How to Get a Website: Complete Guide for Business Owners (2025)

Your business needs a website, but you don't know where to start. Should you use a website builder? Hire a developer? What will it cost? How long will it take? Here's the complete guide to getting a website that actually works for your business—from planning to launch and beyond.

The Website Reality: 97% of consumers search online for local businesses, but 36% of small businesses still don't have a website. Meanwhile, businesses with websites see 2.5x more leads and 3x higher revenue growth. Let's get you online the right way.

There are three main paths to getting a website, each with different costs, timelines, and outcomes. Understanding these options helps you make the right choice for your business.

Best for: Simple businesses, personal brands, tight budgets, quick launches

• Cost: $0-50/month + domain ($15/year)
• Timeline: 1-2 weeks
• Pros: Cheap, fast, easy to update, templates available
• Cons: Limited customization, generic look, poor SEO, slow loading, limited functionality
• Platforms: Wix, Squarespace, WordPress.com, Weebly, GoDaddy Website Builder

Real example: A local bakery used Wix for $20/month. Their site looked generic, loaded slowly, and ranked poorly on Google. After 6 months, they switched to a custom website and saw 300% more online orders.

Best for: Small businesses, specific needs, moderate budgets, technical requirements

• Cost: $500-5,000 one-time + hosting ($10-50/month)
• Timeline: 2-8 weeks
• Pros: Custom design, better SEO, faster loading, more features
• Cons: Quality varies, communication challenges, limited support, potential delays
• Where to find: Fiverr, Upwork, local developers, referrals

Success story: A restaurant hired a freelancer for $2,500. The site looked great but had no mobile optimization. They lost 60% of potential customers and had to rebuild for another $3,000.

Best for: Growing businesses, complex needs, maximum ROI, long-term success

• Cost: $3,000-25,000 one-time + hosting ($50-200/month)
• Timeline: 4-12 weeks
• Pros: Professional design, guaranteed results, ongoing support, SEO optimization, mobile-first
• Cons: Higher upfront cost, longer timeline
• What you get: Custom design, fast loading, mobile optimization, SEO setup, analytics, maintenance

Case study: A law firm invested $8,000 in a professional website. Within 6 months, they generated $45,000 in new business from the website alone—563% ROI.

Before you start building, proper planning saves time, money, and headaches. Here's the proven process we use for every website project:

1. Define Your Goals - What do you want the website to accomplish? (Generate leads, sell products, build credibility, provide information)
2. Identify Your Audience - Who are your ideal customers? What do they need? How do they search online?
3. Research Competitors - What do successful competitors do well? What gaps can you fill?
4. Plan Your Content - What pages do you need? What information should each page contain?
5. Choose Your Features - Contact forms, online booking, e-commerce, blog, customer portal?
6. Set Your Budget - How much can you invest? Remember: cheap websites often cost more in the long run
7. Create a Timeline - When do you need it live? Factor in content creation, reviews, and testing

Not all websites are created equal. These features separate professional websites from amateur ones:

Website costs vary dramatically based on complexity, features, and who builds it. Here's what you can expect to pay:

Hidden costs to consider: Domain ($15/year), hosting ($10-200/month), SSL certificate ($50-200/year), maintenance ($100-500/month), content updates ($50-150/hour), SEO optimization ($500-2,000/month).

Understanding the timeline helps set proper expectations and plan your business activities:

1. Week 1: Planning & Discovery - Goals, audience, content, features, design preferences
2. Week 2: Design & Wireframes - Visual mockups, layout, user experience planning
3. Week 3-4: Development - Building the website, coding, functionality implementation
4. Week 5: Content & Testing - Adding content, testing functionality, bug fixes
5. Week 6: Launch & Training - Going live, staff training, final optimizations

Rush projects: Need it faster? Rush fees typically add 25-50% to the cost, but some agencies can deliver in 2-3 weeks for urgent needs.

The right choice can make or break your website success. Here's how to find the perfect match:

Red flags to avoid: Developers who promise unrealistic timelines, won't provide references, use outdated technology, or can't explain their process clearly.

Launching a website involves more than just going live. This checklist ensures nothing important gets missed:

Your website isn't a 'set it and forget it' project. Ongoing maintenance and optimization drive continued success:

• Regular updates - Keep software current for security and performance
• Content updates - Fresh content keeps visitors engaged and helps SEO
• Performance monitoring - Track loading speeds and fix issues quickly
• Security updates - Protect against hackers and malware
• Analytics review - Understand visitor behavior and optimize accordingly
• SEO optimization - Improve search rankings and organic traffic
• Backup management - Regular backups prevent data loss
• Mobile optimization - Ensure perfect mobile experience

Maintenance costs: Expect $100-500/month for professional maintenance, or $1,000-3,000 annually for comprehensive website management.

Avoid these expensive mistakes that hurt your business and require costly fixes:

Real cost example: A restaurant's website had no mobile optimization. They lost $15,000 in monthly online orders before fixing it. The fix cost $3,000—but they could have avoided the loss entirely with proper planning.

The choice between DIY and professional development depends on your specific situation:

A good website pays for itself through increased business. Here's how to track and measure your website's return on investment:

• Lead generation - Track contact form submissions and phone calls
• Sales attribution - Connect website visitors to actual sales
• Traffic growth - Monitor visitor numbers and sources
• Search rankings - Track keyword positions in Google
• Conversion rates - Measure visitors who take desired actions
• Customer acquisition cost - Compare website leads to other marketing
• Revenue per visitor - Calculate average value per website visitor

ROI example: A consulting firm invested $8,000 in a professional website. In the first year, it generated $45,000 in new business—a 463% return on investment. The website paid for itself in 2 months.

Ready to get your website? Here's your action plan:

1. Today: Complete the website planning checklist above
2. This week: Research 3-5 developers or agencies, review portfolios
3. Next week: Get quotes and proposals, ask detailed questions
4. Week 3: Choose your developer, sign contract, start project
5. Month 2: Review designs, provide feedback, test functionality
6. Month 3: Launch website, train staff, start marketing
7. Ongoing: Monitor performance, update content, optimize for growth

You now understand the complete process of getting a website that works for your business. The choice is yours: DIY for basic needs, or professional development for guaranteed results and maximum ROI.

What you get with us: Custom design that reflects your brand, mobile-first optimization, SEO setup, fast loading speeds, ongoing support, and guaranteed results. We handle the technical complexity so you can focus on your business.

Visit theplum.us/contact today and let's discuss your website needs. Get your custom proposal in 24 hours, and launch your professional website in 4-6 weeks. Stop losing customers to competitors. Start winning with a website that works.

💼 Small Businesses: Professional websites from $3,000 | 🏪 E-commerce: Online stores that convert visitors to customers | 🏢 Enterprises: Scalable solutions for growing businesses | 📱 Mobile-First: Perfect experience on all devices | Your business deserves a website that works.