Website Design Pricing — What a Small Business Site Actually Costs
Two numbers anchor almost every engagement: starting at $650 to build a starter site, from $149/month to run it — hosting, SSL, backups, security updates, and content edits included. Bigger sites with more pages or local-SEO landing pages are custom-quoted, but the monthly plan starts at the same number either way.
Short answer: a starter build starts at $650, one-time. A larger multi-page or local-SEO site is custom-quoted. Every build runs on the same care plan afterward, starting at $149/month, with a 12-month minimum term. No "call for pricing" games.
Pick a build size. The care plan is the same either way.
Most small businesses fit the starter tier. If you need more pages, local-SEO landing pages, or deeper on-page SEO, the growth tier is scoped and quoted before anything starts.
A custom-designed, mobile-first site for a business that needs a solid, credible online presence.
- Home, services/products, about, contact
- Custom design, not a stock theme
- Lead form wired to your inbox
- Basic on-page SEO at launch
- Live in 2-3 weeks
For businesses that need more pages, local-SEO landing pages by city or service, or a blog. Scoped and quoted after a short call — never guessed.
- Everything in the starter build
- Additional pages, scoped to your business
- City-by-service local landing pages
- Deeper on-page SEO strategy
- Fixed price confirmed before work starts
Applies to every build, every time. The constant that never changes regardless of build size.
- Managed hosting + SSL + domain
- Daily backups + uptime monitoring
- Security patching + updates
- Unlimited-within-reason content edits
- Direct support, same-day weekday response
What's included, and what isn't
Every pricing page gets asked this eventually, so here's the honest answer upfront.
Included, always
- Custom design and build for your business
- Managed hosting, SSL, and domain management
- Security patching and software updates
- Daily automated backups and uptime monitoring
- Content edits — copy, photos, hours, pricing
- Basic on-page SEO, at launch and ongoing
- Analytics and direct support from our senior team
Scoped separately
Most small business sites don't need any of this, but if yours does, it's quoted before work starts — never sprung on you afterward.
- Professional copywriting from scratch (you can supply your own copy, or we'll quote writing it)
- Professional photography (stock or your own photos work fine for most builds)
- E-commerce with a large or complex product catalog
- Custom software features beyond a marketing/lead-gen site
- Paid advertising management or ad spend
- Pages and local-SEO landing pages beyond the starter scope
Care plan terms, in plain English
No fine print you need a lawyer to read. Here's the term length, what happens if you cancel, and who owns what.
Term length
The care plan runs on a 12-month minimum term starting the day your site launches, then continues month-to-month after that.
If you cancel
After the minimum term, cancel any time with written notice. We'll export your content and help point the domain wherever you're moving it — we don't hold a site hostage on the way out.
Who owns it
Your domain is registered in your name, and the site itself is yours. DesertCRM builds and runs it — we don't hold ownership over your business's site or its content.
What the same site costs somewhere else
These are general industry ranges, not a knock on any specific competitor — the point is total cost of ownership, not just the sticker price on the build.
| Route | Typical build cost | Typical ongoing cost | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace, etc.) | $0 in cash — but dozens of your own hours | Roughly $0-70/month in subscription fees | You're the designer, the SEO person, and the IT department |
| Freelancer | Roughly $500-5,000, one-time | $50-150/hour for anything after, if they're still around | No maintenance included by default — hosting and updates are on you |
| Agency | Often $3,000-15,000+ | Retainers commonly run $500-2,500+/month | You're often talking to an account manager, not whoever is actually building your site |
| DesertCRM | From $650 (larger sites custom-quoted) | From $149/month, everything included | You work directly with a senior team, every time |
Want the full breakdown, including how these ranges hold up against a market survey? Read the full website cost guide →
Not a mockup — a live client site
Pure Mission Pools is a Phoenix-metro pool service company we built and still run on this exact pricing model — a starter build, a care plan from $149/month, lead-capture forms, and local-SEO landing pages included.
Pricing questions, answered straight
Ready to get a real number for your site?
Tell us what your business does and roughly how many pages you're picturing. We'll tell you honestly whether that's a $650 build or a scoped quote — before you commit to anything.
Starting at $650 · from $149/month · senior-led delivery, start to finish
Tell us what's broken.
Our team reads this — not a form queue. Describe the problem in a sentence and we'll tell you what it usually is.