What should
a website cost?
Compare the build price, what’s included and what you’ll pay after launch. Here’s what to ask—and what you get with Venant Studio.
The short answer
Compare the full cost, not just the build fee. Check who writes the words, which pages you get, how customers contact you and who looks after the site.
Venant Studio offers a $700 build plus $100/month to keep the site online and up to date, or $1,000 once if you’d rather take the site and arrange hosting yourself. Both include the writing and setting up your Google listing. Your web address (domain) is paid separately, to the company you register it with.
Budget example: the $700 build plus a year of the $100 plan comes to $1,900; two years comes to $3,100. That leaves out the domain, taxes and optional extras, and assumes you keep the $100 plan the whole time (there’s no minimum term). With the $1,000 option, add your own hosting and upkeep costs.
What’s included
in the price?
Use the same brief for every quote. A provider's size or choice of tools does not tell you what is included.
You choose a builder, write the pages and keep them current. Check the subscription, domain and any paid extras. A reasonable choice if you have the time and want to manage it yourself.
An existing layout adapted to your business. Ask how much writing, design and setup work is included, what you can change, and whether you can move the finished site.
A person or small team handles the build. Check who writes the words, who reviews them with you, and who answers when you need an edit after launch.
Useful when the brief also needs brand work, research or specialist systems. Ask which people and parts of the work your project actually needs, and which are optional.
Ask for a written list of pages, features, rounds of changes, monthly fees and what happens if you leave. That gives you something concrete to compare.
Five factors.
One price.
Who writes the words
Find out whether you must supply finished text or the provider will write it with you. The pages need your actual services, practical details and answers to customer questions. Agree who gathers that information and who checks it before launch.
Custom design vs a template
A reusable layout can be a sensible starting point. What matters is whether it suits your business, reads clearly on a phone and helps visitors find what they need. Ask what will be adapted for you and what stays fixed.
Functionality beyond pages
A link to an existing booking service is different from building a booking system. Payments, memberships and special forms can change what’s needed. Ask for the setup work, other companies’ fees and who supports what to be listed separately.
Business details and Google setup
Ask whether the quote covers your Google Business Profile, service information, opening hours and contact details. Separate initial setup from ongoing Google work so you know what happens once the website is live.
What happens after launch
Hosting keeps the site online; edits keep the information useful. Agree who looks after both, who checks a problem with a form, and what support costs. If you take the site over yourself, make sure someone is ready to look after it.
Before you pay.
Seven questions.
Ask these of Venant Studio too. Get the answers before you commit.
- Who owns the domain and the files? Confirm whose account holds the domain, what files you receive, and what you can take with you.
- Can I leave, and what happens if I do? Check notice periods, export costs and any work needed to move the site.
- Are the words written for my business, or filled in from a template? Ask how they learn about your services and how you review the draft.
- Is the Google Business Profile part of this? Ask what initial setup covers and whether ongoing work costs extra.
- What is the total cost over two years? Add up the build, hosting, domain, edits and any other recurring fees over two years.
- Who do I contact when something breaks, and how fast? Ask who handles requests and what response time is agreed.
- Can I see something live? Open examples on your phone. Check the navigation and enquiry steps, and ask whether each is a client project or a fictional sample.
What you get.
For $700.
You get 5–8 pages, written for you after a 20-minute conversation, checked on phones, with tap-to-call, a map, your hours and contact forms. You review the site before launch. We agree the start date and what I need for the seven-day build.
The $100/month plan keeps the site online and includes unlimited small changes, month to month with 30 days' notice. The web address and site files are yours. With the $1,000 option, hosting and upkeep are up to you.
A focused service, with direct contact. You work with Pierre on the writing, design and build of a practical local business website. A new logo and brand, or a custom booking system, would be a separate project.
Setting up your Google listing is included, with help claiming and verifying it. Google controls verification and how long it takes. Ongoing Google work and new content come with the $249.99/month plan.
Get a quote you can compare.
Share your business, location and what you need. I’ll reply within one business day with what’s included and a price.