30 % of a new client's first visit, up to $100.
• Fresha: from $19.95 a month; 20 % on new clients from its marketplace, at least $6.
• Mindbody: from $79 a month; 20 % of a new client's first purchase through its app, up to $30.

Whether that pays off depends on how many new clients the platform actually sends you. If most of your bookings come from regulars, you may be paying for something your own website can do.

A website subscription: one fixed price, everything in

With Closelift, we build your new website from your current one and look after it from then on. You pay one fixed monthly price, from $39. The exact price depends on your industry and on whether you work alone or with a team.

• Hosting, SSL and security updates.
• Online booking or an inquiry form, with no commission per appointment.
• Changes in one sentence to the AI assistant at no extra cost, up to 20 change requests a day.
• Your domain and your email addresses stay yours.
• If you pay monthly, cancel any time, effective at the end of the month.

Your offer states any one-time setup fee before you pay anything. All prices by industry are on our pricing page.

Five questions before you decide

1. What does the site cost over three years?

   Add up the up-front price, the monthly costs and the changes you expect. Only then can you compare offers.

2. Who handles security updates?

   A website nobody updates becomes easier to attack over time. Check whether updates are included.

3. What does a small change cost?

   New hours, a new price, a holiday notice: ask how fast it happens and whether it costs extra.

4. Who owns the domain?

   The domain should be in your name, so you can switch providers without losing your address.

5. How do customers book?

   Online booking, an inquiry form or a phone call: check what's included and whether there's a fee per appointment.