Websites for Local Businesses

What it typically pays

Public sources report $500 to $5,000 per project for websites for local businesses. Freelancers commonly charge $1,500-$5,000 for a small-business site (2026 cost guides); template-based starter sites often sell for $500-$1,500; plus $25-$75/month hosting and maintenance. Prices vary by city and by how the work is packaged. The launch checklist includes a pricing step so you set yours on purpose, not by guessing.

What it costs to start

Expect about $0 to $300 before the first job. Estimate (no single source): free hosting (Cloudflare Pages/Netlify), a template, and a domain of about $10-$15 a year per client, usually billed to the client The basics:

• A static template or builder (Astro/HTML, Squarespace, Framer, WordPress)
• Cloudflare Pages or Netlify
• Google Business Profile know-how
• Contract

How fast the first dollar comes

People commonly report a first paid job within 14 to 45 days of starting, when they follow the checklist below in order. The fastest route is almost always someone you already know.

Where the first customers are

• Businesses with no site or a broken one: search '[trade] [town]' and call the ones with only a Facebook page
• Local networking groups (BNI, chamber) and referrals from bookkeepers and photographers
• A live demo: build a mock homepage for a business and send them the link

Rules, permits and risks

• Scope creep: fixed page count and 2 revision rounds in the contract
• Ownership: the client owns domain and content; you keep the template
• Accessibility and privacy basics (contact forms, privacy page) are cheap to do and costly to ignore
• Income is taxable whether or not you receive a 1099; set aside roughly 25-30% (federal income tax plus 15.3% self-employment tax) and pay quarterly estimates if you expect to owe $1,000+ (IRS Self-Employed Tax Center).

Launch checklist

1. Build one reusable 5-page template (home, services, about, reviews, contact) that loads fast on mobile
2. Write a package: 5 pages, Google Business setup, 1 year hosting, 2 revisions, flat price
3. Make a demo site for a real local business (their name, photos from their Facebook page)
4. Call or DM 20 businesses with the demo link
5. Close 2 at an intro price; collect a 50% deposit
6. Deliver in 7 days; train the owner for 15 minutes on updating hours and photos
7. Set up hosting and domain in the client's name; bill $25-$50/month maintenance
8. Ask for a Google review and a referral ($100 for each referred site)
9. Publish 3 case pages (before/after, calls generated) on your own site
10. Raise the flat fee 25% after 5 sites
11. Add Google Business optimization and a reviews add-on
12. Track hours per site; the template should get you under 8 hours each

Open as a checklist you can tick off

Templates

Replace the [brackets] with your details and send.

Honest caveats

• Sales-heavy; most owners ignore the first message
• Support requests after launch unless maintenance is scoped
• Cheap competitors (DIY builders, offshore); sell speed and conversion, not pages
• Slow first month while building the template