How much should a local business budget for a website?
Most local businesses do not need an “exceptional” website. They need one that answers customers’ questions (hours, address, prices, menu or services, reviews), works well on a phone and gets people to act (book, call, ask for a quote). What costs the most is often not the site itself but the time to fill it in, keep it up to date and get it found on Google.
The three ways to get a website, and what they cost
| Agency or freelancer | DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace…) | Ready-made trade tool (Voxtya, Zenchef’s website option…) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Quote: a build fee, often a maintenance plan afterwards | Monthly or yearly subscription | Monthly or yearly subscription |
| Prices checked (France, Oct. 2026) | On quote (varies widely with the brief) | Squarespace Basic €17/month (€12 billed yearly); SiteW €8/month (€6.60 yearly), limited free plan | Voxtya Website €29/month (€23 yearly); Zenchef: €29/month website option on top of a booking plan from €129/month |
| Your time | Low at first (meetings, texts, photos) | High: choose a template, write, lay out, set up SEO | Low: the site is pre-filled, you review it |
| Bookings, menu, reviews | Depends on the quote | Add-ons or third-party tools, sometimes paid | Included or an option of the same tool |
| Updates | Often by the agency, sometimes billed | By you | By you, in a few clicks; some details update on their own |
| Design freedom | Total | High | Templates built for your trade |
Builder and tool prices were checked on their French pricing pages in October 2026; they change often, so check them before you sign. Agency prices are not quoted: they depend entirely on the project.
Free tool, no sign-up
Quiz: is your business easy to find?
10 questions to check whether your Google profile, website and reviews are doing their job. Free, no sign-up.
The real cost: compare over three years, time included
A €12 monthly plan looks unbeatable next to a €29 tool. But the real cost of a website is measured over time and includes your hours. Here is the method, with a fictional worked example to adapt:
- Add up subscriptions over 36 months (site, bookings, add-ons).
- Add the domain name if it is not included (each registrar sets its own price).
- Add one-off costs: agency build, photos, copywriting.
- Estimate your hours: set-up, then updates (hours, menu, closures), and multiply by what an hour of your work is worth.
To work out what an hour of your time is worth, see how to calculate an hourly rate (it works for shopkeepers too).
Which option for your trade?
| Trade | What the site must do | Most logical option |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant, bar | Menu, hours, bookings, reviews | Trade tool with commission-free bookings (restaurant website) |
| Hair or beauty salon | Services and prices, appointments | Trade tool with a calendar (hair salon website, beauty salon website) |
| Tradesperson, garage | Area covered, past work, quote requests | Trade tool with a quote form (tradesperson website) |
| Shop | Hours, brands, new arrivals; sometimes online sales | Trade tool for a showcase; an e-commerce builder if you really sell online (shop website) |
| Hotel, B&B | Photos, rooms, direct bookings | Tool with direct bookings and synced calendars (B&B website) |
| Very particular concept, strong brand | Unique experience, bespoke design | An agency (or a custom website) |
When is an agency worth it?
An agency makes sense when the website is a product in itself: strong visual identity, rich content to produce, specific features (advanced online sales, customer accounts, several languages with different content). In that case, ask for a detailed quote that separates build, hosting, maintenance and changes, and check the domain name is registered in your name.
For a local business the risk is the opposite: paying a lot for a beautiful site that stops being updated after six months (last year’s hours, an old menu). A slightly less original site that is always accurate often brings in more customers.
6 questions to ask before choosing
- What will this site cost me over 36 months, domain and options included?
- How many hours to get it live, then each month?
- Does it work well on a phone? (most of your visitors are on one)
- Can I take bookings, appointments or quote requests with no commission?
- Is the domain name in my name, and can I take it with me?
- Is there a minimum term, and how do I cancel?
For the full checklist before signing up to any software, see questions to ask before buying business software.
What Voxtya does, openly
Voxtya is one of the ready-made trade tools: your site is built from your Google Business Profile (name, hours, photos, reviews), on a template suited to your trade, and you review it before publishing. The Website service costs €29 a month (€23 billed yearly, domain name included with the yearly plan), or €49 a month with commission-free Bookings. The trial lasts 30 days and nothing is charged before it ends.
What Voxtya does not do: an online shop with product checkout, or a fully bespoke design. If that is what you need, an e-commerce builder or an agency will suit you better.
This guide for your trade
Go further
Sources
The rules quoted in this guide come from these official pages, checked on October 30, 2026.