Build It, Run It, Grow It: Website Design 101
Written by: Jules Flesner
A good website should save you time, make you money, generate leads, and not stress you out. If it doesn’t check all these boxes, something is wrong. Finding the right solution starts with understanding what a website actually is.
Websites are made up of six basic parts. Some you pay for once, most you pay for every year. Here’s the breakdown.
1. The Look (Design)
This is how your website looks: colors, fonts, photos, and layout.
What it does: Makes your business or nonprofit look real and trustworthy
Paying: One-time cost
Typical cost: $1,500 to $5,000+
Brand guidelines are a strict set of rules for your business’s visual identity. They tell anyone doing marketing/design work for you (now or in the future) exactly how to create signage, flyers, business cards, web graphics, ads, and other print or digital materials. Skipping this step can make you appear unprofessional and damage your credibility.
2. The Pages (Content)
Content includes the words, images, and videos on your website such as Home, About, Services, and Contact. It tells your site visitors who you are, how they can get involved, and how they can give you money or donate funds. Content should support your 3-5 year vision plan, follow brand guidelines, and be thoughtfully customized for your targeted demographic.
If people don’t understand your site, they leave. If your site uses copyrighted images incorrectly, you’ll get busted pretty easily via new AI technology and be sued. Translation: This isn’t a learn-as-you-go (ahem, intern) project. Experience matters here!
Paying: One-time + ongoing updates
Typical cost: $500 to $3,000+ / $50-150 per billable hour
Content must display correctly across various screen sizes (phones, tablets, computers). Designing for all devices takes extra time to do it right. Your website designer will work within your chosen publishing platform (e.g. Squarespace, WordPress, Yardi-RentCafe), and/or use additional graphic design and writing tools to create the content for your website.
3. The Back Side
This is the behind-the-scenes stuff on your website that visitors never see, such as:
Forms
Payment processors
Email sign-ups
Booking and calendar tools
Admin, sales + CRM tools
• Paying: One-time setup
• Typical cost: $500 to $5,000+
Think of this as the modern, online version of your cash register, Rolodex, and accounting paperwork combined.
4. The Home (Hosting)
First, you buy a web address, called a domain, like "www.yourbusiness.com." Next, your website is designed and hosted so it shows up on the internet 24/7.
Paying: Domain every 1 to 5 years / Hosting monthly or annually
Typical costs:
Domain: $100 to $300 per year
Hosting: $150 to $400 per year
No domain, no hosting = no website.
5. The Tools (Software + Integrations)
These help your website and sales or operations teams function properly.
Email marketing
CRM
Analytics
Automation & AI-powered features
Scheduling
• Paying: Monthly or yearly
• Typical cost: $20 to $200+ per month
Think of these like tools in a toolbox. You don't necessarily need all of them. One of the most common problems we fix is businesses overpaying for website add-ons and packages they do not need or use! Wix is the biggest offender, targeting small businesses and nonprofits without dedicated specialists and upselling features that are unnecessary or never used.
6. Care and Cleanup (Maintenance)
There is no such thing as a “set it and forget it” website. Plan for ongoing updates, security review and content changes.
• Paying: Monthly or yearly
• Typical cost: $50-150+ per billable hour (specialist rates vary) / $300-500 per year minimum
At best, you have a reliable system that needs minimal upkeep because updates are handled proactively. At worst, neglect and poor third-party support lead to damage and repairs worth thousands that could have been avoided.
If your website feels confusing, expensive, or does not exist at all, you are not alone.
We design and launch websites that look great, work well, and support sales, with long-term oversight available for your peace of mind. Our pricing is flexible and designed to meet you where you are today. Contact us for a custom price quote to get started.