How much should a small business in South Florida pay for a website?
Building it yourself on a website builder costs a monthly subscription; Squarespace, for example, charges $19 to $99 a month on yearly billing. Having a freelancer or agency build it costs a one-time fee that depends on the number of pages, custom design and features like booking, so get itemized quotes. For a local business, the price matters less than whether the site lets a customer call, book or get an answer in one tap.
The three ways to get a website
| Route | What you pay | Good | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build it yourself on a website builder | A monthly subscription (Squarespace: $19, $29, $49 or $99 a month billed yearly; $25 to $139 billed monthly, as of September 2026) | Cheap, fast, you control it | Your time; generic templates; you still have to write the content |
| Hire a freelancer | A one-time fee, then hosting | A real person who builds what you ask | Quality varies a lot; make sure you own the domain and the logins |
| Hire an agency | A larger one-time fee, often a monthly retainer | Design, writing and strategy in one place | Paying for things a small local business does not need |
Prices for freelancers and agencies vary too much to quote honestly. Ask every quote to list pages, design, writing, features, hosting and who owns what.
Monthly costs people forget
- Domain name. A small yearly fee. Register it in your own name, not your web designer's.
- Hosting or the builder subscription. Monthly or yearly.
- Business email at your own domain.
- Add-ons: online booking, chat, forms, reviews widgets. Each is often its own subscription.
- Changes. Who updates your hours, prices and photos, and what do they charge for it?
The five things a local business site needs to bring calls
A beautiful site that does not bring calls is an expense. Before you pay anyone, make sure the site will have:
- Your phone number at the top, tappable on a phone. Most local customers visit on their phone. One tap should dial you.
- Your service area and hours, in plain words, on the first screen.
- Your main services with a starting price or a clear "free estimate" line.
- A way to get an answer at 9 pm. A form, online booking, or a chat that can actually answer questions and take a name and number.
- Proof you are real: your name, photos of your work, and your Google reviews.
If your current site already has these, you may not need a new site at all.
Our honest advice
We do not sell websites as a product. What we add is the part most local sites are missing: something that answers. Our website chatbot answers visitors' questions around the clock and sends you their name and number ($399 setup, $49 a month), and our AI Answering Service does the same for your phone. Both work with the site and the number you already have.
Questions people ask
How much does Squarespace cost for a small business?
As of September 2026, Squarespace plans are $19, $29, $49 and $99 a month billed yearly, or $25, $39, $65 and $139 billed monthly. Check their pricing page for current prices.
Should I build my own website or hire someone?
If you have the time and just need a clear site with your services, area, hours and phone number, a website builder is fine. Hire someone when you need custom design, a lot of pages, or you simply do not have the hours.
Who should own my domain name?
You. Register the domain in your own name and account, even if a designer builds the site, so you never lose it.
Do I need a new website to add a chatbot or online booking?
Usually not. Most chat and booking tools add to the site you already have with a small piece of code.
// founding offer · first 5 local businesses
Call (561) 872-3664: our AI receptionist answers, and it's the same product we'd set up for you. Ask it anything, or ask for a person. $0 setup + first month free for the first 5 businesses in Broward & Palm Beach County, FL.