The useful question is not, “What does a website cost?”
It is, “What does this price make someone responsible for?”
A build charge and a monthly charge cover different work. The build creates and launches what the agreement names. The monthly charge covers the work that continues after launch. A quote is not complete until both responsibilities are clear.
The four scopes are not the same website at four prices
Marque & Heir’s plans add responsibility as the work grows. Each plan above Launchpad includes the one below it.
| Plan | What the scope adds | One time | Monthly | Initial term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launchpad | Branded maintained site, seasonal Google-profile work, team-run review process, monthly report | $1,500 setup | $600 | Month-to-month |
| Local Authority · standard recommendation | Custom premium site, active local-search work, two social channels, managed review requests, tracking, monthly lead-by-lead report | $3,500 build | $2,500 | 3 months, then month-to-month |
| Growth Engine | Core-service pages, customer email and text content, connected profile, search, and review work, monthly strategy call | $5,500 build | $4,500 | 3 months, then month-to-month |
| Market Leader | Booking, new-lead follow-up, missed-call follow-up, strategy across the full plan | $8,500 build | $7,500 | 3 months, then month-to-month |
Local Authority is the standard recommendation because it covers the custom site and the ongoing local work around it. The other plans are there when the actual job is narrower or broader. They are not a price argument.
What should be inside the build number?
The agreement should name the site type, pages, copy, approved photography, forms, connections, review steps, and launch work. It should also say what the owner supplies, who approves the work, and what has to happen before launch.
The public plan price gives the fixed charge. The written agreement gives the exact count and responsibility.
What should be inside the monthly number?
The monthly scope should name the work that stays active: hosting, maintenance, Google-profile work, reviews, content, tracking, follow-up, reporting, and owner calls where the selected plan includes them.
“Marketing included” is not a scope. The owner should be able to point to the work, the record, and the next step without translating a broad promise.
What waits on outside approval?
Text features start only after the phone carriers approve the business number for text use. A plan should state that condition before the agreement is signed.
If the business chooses to run ads, the media charge is billed to the business by the platform and is not marked up. The plan price and the media charge are separate responsibilities.
Who owns the work?
The domain, Google profile, ad and social accounts, and lead and customer records belong to the business from day one. Full site ownership transfers on final payment.
That line matters because a website is not only a set of pages. It sits inside the business’s public identity and customer record. Ownership should be written plainly, not discovered during an exit.
What does finished mean?
Finished should mean the agreed work is built, approved, launched, checked through the customer’s contact path, and handed off under the written scope.
That proves delivery. It does not promise a lead count, ranking, revenue number, or sale. Those business outcomes can be reported only when real records support them, and they still are not guarantees.
The real cost question
Before signing, ask for:
- The build or setup charge
- The monthly charge
- The exact pages, work, and counts
- The initial term
- The outside approvals
- The ownership line
- The launch and handoff standard
When those lines are present, the price has a job attached to it. When one is missing, the quote is not complete yet.
Start with the free check. We will put the actual website, profile, and reviews beside the plan and show both prices before any work begins.