Small business web design in New Zealand should get you a fast, mobile-friendly site that explains what you do, shows where you work, and makes it easy to call or enquire, live within days rather than months. With Media Giant that costs $1,500 to $2,500 upfront then $50 a month, or $250 a month with nothing upfront, all ex GST, and it includes the things small businesses most often have to find elsewhere: content writing, a photoshoot, hosting and a reporting dashboard.
This guide is for owners comparing web designers and developers for the first time. It covers what a small business site needs, what should be in the quote, and how to tell a good developer from an expensive one.
What a small business website needs to do
A small business site has one job: turn the people who find you into enquiries. Everything on it should serve that job. In practice that means:
- Say what you do and where, in the first screen. "Electrician in Lower Hutt and the Hutt Valley" beats "Powering your future".
- Make contact obvious. A phone number that is tappable on a mobile, a short form and clear opening hours.
- Show proof. Real photos of your team and work, reviews, and examples of jobs you have done.
- Load fast on a phone. Most local searches happen on mobile, and a slow page loses people before it loads.
- Give Google something to rank. A page for each main service, with useful detail, rather than one page listing everything.
You do not need animations, a blog on day one or 20 pages. You need five to ten pages that each do their job well.
What you should get from a web designer
A real brief
A good designer starts with questions: what you sell, who buys it, which jobs are the most profitable and where your customers are. Our process starts with a 15 to 30 minute call with Andy, then a written brief within two to three days covering pages, keywords, offers and structure.
Copy that sounds like you
Writing is where most small business sites fall down. Many quotes assume the owner will supply every word, and the site ends up thin or never launches. Content writing is included on our Standard and monthly plans: AI drafts it, a person rewrites it, and nothing is published unreviewed.
Real photography
Stock photos make every plumber's site look the same. We include a free photoshoot on our monthly plans and the Standard build, shot at your premises anywhere in greater Wellington, from the Kāpiti Coast to the Wairarapa. Further afield, we arrange it with you when we plan the build.
Speed you can check
Ask for the PageSpeed score in writing. Our sites are tested on Google PageSpeed Insights before handover, with typical launch scores of 98 on mobile and 99 on desktop.
The basics of SEO, done at launch
Page titles, descriptions, a sitemap, structured data, redirects from your old site and analytics should be part of the build, not an extra. If you are replacing an existing site, ask how the developer will keep your current Google rankings.
Hosting, updates and support
Find out who hosts the site, what it costs after year one and who fixes it when something breaks. On our monthly plans, hosting, SSL, updates and support are included. On the upfront path it is $50 a month.
What it costs
All prices ex GST. Full detail is on our pricing page.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Website | $1,500 once, then $50/mo | Smaller businesses with their own copy and photos |
| Standard Website | $2,500 once, then $50/mo | Most established small businesses |
| Website Only | $250/mo, nothing upfront | Owners who want everything handled and cash flow protected |
| Website + SEO and Blogging | $850/mo, build included | Businesses that want to rank and keep growing |
For comparison, our pricing page puts typical traditional agency builds at $5,000 to $15,000 upfront plus retainers, and DIY builders at $30 to $80 a month plus your evenings and weekends. If you want the full breakdown, read our guide to how much a small business website costs in NZ.
How long it takes
Our builds go from brief to live in days. The AI-assisted build assembles structure, pages and first-draft copy quickly, then our team refines the design, writing and SEO and walks you through it. You approve before anything goes live, and the site is built in 7 days once the brief is set. Traditional builds often take months, mostly because every page is designed and coded by hand.
Red flags when choosing a developer
- No written price. Every inclusion and every ongoing cost should be on paper before you start.
- You will not own your domain. The domain should be registered in your business's name.
- Lock-in with no end. A minimum term is normal. A contract you can never leave is not.
- "We do not do content." Then you need to budget your own time or a copywriter.
- No portfolio of real local businesses. Ask to see sites they have launched and check how fast they load.
- Vague answers about who does the work. You should know who you will talk to, and who signs it off.
Why a website for a small business is different
A big company website is part of a large marketing team's toolkit. A small business website often is the marketing team. It answers the phone at 10pm, it is checked by people comparing you with three competitors, and it is the landing page for every Google Ad and social post. That is why we treat speed, clear copy and real photos as non-negotiable rather than extras. Our post on what a high-performing small business website looks like shows the pattern in more detail.
Start with a call
Book a free 15 to 30 minute call with Andy. We will tell you honestly whether we are the right fit and what the site would cost. You can read more about how we build on our AI website design page, or compare plans on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does small business web design cost in NZ?
With Media Giant it is $1,500 or $2,500 upfront then $50 a month, or $250 a month with nothing upfront, ex GST. Traditional agencies often quote $5,000 to $15,000, and DIY builders run $30 to $80 a month.
How many pages does a small business website need?
Usually five to ten: a homepage, a page for each main service, an about page, a contact page and a page showing your work or reviews. Add more only when there is something specific for customers to find.
Do you work with businesses outside Wellington?
Yes. We are based in Lower Hutt and build for businesses across New Zealand. Most of the work happens over video calls, and we arrange the photoshoot with you.
Will my new website keep my Google rankings?
If the move is handled properly, yes. We map your old URLs to the new ones with redirects, so Google and anyone with an old link land in the right place.
Can I update the website myself?
Most owners send changes to us rather than learning an editor. Monthly plans include updates and support, and anything outside your agreed scope is quoted before we start. On the upfront path, changes after launch are billed at time and materials, at $160 plus GST an hour.