Pricing guide · Minneapolis–St. Paul
How much does a small business website cost in Minneapolis?
The short answer
Most Twin Cities small businesses pay $1,500 to $15,000 to have a website built, plus $20 to $300 a month to keep it running. Do-it-yourself builders cost less up front but take your time. Agencies cost the most and take the longest. The biggest price swings come from who writes the words, how custom the design is, and how many meetings are involved.
1. Your four options, side by side
Every small business website in the Twin Cities gets built one of four ways. Here’s what each usually costs and what you get.
| Option | Cost to build | Ongoing | Time | Who does the work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself (Squarespace, Wix, and similar) | $0 up front | About $200 to $600 a year for the plan | Your spare time | You: writing, design, setup |
| Template shop or freelancer | About $600 to $3,500 | Often $20 to $100 a month | 2 to 6 weeks | Them, but you usually write the words |
| Main Street Marketing | $2,500 flat | First year included, then $19 a month | About 3 weeks | We write, design, and launch it |
| Agency | About $5,000 to $15,000 or more | Often $50 to $300 or more a month | 2 to 4 months | Them, with several rounds of meetings |
These are typical ranges from Twin Cities agency sites and pricing guides in 2026. Every project is different, so treat them as a starting point, not a quote.
2. What drives the price
Two websites can look similar and cost very different amounts. These are the things that move the number most.
Who writes the words
Writing is the part most owners underestimate. Clear, specific copy is what turns a visitor into a call, and it takes real time. Many designers quote design and build only, and expect you to supply every word. Ask.
Custom design or a template
A template is cheaper and faster but looks like thousands of other sites. A custom design is built around your business, your customers, and what makes you different.
How many pages
Most small businesses need fewer pages than they think. A strong Home, Services, and Contact page beats ten thin ones. Each extra page adds writing, design, and review time.
Features
Contact forms, click-to-call, maps, and links to your booking tool are standard. Online stores, member areas, custom booking systems, and integrations with other software add cost quickly.
Meetings and revisions
Discovery workshops, strategy sessions, and open-ended revision rounds are a big reason agency projects cost more and take longer. A clear process with a set number of revisions keeps the price down.
Local search setup
Page titles, descriptions, your address and service areas, and business details set up so Google and AI assistants understand where you are and what you do. Some designers include this, and some charge extra or skip it.
3. Monthly and yearly costs
The build is a one-time cost. These keep it running:
- Your domain (yourbusiness.com): usually $10 to $25 a year. Always register it in your own name.
- Hosting: anywhere from a few dollars to $50 a month on its own, often bundled with maintenance.
- Changes and upkeep: security updates, backups, and small edits to hours, prices, or photos. Some designers charge by the hour; others include it in a monthly plan.
- Email at your domain (you@yourbusiness.com): usually a few dollars to about $15 per person per month through Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
- Booking, payment, or scheduling tools you already use, which have their own fees.
4. Costs people forget to ask about
- Writing. Is copywriting included, or is it billed separately?
- Revisions. How many rounds are included, and what does another round cost?
- Ownership. Do you own the domain and the site’s content? Can you leave and take it with you?
- Hosting lock-in. Is hosting required, and what does it cost after the first year?
- Small changes. What does it cost to update your hours or add a photo six months from now?
- Stock photos, fonts, and plugins. Are licenses included or extra?
5. Questions to ask any web designer
- What’s the total price, in writing, before we start?
- Who writes the words on my site?
- How many pages and revision rounds are included?
- How long until it’s live, and what do you need from me?
- What will I pay each month or year after launch?
- Do I own my domain and content if I leave?
- Will my site be set up for local search in the Twin Cities?
- What happens if I don’t like the first design?
6. What we charge, and why
We charge $2,500, flat, with the price posted up front. It includes three complete pages (Home, Services, and Contact), all the writing, a custom design tested on phones, tablets, and desktops, local search setup, two rounds of revisions, launch, 30 days of fixes, and your first year of hosting. After that, hosting is $19 a month, and you can cancel anytime. Your site and domain stay yours.
We keep the price down by skipping what drives agency costs: no discovery workshops or proposal rounds. A guided questionnaire gathers what we need, we write and design, and you review twice. Most sites launch about 3 weeks after the questionnaire is done. And if you don’t love the first design, we refund the full $2,500.
We’re based on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis and happy to meet in person anywhere in the metro. See how we work with Twin Cities businesses.
Ready for a website that’s done in about 3 weeks?
7. Common questions
Is a $500 website worth it?
Sometimes, if you only need a simple online business card and you’re comfortable writing it yourself. Low-cost sites usually mean a template, little or no writing help, and limited support. If your website is how new customers decide whether to call you, the words and the clarity matter more than the price tag.
Should I build it myself on Squarespace or Wix?
You can, and the tools are good. The real cost is your time: writing every page, choosing photos, setting up local search, and keeping it updated. If you enjoy that work and have the hours, it’s a fine choice. If you’d rather spend that time running your business, hiring it out usually pays for itself.
How many pages does a small business website need?
For most local businesses, three strong pages are enough to start: Home, Services, and Contact. You can add pages later for specific services, locations, or a team, when there’s a clear reason to.
How long does a website take to build?
Anywhere from a few days for a basic template to several months for an agency project. Ours launch about 3 weeks after you finish our questionnaire.
Does a new website help me show up on Google?
It’s the foundation. A clear, well-built site with your location, services, and business details set up correctly makes it much easier for Google and AI assistants to understand and recommend you. Pair it with a Google Business Profile and customer reviews for the biggest local impact. No one can guarantee rankings.