Who can build a website for my small business?

You can build your small business website yourself on Squarespace or Wix, or hire a freelancer, an agency or a service that also keeps it running. Pick by who owns it, whether it's built to get found on Google and in AI answers, and who keeps it current after launch.

Here's how the four compare. Costs are from One Little Web's 2025 study, Squarespace and Upwork, checked November 2026.

Who builds it	Typical cost	Watch out for
You, on a builder	Plans from $19 a month	Your time: the writing, photos and updates
A freelancer	$15 to $30 an hour on Upwork (the median)	Who updates it when they move on
A local agency	$500 to $8,000 for a 5 to 10 page site	Who owns the site and the domain
A build and upkeep service	A setup fee, then a monthly price	Whether the site is yours if you leave

Before you hire anyone, ask five things. Will I own the website and the domain? Is it built to show up on Google, Google Maps and AI answers, not only to look nice? Can customers call me with one tap on a phone? Who updates it when my services or prices change? What happens to it if I stop paying?

For example, a plumber who searches "website designer near me" and picks the cheapest option can end up with a nice looking page that nobody finds, because nobody built the pages for each service and town that Google needs to see.

We design the website, write it so Google and AI can find and quote it, and keep it tuned, all for one monthly price. Your domain is yours from day one, and the site is yours after your first year. More on what a small business website costs, what a contractor's website should have and Wix or Squarespace vs custom.

Want to talk it through? Book a demo