The Problem with Traditional Web Design Pricing
Here's the reality most web designers won't tell you: the traditional pricing model is broken for small businesses.
A decent custom website from an agency or freelancer in New Zealand will run you somewhere between $5,000 and $15,000. For a lot of local businesses — your plumber, your cafe, your physio clinic — that's a massive chunk of cash to hand over before you've seen a single result.
So what happens? Most business owners do one of two things. They either cobble something together on Wix or Squarespace (which ends up looking like every other DIY site on the internet), or they just go without a website entirely. Both options cost more in the long run. The DIY site doesn't convert because it looks generic and loads slowly. Going without means you're invisible to anyone searching Google — and that's where your next customers are looking.
The upfront cost model made sense when websites were a one-off project. Build it, hand it over, move on. But websites aren't one-off projects anymore. They need updates, security patches, content changes, hosting, SSL certificates. The $10k you paid upfront? That's just the beginning.
How $99/mo Works
The model is dead simple. $0 upfront. We design and build you a fully custom website, hand-coded from scratch. You pay $99 per month, and that covers everything — hosting, maintenance, SSL, content updates, the lot.
There's a 12-month minimum commitment. After that, you can cancel anytime with 30 days notice. If you cancel within the first 12 months, the remaining fees are due. Fair's fair — we're investing real time building your site upfront, so we need that commitment.
From start to finish, your site goes live within 7 days. Not 7 weeks. Not "we'll get back to you." Seven working days, and you've got a professional website representing your business online.
What's Actually Included
This isn't a template with your logo slapped on it. Here's what you get:
- Custom design — designed specifically for your business, your brand, your customers
- Hand-coded — no WordPress, no page builders, no bloat. Clean, fast code
- Mobile responsive — looks brilliant on every device, from phones to desktops
- Scroll animations — subtle, modern interactions that make your site feel premium
- SEO setup — proper meta tags, structured data, fast load times, image optimisation
- Managed hosting — fast CDN, 99.9% uptime, we handle the tech
- Content updates — need to change your hours, add a new service, update pricing? Just ask
- Ongoing maintenance — security updates, performance monitoring, everything handled
Everything. That's the point. You focus on running your business, and we take care of your website. Completely.
The Math
Let's talk numbers, because this is where the model really clicks.
$99 per month. That's $3.30 a day. Less than your morning flat white.
Now think about what one extra customer per month is worth to your business. If you're a plumber, your average job is $200 to $500. A single call-out from someone who found you on Google pays for two to five months of your website. If you're a cafe, the average customer lifetime value is $300 or more. One regular who discovers you online covers three months of your site.
For a tradie doing $300 jobs, that's a 3x return on a single extra job per month. For most businesses, a good website generates far more than one extra customer. We're talking about a rounding error compared to the revenue a professional online presence generates.
Compare that to the traditional model: you pay $8,000 upfront and then wait months hoping it pays off. With $99/mo, you're cash-flow positive from month one if your site brings in just one additional customer.
Why Not Just Use Wix or Squarespace?
Fair question. A Wix or Squarespace plan runs $15 to $40 per month. Seems cheaper on paper. But here's what that price tag actually looks like in practice:
- You spend 20+ hours building it yourself. Your time has value
- It looks like every other template site — your customers can tell
- Page load speeds are significantly slower than hand-coded sites
- Limited customisation — you're working within someone else's constraints
- You're stuck maintaining it yourself — updates, troubleshooting, all on you
- SEO capabilities are restricted compared to custom code
If your hourly rate is $50 (and for most business owners it's higher), those 20 hours of DIY website building just cost you $1,000 in lost productive time. Plus you end up with a site that performs worse, converts fewer visitors, and needs your ongoing attention to maintain.
For the difference between $30/mo DIY and $99/mo done-for-you, you're getting a custom-designed, professionally built website with zero time investment on your end. That's a no-brainer for most business owners.
Is There a Catch?
Honest answer: there's a 12-month minimum contract.
We're upfront about this because we think it's fair. Building a custom website takes real time and skill. We're investing that upfront with no payment from you, so we need the commitment of 12 months to make the model sustainable. If you cancel before 12 months, the remaining fees are due.
After 12 months, you own the code and can leave anytime with 30 days notice. No tricks, no hidden fees, no "but actually." You can take your site, host it yourself, do whatever you want with it.
We're confident you'll stay because the ongoing service — hosting, maintenance, updates, support — is genuinely worth $99/mo on its own. But we're not going to lock you in forever. That's not how we do things.
Who This Is Perfect For
This model works brilliantly for local businesses across New Zealand:
- Trades — plumbers, electricians, builders, landscapers who need to show up on Google
- Hospitality — cafes, restaurants, bars that want menus, bookings, and a professional first impression
- Professional services — accountants, lawyers, consultants who need credibility online
- Health & wellness — physios, dentists, personal trainers who want online bookings
- Retail — local shops that want a web presence without a full e-commerce build
Basically, if you're a local business that needs a professional online presence without the massive upfront cost, this is built for you. No tech knowledge required. No ongoing hassle. Just a website that works, looks great, and brings in customers.