Building a website is the easiest it’s ever been.
Templates look great. Tools are smooth. AI can help with writing. We can get something online fast.
That’s a win.
And it also creates confusion: because the tools are cheap, we assume the website is cheap.
Here’s the truth:
All websites still cost $5k.
The $500 Rule
A website is worth building when we want $500+ per customer.
That includes:
- raising our rates
- getting better gigs
- building a premium offer
- moving into corporate / agency / luxury buyers
- fixing something unstable about our income
At $500+ per customer, a website becomes a business asset. It makes sense to invest.
DIY Website Costs (Wix / Squarespace)
DIY means we’re responsible for the full project.
That cost shows up as a stack of small, real costs that add up.
1) Build time
Even a clean one-page site takes time:
- layout
- writing
- photos
- resizing
- publishing
Conservative estimate:
24 hours total.
At $100/hr:
24 × $100 = $2,400
2) Shower worry
Freelancers don’t stop thinking about their open loops.
Hands-on websites become an open loop.
Conservative estimate:
- 10 minutes/day
- for 60 days
That’s 10 hours of mental bandwidth.
10 × $100/hr = $1,000
3) Lost gigs
Non-pro execution reduces bookings
Conservative estimate:
- 1.5 lost gig/year
- for 3 years
- at $500/gig
= $2,250
DIY total
$2,400 + $1,000 + $2,250 = $5,650
That’s why I say it clean:
DIY websites cost $5k.
“My Uncle Can Do It” Costs
The uncle site has a different set of costs.
1) Coordination time
Even if it’s “free,” it still takes:
- texting
- emailing
- waiting
- reviewing
- clarifying
- chasing
Your uncle still needs to be completely educated about what you do and what your customers care about.
Conservative estimate:
8 hours × $100/hr = $800
2) Polite time + energy
This is a real cost.
When a family member or friend builds the site, we spend extra time being supportive and low-pressure:
- “No rush!”
- “Whenever you get around to it!”
- “You’re the best!”
- “Sorry to bug you again!”
That’s emotional labor plus follow-up labor.
Conservative estimate:
4 hours × $100/hr = $400
3) Paying back the favor
Free work isn’t free.
It creates a favor account.
That payback can look like:
- buying meals
- giving free tickets
- doing a favor later
- an ongoing “owe you” feeling
Conservative estimate:
$300–$800
4) Delay
Free help moves slower.
The delay costs momentum.
Conservative estimate:
- 1 month delay
- equals 1 lost booking opportunity
= $500
5) Fix-it-later costs
Most uncle sites eventually become:
- patchwork
- small hires later
- platform switches later
Conservative estimate:
= $1,500
6) Lost gigs
$2,250
Uncle total (conservative)
$800 + $400 + $500 + $1,500 + $2,250 = $5,450
- paying back the favor ($300–$800)
$5,750
So yes:
The uncle website still costs $5k.
When we DIY plumbing, we pay with:
- extra trips
- extra stress (angry spouse?)
- extra time
- extra cleanup (mold removal)
When we hire a pro plumber, the floor still gets wet. It just gets less wet.
Websites work the same way.
The cost is real either way.
The mix changes.
Hiring Scot Nery’s UPDOG (Quick)
UPDOG exists to take more than 80% of this off you.
We build the site fast, we do the heavy lifting, we carry the complexity, and we deliver something professional that helps premium clients say yes.
You keep your energy for what matters:
getting booked and making joy.
www.upupupdog.com