A $450 Basic website gets you a live, mobile-friendly Shopify site of up to 5 pages, built in about 1–2 weeks. That includes on-page SEO, schema markup, meta tags, alt text, and a working contact form. AI drafts each page, then a real person reviews and finishes it before launch.
What’s included in the $450 Basic build?
The Basic tier is a complete, publish-ready website — not a template you finish yourself. Here is exactly what the $450 covers.
- Up to 5 pages. Usually a home page, a services page, an about page, a contact page, and one more of your choice.
- On-page SEO. Meta titles, meta descriptions, alt text on images, and clean, ordered headings on every page.
- Schema markup. LocalBusiness structured data so Google and AI tools can read your name, address, hours, and services.
- A working contact form. One form so visitors can message you; extra forms are $90 each.
- Mobile-first layout. Pages that load fast and read cleanly on a phone, where most local searches happen.
- Human review. AI drafts the layout and copy; a real person edits, fact-checks, and finishes every page before it goes live.
Timeline is about 1–2 weeks once your content is in. You can see every tier side by side on the website design prices page — pricing is fixed and published, with no sales call required.
Why $450 isn’t “too cheap”
A low price usually means corners were cut. Here it means the slow parts got faster. AI handles the first draft of the layout, copy, schema, meta tags, and alt text in a fraction of the time it used to take. That is the part that used to pad an agency invoice.
A real person still reviews and finishes every page — checking the copy reads like you, the SEO is set correctly, the schema is valid, and the links work. You get professional output at a fair, fixed price because the tool does the drafting and the human does the judgment. Nothing about the build is left half-done.
What’s not included — and what it costs
Being clear about this up front matters. The $450 base build does not include full product-catalog setup, full cart and checkout configuration, or connecting sales channels and marketplaces. Those are separate paid add-ons priced by scope, because the effort depends on how many products and channels you have. Ongoing SEO is also its own thing.
| Item | In the $450 Basic build | Priced separately |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 5 pages | Yes | extra page $90 |
| On-page SEO (titles, meta, alt) | Yes | — |
| Schema markup | Yes | — |
| One contact form | Yes | extra form $90 |
| Full copywriting | Light edit of the draft | $72/page |
| Logo design | No | $150 |
| Full product-catalog setup | No | by scope |
| Cart & checkout configuration | No | by scope |
| Sales channels (Instagram, Google Shopping, etc.) | No | by scope |
| Ongoing local + AI SEO | No | from $360/mo |
If you want to know how you’re showing up in AI search before you spend anything, the free AI Visibility Report checks it in 2–3 days with no sales call and no obligation.
DIY builder vs a $450 pro build
A drag-and-drop builder feels cheaper because the sticker is a monthly fee. But you still pay that fee every month, and you do all the work: writing, layout, image sizing, SEO, schema, and testing on mobile. Most people skip the SEO and schema, which is the exact reason a lot of DIY sites never rank or get cited by AI tools.
- Your time. A DIY site is free only if your hours are worth nothing. The $450 build is done for you and handed over live.
- SEO built in. Meta tags, alt text, and schema come standard, not as an afterthought you may never get to.
- One fixed price. $450 once, then only the third-party running costs — no surprise upsells.
What you’ll pay to keep it running
Two costs live with the platform, not the studio, and are never marked up. A Shopify plan starts at about $39/mo and covers hosting, security, and automatic updates — so nothing to patch or babysit. A domain name runs roughly $15/year. That’s it to stay online.
Everything else is optional. If you later want steady local and AI-search visibility, monthly search plans start at $360/mo, but the website itself doesn’t require one to work.
Questions people ask
Is a $450 website really enough for a small business?
For most service businesses, yes. The $450 Basic tier is a live Shopify site of up to 5 pages — usually a home page, services, about, contact, and one more — with on-page SEO, schema markup, meta tags, alt text, and a working contact form. If your goal is to be found, look professional, and let people call, book, or message you, five well-built pages cover it. You step up to the $900 Business tier (up to 10 pages) or the $1,350 online store when you need more room or full e-commerce.
What does the $450 not cover?
The base build does not include full product-catalog setup, full cart and checkout configuration, or connecting sales channels like Instagram Shop, Google Shopping, or Amazon. Those are separate paid add-ons priced by scope, because the work depends on how many products and channels you have. Ongoing SEO is also separate — monthly search plans start at $360/mo. Everything is quoted up front, so you always know the price before any work starts.
How long does a Basic website take to build?
About 1–2 weeks for the $450 Basic tier, once we have your content and details. AI drafts the layout, copy, schema, meta tags, and alt text quickly, then a real person reviews and finishes every page, which is where most of the time goes. The $900 Business tier runs about 2–3 weeks, and a full $1,350 Shopify store takes roughly 3–4 weeks. No sales call is needed to get started.
Do I pay anything every month?
Two third-party running costs, never marked up: a Shopify plan from about $39/mo, which covers hosting, security, and updates, and a domain name at roughly $15/year. That is what keeps your site online and safe. Everything else is optional. If you want ongoing local and AI-search visibility work, monthly search plans start at $360/mo, but the website itself does not require one.
Can I add more pages later?
Yes. Extra pages are $90 each, added whenever you need them. Many businesses start with the 5-page Basic site and add a page or two later — a new service, a location, or a landing page for a promotion. Other add-ons are priced the same clear way: copywriting at $72/page, a logo at $150, keyword research at $119, form setup at $90, and publishing a blog post at $20.
Is a DIY website builder cheaper than a $450 pro build?
It looks cheaper until you add up the hours and the monthly fees. A DIY builder still charges a subscription, and you do all the writing, layout, SEO, and schema yourself — or skip them, which is why many DIY sites never get found. The $450 Basic build is a fixed, one-time price with the SEO, schema, and human review done for you, then handed over live. You own it and pay only the third-party running costs after that.
