The proposal in front of you has a number on it. Before you sign, here are the things most small-business owners wish they'd known on the front end. Some of this will save you money. Some of it will save you a year of frustration. None of it is meant to scare you away from getting a new site, just to help you ask the right questions before the work starts.
The number is rarely the full number
A website has a build cost and a running cost. The build is what shows up in the proposal. The running is what shows up on your credit card statement after launch. Both matter.
For a typical small-business site, the running cost is some mix of hosting (anywhere from $15 to $200 a month depending on what you choose), domain registration ($15 to $25 a year), an SSL certificate (often included now, sometimes not), and a content management system or platform fee. If those aren't spelled out in the proposal, ask. The number you're paying today should come with a clear picture of what you'll be paying every month for the next three years.
"Content" is usually your job, not theirs
Most design proposals don't include writing the words that go on the site. They include placing the words you provide. Same for photos: the proposal probably covers placing your photos, not taking new ones.
This is the single most common reason a website project blows past its timeline. The designer is ready, the design is done, and the site is waiting for the bio paragraphs and the team photos that haven't been written or taken yet. If you don't have time to write the copy yourself, ask the designer for a copywriting add-on or for a referral. Don't assume it's baked in.
Ask what happens when you want to edit it
This question separates the partners from the lock-in shops. After the site ships, you will want to change something. A new service. A new team member. A typo. A holiday closure. A price update. How does that happen?
Three answers to listen for:
- You can do it yourself through a content management system the designer trains you on. Best case.
- The designer can do it for a small fee per edit or included in a monthly support plan. Good case, if the fee is reasonable.
- Anyone could do it but the designer disappeared. Worst case. Surprisingly common.
The first option (you can do it) only works if the editor is actually usable by a non-technical person. Ask for a demo of the editor before you sign anything. If clicking a button to change a phone number requires a tutorial, that editor isn't for you.
Who owns what when the project ends
Get this in writing:
- Who owns the domain name?
- Who owns the design source files?
- Who owns the photos and graphics?
- Who controls the hosting account?
- Who has admin access if you want to switch providers in three years?
The honest answer should be: you own all of it. You hired them, they delivered, you walk away with full control. Anyone who tells you "well, we keep the domain" or "the source files stay with us" is selling you a leash, not a website.
The maintenance question nobody asks
A website is more like a car than a painting. It needs maintenance. Plugins update. Security patches come out. Browsers change what they support. The platform underneath gets a new version. If nothing maintains the site, it slowly degrades. Two years in, the contact form silently stops sending emails. The mobile view breaks on a new iPhone. The SSL certificate expires.
For a typical small-business site, you need either: (1) a monthly support relationship with the designer, (2) someone on your team whose job includes the website, or (3) a fully managed platform that handles its own maintenance under the hood. Whichever you pick, decide on it before you launch, not after the first thing breaks.
Realistic timelines
Most small-business websites take two to four weeks of active work to build. They take longer than that to ship, because of the content lag described above and the natural pace of feedback. A four-week project, in calendar time, often takes six to ten weeks once content collection and review rounds settle in.
If a proposal says “site launches in seven days,” either the scope is tiny, the content is already written, or someone's being optimistic. If a proposal says “six months,” either the scope is huge or someone's padding. Two to four weeks of build, six to ten weeks calendar, is the honest range for most small-business projects.
What “custom” actually means
“Custom” is a slippery word. Some studios mean "we started from a template and changed the colors." Some mean "we designed it from scratch in Figma." Both are valid choices for different budgets, but they're very different products.
If the price is under $1,000, you're probably getting a template treatment, which can be perfectly fine for a small operation. If you're paying $3,000 or more, you should be getting actual custom design: a layout drawn for your business, not a starter theme with your logo on it. Ask which one you're buying. There's no shame in either, but you should know.
The shortlist of questions to ask
- What's the total cost over three years, including hosting and any monthly fees?
- Who writes the words on the site?
- How will I edit the site after it ships?
- Who owns the domain, the files, and the hosting account?
- What's the maintenance plan after launch?
- Is this a custom design or a template?
- What's the realistic calendar timeline, not just the build timeline?
If you get clean, plain-English answers to all seven, you have a good partner. If you get vague answers, evasions, or "you don't need to worry about that," walk away. When you're ready to talk through a project, our scoping call is free and you walk out with a written proposal inside 48 hours.
