How much does a small business website cost in Ocean County?
Most web designers won't tell you a price until you've sat through a sales call. I think that's backwards. Here's what a website for a small Shore business costs, what changes the price, and the costs to watch for after it's live.
The short answer
For a small service business in Toms River, Brick or anywhere in Ocean County, a solid website usually falls into three tiers. At Shore Signal those are $499 for a one-page site, $999 for a site with a page for each service, and $1,799 for a site with a custom feature and all the writing done for you. You pay once and own it. Hosting and updates are optional at $49 a month.
What changes the price
Pages. A one-page site is the fastest and cheapest. A page for each service and town costs more, and it's also what helps you show up in local searches.
Writing. If you write your own copy, the price stays down. If you want it written for you, that's real work and it costs more.
Photos. Your own phone photos of real jobs work great and cost nothing. A photo shoot adds cost.
Custom features. Online booking, a quote calculator or an availability calendar take extra building.
Who builds it. A national agency, a local freelancer and a do-it-yourself builder all land at very different prices, with very different amounts of help.
The costs that show up later
Hosting. Every site needs a place to live. Some builders bundle it, others bill it monthly.
Your domain. The name, like yourbusiness.com, renews every year.
Updates. New hours, new photos, a new service. Decide up front whether you'll do it or pay someone.
Lock-in. Some providers rent you a site you never own. If you leave, the site stays with them. Ask before you sign.
Do-it-yourself vs hiring someone
Do-it-yourself builders are cheap to start and fine if you have the time. The catch is the hours: writing, picking photos, setting up your Google profile and getting it all to work on a phone. Hiring someone costs more up front and saves you those hours, which during the season are worth a lot.
What a good small business site needs, at any price
Tap-to-call at the top. A short quote form. Your real work in photos. Your towns and services spelled out. The same name, phone and hours as your Google profile. If a site has those, it's doing its job.
See yours before you pay anything
Every Shore Signal site starts as a free preview. If you like it, we finish it. If not, you owe nothing.
See website prices Get a free previewWebsite cost questions
How much does a website cost for a small business in New Jersey?
For a small local service business, a simple site can start in the hundreds of dollars, and bigger custom builds cost more. At Shore Signal, sites are $499, $999 or $1,799, paid once.
Is there a monthly fee?
Only if you want one. Hosting and updates are optional at $49 a month.
Do I own my website?
At Shore Signal, yes. You pay once to build it and it's yours.