2026 guide

How to get a website for your business

There are four ways to get a website for your business: build it yourself, hire a freelancer, hire an agency, or have it done for you. Here’s what each one really costs, how long it takes, who it’s right for — and how to choose.

First, get clear on what the site is for

Before you pick a builder or a person, decide what the website has to do. For most local service businesses it’s a lead-generation site — it exists to turn a stranger who found you on Google into a phone call, a booking, or a quote request. That’s different from an online store or a simple brochure, and it changes what “good” looks like: speed, trust, and one obvious next step matter more than a big gallery or clever animations.

Keep that goal in mind as you weigh the four options below. The “best” way to get a website is simply the one that gets a working, lead-getting site live without eating the time you should be spending on the business.

The 4 ways to get a website, compared

Every route gets you a website. They differ in what they cost, how long they take, and how much of the work — and the upkeep — lands on you.

01 · Do it yourself

Build it yourself with a website builder

Drag-and-drop tools like Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, or Canva. Pick a template, add your text and photos, publish.

Cost: Low — a monthly builder subscription plus a domain name.
Time: You can publish in a day, but a site that actually looks professional and converts takes real hours or weeks.
Best for: A brand-new business on the tightest budget that has time to spare and is happy to be its own designer, copywriter, and marketer.
The catch: The site is only as good as the time you put in — and every edit, SEO fix, and update stays your job forever. Most DIY sites end up looking like the template they started from.

02 · Hire a person

Hire a freelancer

Pay an individual designer or developer (Upwork, Fiverr, a referral) to build your site for a one-time fee.

Cost: A one-time project fee that varies widely with the freelancer’s skill and scope.
Time: Usually a few weeks, depending on their queue and how fast you trade feedback.
Best for: Owners who want something more custom than a template and are comfortable managing a contractor.
The catch: Quality and reliability swing hard from one freelancer to the next. Once it’s built, maintenance, hosting, and “who do I call when it breaks?” land back on you.

03 · Hire a team

Hire a web design agency

A full-service studio handles strategy, design, copy, and development end to end.

Cost: The highest of the four — typically a few thousand dollars or more upfront, often plus an ongoing retainer.
Time: Weeks to a few months, with discovery, drafts, and revision rounds.
Best for: Businesses with a real budget and complex needs (large sites, custom apps, e-commerce at scale).
The catch: Expensive and slow for a typical local service business, and edits after launch usually come with change fees.

04 · Done for you

Have it done for you (monthly)

Someone designs, builds, AND maintains the site for you on a simple monthly plan — no project to manage.

Cost: $0 upfront with a free live preview, then a simple monthly plan. Own it outright whenever you want. Exact pricing is shared on a free call.
Time: A live preview in about 72 hours — you approve it before spending a dollar.
Best for: A busy owner who wants the result — a working, maintained, lead-getting site — without becoming a web project manager.
The catch: It’s a service, not a one-time purchase: you don’t own the site unless you buy it out. In exchange there’s no upfront cost, no maintenance headache, and you can cancel anytime. This is how we work.

How to choose the right one

It comes down to three things — your time, your budget, and how much you want to own and manage yourself:

Lots of time, little money, enjoy tinkering? A DIY website builder is your cheapest start.
Want something custom and can manage a contractor? A freelancer gets you there.
Big budget and complex needs? A full-service agency is built for that.
Want it handled — live fast, nothing upfront, no maintenance? A done-for-you plan is the shortcut, and it’s what we do.

What every business website needs — whoever builds it

Whichever route you take, hold the result to the same bar. A website that brings in business has these seven things:

Your own domain name

yourbusiness.com, not a free subdomain — it’s the first thing that signals you’re real.

Fast and mobile-first

Most people find a local business on a phone. If it’s slow or awkward to tap, they leave.

One clear action on every screen

Call, book, or request a quote — never make a ready customer hunt for how to reach you.

Trust signals up front

Real photos of your work, reviews, licensing, and results — the things that make a stranger believe you.

Easy contact + lead capture

A form that actually reaches you, ideally with automated follow-up so warm leads don’t go cold.

Google-ready from day one

Proper titles, a Google Business Profile, and local SEO so “near me” searches can find you.

Someone to keep it current

A site is never “done” — it needs security updates and edits. Decide up front who owns that.

The done-for-you shortcut

If you read the four options and thought “I just want a good website without the project,” that’s exactly what GetAWebsite does. We design a free live preview of your site — a real, working page, not a mockup — within 72 hours, at $0 upfront. You only choose a monthly plan if you love it, and we host, secure, and maintain it from there. Prefer to own it? Buy it outright whenever you want — we share exact pricing on your free call.

Not sure what a site should cost you? Read our honest small-business website cost guide. Building for a specific trade? See our pages on contractor, law firm, HVAC, and more.

Get your free preview Book a call instead

05 How it works

Three steps. Seventy-two hours. Zero excuses.

Step 1: Book a free strategy call

We learn your business and show you exactly what your site will do. No pitch deck, no pressure.

Step 2: We design your live preview

Within 72 hours you see your custom website live — a working preview designed for your business, before you commit a dollar.

Step 3: Add the package that fits

Maintenance, automations, SEO — pick what fits your goals. We build it on top of your preview. Then you start capturing leads.

Book a Free Call

Getting a website: common questions

How can I get a website for my business?

There are four ways: build it yourself with a website builder, hire a freelancer, hire an agency, or have it done for you on a monthly plan. The right choice depends on your time, budget, and whether you want to manage and maintain the site yourself. If you’d rather skip the project entirely, GetAWebsite builds a free live preview of your site within 72 hours at $0 upfront — you only pay a monthly plan if you love it.

Can someone just build a website for me?

Yes. That’s the done-for-you model: you answer a few questions on a short strategy call, and the whole site is designed, written, and built for you — no templates to wrestle with. GetAWebsite delivers a free live preview within 72 hours, and you approve it before spending anything.

Should I build my own website or hire someone?

Build it yourself if you have plenty of time, a tight budget, and enjoy the work. Hire someone if your time is worth more than the fee and you want it to look professional and bring in leads without becoming your second job. A done-for-you plan is the middle path — professional result, no upfront cost, and someone else handles the upkeep.

How much does it cost to get a website for a business?

It ranges from almost nothing (DIY builder plus a domain) to several thousand dollars upfront (an agency). The hidden cost of the cheap route is your time. GetAWebsite uses a pay-monthly model instead: a free preview, $0 upfront, then a simple monthly plan — Awareness, Growth, or Full Stack — sized to what you need, or buy it outright. Exact pricing is shared on a free strategy call; see how our pricing works in the small-business website cost guide.

How long does it take to get a business website?

A DIY builder can be live in a day (though a polished one takes longer); a freelancer or agency usually takes a few weeks to a few months. A done-for-you build is the fastest hands-off option — GetAWebsite puts a live preview up within about 72 hours of the strategy call.

What’s the cheapest way to get a website?

The cheapest monthly option is a DIY website builder, but you pay for it in time and it stays your job to maintain. If “cheapest to start” matters most, a free-preview, $0-upfront plan gets you a professional site live with nothing paid until you approve it.

Do I really need a website for my business?

For almost every local business, yes. Customers look you up before they call, and if there’s nothing there — or the site is dated — they quietly choose the competitor whose site they can trust. A simple, fast, credible website is often the difference between getting the call and losing it.

10 Book your free call

Your competitor is one Google search away. Be the one who answers.

No pressure. We show you exactly what your custom site can do — then you decide what to add. If we are not the right fit, we will say so.

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Live in 72 hours. Simple monthly plans. Cancel anytime.

No upfront cost 72-hour launch Month-to-month