Planning a new website?
This guide covers realistic timelines, costs and what each option actually delivers.
Need it live this week?
Launch48 delivers a complete site in 48 hours for $699, first month of maintenance included.
Do this in order
Day 1: secure the domain. Your business name plus .com if available, .ca or .co.uk for local trading. $12 to $25 a year, registered in your own name, not your developer's.
Day 1: create your Google Business Profile. Free, and for a local business this is where your first enquiries actually come from. Complete every field, add real photos, choose precise categories.
Day 1 to 2: get the website live. Home, services, about, contact. A fixed-scope build at $500 to $2,000, or a builder over a weekend if the budget is truly zero.
Week 1: get five reviews. Ask every early customer the day you finish the work, with a direct link sent by text. Reviews move the needle for a new business more than any design choice.
Month 1: add proof. Photos of real work, a few specifics about who you serve, and pages for each service you sell.
What a new business website actually needs
What you do, in the words customers use. Where you work. What it costs, or at least a range, because vagueness loses more enquiries than a high price. Proof that you are real: photos, reviews, a registered business name. A phone number that is clickable on mobile. A form that has been tested. That is it. Everything else is optimisation you can afford later.
What to skip at the start
Custom illustration, a blog you will not write, a chat widget nobody will answer, an animated hero, and a ten page site describing a company with three people. Small and honest converts better than large and padded.
Budget reality for year one
Domain $12 to $25. Hosting $60 to $360. A fixed-scope build $500 to $2,000. Maintenance $49 to $99 a month once you have customers depending on it. That is roughly $1,200 to $3,500 in year one for a professional presence, and the largest line item is the build you only pay once.
The mistake that costs new businesses the most
Launching and then abandoning it. An unmaintained site slows down, falls out of date and eventually gets hacked, usually around month nine when you are busy. That is why our Launch48 includes the first month of care free: the site should be watched from the day it exists, not from the day something breaks.
Frequently asked questions
Should I build it myself to save money? If you have the weekend and some design instinct, yes. If your time is better spent finding customers, pay someone. Both are legitimate answers.
Do I need a website if I have Instagram? Yes. Social profiles are rented ground and do not rank for the searches people use when they are ready to buy. The website is the asset you own.
How many pages should I start with? Three to five: home, services, about, contact, and one page per major service if you sell more than one.
When should I upgrade to a custom design? When revenue makes it a rounding error rather than a decision. Usually year two.
Need a website, not a six-week project?
Launch48 delivers a complete five-page business website in 48 hours for $699 flat, mobile-ready, secure and fast at launch, with your first month of maintenance included.