Short answer: it depends on what the website has to do. A simple site you build yourself costs a monthly subscription and your time. A designer working from a template costs more up front. A custom site that also books appointments, takes payments or runs part of your business costs the most to build, but can replace several monthly apps you would otherwise pay for. The honest way to compare is to add up the build and what you will pay every month after launch.
The three ways local businesses get a website
1. Build it yourself on a website builder
Wix, Squarespace and similar builders let you pick a template, add your text and photos, and publish. You pay a monthly subscription, and hosting is included. It is the cheapest way to get online, and for a brand new business with a simple offer, it can be the right first step.
The real cost is your time, plus the apps you add later for booking, forms, email and payments. Each one is usually its own subscription.
2. Hire a designer who works from a template
Many designers start from a purchased theme or a builder template and customize the colors, fonts and content. You get a cleaner result than doing it yourself, faster than a fully custom build. The trade off is that the site can look a lot like others built on the same theme, and anything the template does not already do usually means another plugin or app.
3. Have it custom built
A custom site is designed from a blank page around your business. It costs more to build because someone is designing and writing code for your business instead of filling in a template. It makes the most sense when your website has to do something: take bookings the way you actually schedule, collect payments or deposits, give clients a login, or connect to the system you run your business on.
What actually drives the price
- How much the site has to do. A few pages that explain your services cost far less than a site with booking, payments, client accounts or an admin behind it.
- Custom design versus a template. Designing from scratch takes longer than adjusting a theme, and it is also what makes your site look like nobody else in your industry.
- Content. If you supply the text and photos, the build is faster. If the designer writes the copy, organizes your services or sources photos, that is real work and should be in the quote.
- Features and connections. Online booking, payments, text reminders, review requests and calendar sync each add time, especially when they need to follow your rules instead of an app's defaults.
- Moving an old site. Rebuilding a site that already ranks on Google means carrying over the content that works and redirecting old pages, so you keep your rankings.
- Local search setup. Service pages, business details, structured data and a connected Google Business Profile are what help people in your area find you.
The costs that come after launch
This is where most comparisons go wrong. The build is a one time cost. The monthly costs keep going for as long as you have the site.
As an example, Squarespace's website plans as of October 2026 are 19, 29, 49 and 99 dollars a month when billed annually, or 25 to 139 dollars billed monthly. Its Basic plan adds a 2 percent fee on online store sales, and card payments are charged on top of that. That covers the website itself. Booking software, invoicing, email marketing, review tools and a client portal are usually separate monthly subscriptions, and they add up quickly.
Our software cost calculator lets you add up the tools you pay for today, so you can see your real monthly number.
Other ongoing costs to ask about:
- Your domain name, renewed every year
- Business email
- Hosting and security, if they are not included
- Updates and small changes after launch
- Card processing fees on online payments
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- Who owns the website, the domain and the content? It should be you, in your business's name, and you should be able to take it with you.
- What exactly is included? Pages, features, copywriting, photos, local search setup and revisions should all be written down.
- What will I pay every month after launch, and for what? Get the ongoing costs in writing, not just the build price.
- How long will it take? You should get a real date, not "a few months."
- What happens if I want to change something later? Can you edit text and photos yourself, or does every change cost money?
- Can I see sites you have built that are live today? Look at them on your phone, not just in a portfolio.
How we price at Sea Grape Labs
Every project gets a written quote before any work begins, based on what your business actually needs. There is no package you have to squeeze into. You see a working preview on your phone within 48 hours, most websites go live in about a week, and you own your site, your domain and your content. If you want us to handle hosting, updates and small changes afterward, there is an optional monthly care plan.
When a site needs more, like booking, payments or a back office, we build it in, so you are not paying for a stack of separate apps. You can see how that looks for a Jupiter Farms micro bakery, a Jupiter hair salon and two family tree and lawn businesses run from one office.