Can you work with the site I already have?

Often, yes. If the bones are fine and the words and speed are the problem, a fix is $1,500 to $3,000 and a lot faster than starting over.

Will I be able to update it myself?

Yes. Part of the handoff is an hour of training and a short written guide. If you can write an email, you can change a page.

Do you do online stores?

Small ones, yes, on Shopify or similar. A big catalogue with inventory syncing is a different project and I will tell you so on the first call.

You do. The domain, the hosting account, the files, and the login are all in your name from the first day.

Why do you put prices on the website?

Because you are going to ask, and because the people who cannot afford it should find out from a web page, not from an awkward phone call. It saves both of us a week.

How much does a small business website cost?

Everybody has a nephew who can do a website. This is what the real thing costs and why.

What are the price bands?

$500 to $2,000. A template on Squarespace, Wix, or a page builder. Fine if you need a phone number and hours online by Friday. The limit is that it looks like a template, loads slowly, and nobody thought about what the words say.
$6,000 to $15,000. An experienced independent designer. Designed for your business, written with you, built to load fast, and set up so Google and the assistants understand what you do and where. This is where I work.
$25,000 and up. An agency, or anything with a shopping cart, logins, or a lot of pages. Worth it when the site is the business. Overkill for a plumber, a clinic, or a co-op.

What does $6,000 get me?

Five to eight pages that each do one job: who you are, what you do, what it costs, where you are, how to reach you. Help writing the words, because that is where most sites fail. Photos sorted out. A site that loads in under two seconds on a phone. The structured data and the plain-English pages that get you found when somebody asks Google or ChatGPT for a business like yours. Training so you can update it yourself.

What makes a site cost more?

Pages, and things that have to work. A shopping cart, online booking, a customer login, a members area, a big catalogue, or a site in two languages all add real work. So does a logo that does not exist yet. The honest way to price it is to list those up front, which is what the brand and web page does.

Do I need a new site, or just a fix?

Check five things on your phone right now. Does it load in under three seconds? Can you find the phone number in one tap? Do the words say what you do and where in the first sentence? Does it look like a template? Was it last updated before 2023? Two or more no answers, new site. One, a fix. The longer version is here.

How long does it take?

Six to eight weeks for a typical small business site, and most of that is waiting on words and photos. If you have both ready, four weeks.

What about hosting and upkeep?

Hosting for a site like this is close to free, under $20 a month. I do not charge a monthly retainer for a site that does not need one. If you want me to keep an eye on it and make changes, that is by the hour or a small monthly number we agree on.

Answered by Jared Lukes, Minneapolis. Twenty-five years in brand, UX, and technology, currently holding fractional AI and technology seats at three companies. About Jared.