Quick Answer
A small business website usually costs $500-$10,000 to build and $25-$150 a month to run. DIY builders cost the least upfront, freelancers usually charge $500-$5,000, and local agencies often charge $3,000-$10,000 or more. War-Buck Marketing's packages are $500, $1,500 and $3,000, plus $100/month, with a free homepage preview before you pay.
The Short Answer, by Option
| Option | Upfront | Monthly | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy) | $0 | About $20-$50 | Owners with spare time who like doing it themselves |
| Freelancer | $500-$5,000 | Varies, often hourly | Simple sites when you can write your own copy |
| Local agency | $3,000-$10,000+ | $50-$300 | Bigger sites, or businesses that want ads and SEO handled too |
| War-Buck Marketing | $500 / $1,500 / $3,000 | $100 | Local service businesses that want it done for them, fast |
These ranges are typical for local service businesses in 2026. Big custom builds with online stores, booking systems or member logins can cost a lot more.
What Actually Drives the Price
Number of pages
A 3-page site (Home, Services, Contact) is the cheapest. Each service and each city you want to rank for usually gets its own page, and that's where most of the cost growth comes from.
Who writes the words
Copywriting is the hidden cost. Plenty of cheap quotes assume you'll write every page yourself. If you won't, the site sits half-finished for months.
Custom design or a template
A template is cheaper, but your site ends up looking like your competitor's. A custom design built around your work and your town stands out and usually converts better.
SEO and setup
Page titles, city targeting, speed, Google Business Profile and analytics all take time. Some quotes include them. Many don't, and you find out later.
Monthly Costs Nobody Mentions
- Domain name: about $10-$20 a year.
- Hosting and security: often bundled, otherwise $10-$50 a month.
- Edits and updates: new photos, prices and seasonal offers. Paying by the hour adds up fast. A flat monthly plan is easier to budget.
What War-Buck Charges
We publish our prices because we think you should know what you're getting into:
- Starter, $500: 3 pages, custom design, copy written for you, contact form, click-to-call, SEO basics.
- Growth, $1,500: 6 pages, a page for each service, city SEO, Google Business Profile tune-up, gallery, quote form sent to your phone.
- Pro, $3,000: 10+ pages, multi-city SEO, before/after gallery, reviews section, blog, Meta Pixel and Google Analytics.
Every package includes a $100/month retainer for hosting, edits and updates. More detail is on the pricing page.
How to Avoid Overpaying
- Ask to see live sites for businesses like yours, not mockups.
- Get the monthly cost in writing before you sign.
- Make sure you own your domain and that it's registered in your name.
- See a design before you pay a deposit. That's why we build every new client a free homepage preview in 48 hours. If you don't love it, you owe nothing.
Want to see what you'd get before spending a dollar? Ask for your free homepage preview.