A $500 website sounds too cheap to some people. It is a fair question. The answer is a tight scope and a repeatable process. This article lists exactly what is in, what is out, and who the offer is not for.
What is included in the $500?
The price is $500 + GST. For that, you get:
- Up to 5 pages, designed for your business.
- We write the words for every page, from a short form or a 15-minute call.
- Online booking: we link or embed the booking tool you already use, such as Calendly, Fresha, Cliniko or Mindbody.
- A news or articles section you can post to yourself.
- No logo? We set your business name in a clean typeface as part of the build.
- A site built mobile-first and fast to load.
- A contact form sent straight to your inbox.
- Google Business Profile and Search Console set up.
- On-page SEO basics: titles, descriptions, schema and a sitemap.
- One round of changes before launch.
- You own the site and the domain.
- The first 3 months of Care hosting included.
That is the whole list, and there are no add-ons or hidden charges. The same details sit on our websites page and the pricing page.
What happens after the first 3 months?
Hosting continues on the Care plan at $49 + GST a month. Care covers hosting, SSL, security and backups, plus 30 minutes of small edits each month. Plans are month to month, with 30 days’ notice to cancel and no lock-in contract.
If you want help getting found on Google, Grow is $250 a month and Dominate is $450 a month. Both include local SEO, fresh content, monthly reporting and free Google Ads management, up to $1,500 and $5,000 a month in ad spend respectively. You pay the ad spend to Google. Above the cap we charge 12% of spend. See SEO and Google Ads for detail. You do not need any of this to buy the website.
What do you need to supply?
A few photos and the basics about your business. Our short form walks you through it, or we can do it in a 15-minute call. You do not need the words, because we write them. You do not need a logo either, because we set your business name in a clean typeface.
How does the 7-day process work?
- You get started and fill in the short form.
- You send your photos and business details.
- We design and build your pages over the following days.
- You review the site and ask for changes. One round is included.
- We make the changes, set up Google Business Profile and Search Console, and launch.
The aim is a live site within 7 days. How fast it goes depends partly on how quickly you send what we need. Waiting on photos is the most common delay.
What we don’t do at $500
We say this plainly, and we do not upsell it:
- Sites over 5 pages. Most small businesses fit in 5, and we help combine your content. Ongoing new pages, such as location or service pages, come with the Dominate SEO plan.
- Online shops with a checkout. Shopify or Square Online are good options. You can link your site to either, or we can add a simple “reserve this item” enquiry form as part of the build.
- Logo or brand design.
- Custom booking systems or complex web apps.
- More than one round of changes before launch.
- Ongoing SEO, content or ad management, which come with Grow or Dominate.
- Your ad spend paid to Google.
For anything bigger, we refer you to our sister studio ClickTheory, which does custom websites and quotes up front. If you are unsure whether something is covered, ask first on the FAQ page or through the form.
Who should not buy it?
This is a deliberately simple product. It is probably not for you if:
- You need a fully custom design, a logo or brand work.
- You need a big site with more than 5 pages, or an online shop with a checkout.
- You need a custom booking system, complicated integrations, memberships or custom software.
- You want unlimited rounds of revisions.
- You enjoy building your own site and have the time. A builder may suit you better, as we explain in Straight Up Web vs Wix.
- You want a bespoke agency process. See the comparison of options.
How can it cost so little?
We keep the scope tight and the process repeatable. Every site is up to 5 pages, built the same careful way, without long meetings, custom code or endless rounds of changes. The ongoing plans pay for the upkeep. That is how we hold the build at $500 + GST without cutting the parts that matter, such as mobile layouts, speed and the SEO basics.
It also means we say no to some jobs. A quick build suits a simple site. If your needs are bigger, we would rather tell you early than stretch the scope and let you down.
What does the GST do to the price?
All our prices are shown without GST. GST is added on top, so $500 + GST is $550 in total. If your business is registered for GST, you can usually claim that back. Care at $49 + GST is $53.90 a month. Check with your accountant if you are unsure.
Who is it a good fit for?
Local and service businesses that need a clean, honest website to show what they do and let people get in touch. If that is you, you will get a fixed price, a clear scope and a site you own. If you are comparing quotes, our guide to cheap website red flags lists what to check.
Ready when you are. Get started here.