Straight Answers
Website cost, ownership, and timeline — no sales pitch
The questions we actually get asked, answered plainly, with real numbers from our own pricing.
Written and maintained by BETTERSITES.
How much does a small business website cost?
BETTERSITES has three website plans: Starter runs $97/mo plus a $249 setup fee, Done For You runs $197/mo plus $497 setup, and Zero Risk runs $349/mo with $0 upfront (a 6-month minimum, since we absorb the build cost). All three are month-to-month after any minimum, include hosting, and can be canceled anytime. There's no big upfront build fee on any plan, see the pricing page for what's included at each tier.
Do I own my website if BETTERSITES builds it?
Yes. Upon full payment, you own the final website and its content as delivered. BETTERSITES retains ownership of the underlying tools, frameworks, and reusable components used to build it, the same way a contractor keeps their own tools after building your house. We may display non-confidential work in our portfolio unless you ask us not to. Full terms are on the Terms of Service page.
What does a website maintenance plan include?
Every BETTERSITES plan includes hosting, security updates, and a set number of monthly content changes, 2 on Starter, 4 on Done For You and Zero Risk. Additional changes beyond that are a flat $75 each, handled within 48 hours. There are no surprise invoices: the monthly fee is the whole bill for keeping the site live, fast, and current.
How long does it take to build a small business website?
Most BETTERSITES websites go live in 5-7 business days from the day you sign, that includes design, build, and a preview you approve before it goes live. This is the same timeline whether it's a Starter site or one with AI systems layered on top; the AI receptionist and speed-to-lead automations connect into the same site once it's live.
What should a small business website include?
At minimum: a clear statement of what the business does and who it serves, a working contact method (phone, form, or both), service or product pages, real photos, and a way to book or buy without leaving the site. A Google Maps embed and basic local SEO (business name, address, phone consistent across the site) matter more than most owners expect, it's what lets Google and AI search engines place the business correctly.
What makes a website "AI search friendly"?
Three separate things: the page has to be technically readable by AI crawlers (clean HTML structure, schema markup, no blocking robots rules, this is AEO), the content has to actually answer the questions people type into ChatGPT or Perplexity (this is GEO), and the site has to rank in Google's own AI Overviews (AIO). Most sites only address the first. BETTERSITES tracks and fixes all three under the Exposure Package.
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