If you're a local business owner reading this, you probably already know you need a website. The question is how. The process can feel overwhelming — there are agencies, freelancers, website builders, and a thousand options in between. Most of them make it confusing on purpose so they can charge you more.
This guide breaks down exactly what happens when you get a website built, start to finish. No fluff, no jargon, no hidden steps.
Step 1: Figure Out What You Actually Need
Before you talk to anyone or sign up for anything, get clear on the basics:
- What type of business are you? A restaurant needs different things than a contractor or a beauty studio.
- What pages do you need? Most local businesses need a homepage, about page, services page, and contact page.
- What's your budget? Professional websites range from $449 for a single page to $999+ for multi-page sites with advanced features.
- When do you need it? Some services deliver in 7 days. Others take months.
Write down your answers. This becomes your brief.
Step 2: Choose How You'll Build It
You have three paths:
DIY website builders (Wix, Squarespace, Shopify)
Least expensive upfront ($15-40/month). But you'll spend hours (or weeks) wrestling with templates, and the result will look like a template. You get what you pay for.
Freelance web developers
More expensive ($2,000-10,000). You get a custom design but timelines slip, communication gets messy, and you're managing the project yourself.
Productized web design services (like Claui)
Fixed price ($449-999). Fixed timeline (7 days). You fill out a form, they build it, you approve. No project management headaches. This is what we do, and it works because it's focused on what local businesses actually need.
Step 3: Prepare Your Content
A website needs content. The faster you provide it, the faster your site goes live. Here's what you'll need:
- Business name and description — what you do and who you serve
- Services or products — list what you offer with brief descriptions
- Photos — 5-15 high-quality photos of your work, location, or team. Phone photos work fine if they're well-lit.
- Logo — if you have one. If not, many services can design one.
- Contact info — phone, email, address, hours of operation
- Customer reviews — 2-5 testimonials from happy clients build trust instantly
Step 4: Submit Your Brief and See a Preview
With Claui, this is where the magic happens. You fill out a 10-minute intake form with everything from step 3. No payment required. Within 48 hours, you get a working preview of your homepage — hand-coded, not templated.
Here's the best part: if you don't love the preview, you walk away. No charge. No hard feelings. You only pay if the preview makes you think "yes, this is it."
Step 5: Approve and Launch
Love your preview? Great. You pay, we build the full site, and it goes live in 5 business days. We handle everything: domain setup, hosting configuration, mobile optimization, Google Maps integration, contact forms — the works.
You own 100% of the code. You can take it anywhere. No lock-in, no monthly platform fees, no proprietary system.
What About After Launch?
Your site is live. Now what? Most businesses need occasional updates — new photos, updated hours, a seasonal promotion. You have two options:
- Monthly maintenance ($49/month) — unlimited small changes, priority support, updates within 24 hours
- Pay-as-you-go ($75/hour) — email us when you need something, we bill in 30-minute increments
Most clients choose maintenance because it's hands-off and cheaper if you need more than one update per month.
Bottom Line
Getting a website doesn't have to be complicated. Know what you need, pick the right approach, provide your content, and let the process work. The best time to start was yesterday. The second best time is now.
