Strategy

How to Choose a Web Developer for Your Small Business (Without Getting Burned)

The web development industry is full of $500 websites that should cost $5,000 and $10,000 websites that should cost $500.

· 10 min read

Hiring a web developer is one of the most confusing decisions a small business owner faces. The quotes range from $200 to $50,000. Everyone claims to build "custom" websites. Half of them disappear after the check clears. And you have no way to evaluate the technical quality of what they're building.

Here's how to navigate it without getting burned.

The Four Types of Web Developers

1. The Template Reseller ($200-$1,000)

They buy a $50 WordPress theme, change the colors and logo, add your content, and charge you $500-$1,000. The site looks okay but it's identical to thousands of others. PageSpeed scores are typically 30-60. Security depends entirely on whether they keep WordPress and its 20+ plugins updated (spoiler: they usually don't).

Red flags: Very low price, finished in 1-2 days, can't explain what makes your site "custom," uses terms like "premium themes" and "page builders."

2. The Freelancer ($2,000-$8,000)

A solo developer or small team who builds a genuinely custom site. Quality varies enormously. Some freelancers are brilliant designers who deliver exceptional work. Others are self-taught and learning on your dime.

Red flags: No portfolio of live sites, can't show PageSpeed scores, unclear about hosting and ongoing support, vague about timeline.

3. The Agency ($5,000-$50,000+)

A full team — designers, developers, project managers, SEO specialists. You get meetings, revisions, and a polished deliverable. The quality is usually high but the price reflects their overhead: office space, salaries, benefits, and the project manager who schedules your meetings.

Red flags: Long contracts (12-24 months), won't let you own the site, charges separately for hosting/SSL/updates, outsources development overseas while charging domestic rates.

4. The Subscription Service ($100-$300/month)

A newer model: someone builds and maintains your site for a flat monthly fee. Everything included — design, hosting, updates, support. No large upfront payment.

Red flags (for bad ones): Template-based despite claiming "custom," slow support response, no portfolio to review, no way to cancel without losing everything.

Questions to Ask Any Web Developer

  1. Can I see live sites you've built? Not screenshots — live, functioning websites. Check them on your phone. Run them through PageSpeed Insights.
  2. What's the PageSpeed score? If they don't know what this is, walk away. If their sites score below 70, they're not building quality sites.
  3. Who writes the content? If you have to write all the text yourself, you're paying for design, not a website. Content is half the work.
  4. What happens if I cancel? Can you take your content? Your domain? The code? Or are you locked in?
  5. Who handles updates after launch? A website isn't a one-time project. It needs updates, security patches, and content changes. Who does that, and what does it cost?
  6. Do you handle SEO? If SEO is an "add-on" or "separate service," the base website isn't being built right.

What Good Looks Like

A good web development partner:

  • Shows you live demo sites with verifiable PageSpeed scores above 90
  • Writes your content (or at minimum has a content strategy)
  • Includes hosting, SSL, and ongoing support
  • Lets you own your domain and content
  • Has a clear, transparent pricing model
  • Responds to questions quickly and in plain English
  • Includes SEO and schema markup as standard
  • Doesn't lock you into long-term contracts

At Bindingstone, we check every box on this list. $149/month, everything included, no setup fees, cancel anytime. See what we build and judge for yourself.

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