Essential vs Growth vs Premium: Choosing Your Website Package

You know you need a professional website. But when you start researching options, the choices get overwhelming fast. Templates, builders, agencies charging $10,000+, freelancers who disappear after launch—none of it feels quite right.

Here's what most Eastern North Carolina business owners actually need: a clean, fast website that builds credibility, shows up in local search, works perfectly on phones, and doesn't drain your budget or require a computer science degree to update.

That's why we created three straightforward website packages designed specifically for local businesses. No jargon, no upselling features you'll never use, just honest options that match where you are and where you're going.

Let's break down which package fits your business best.

Why Website Packages Matter More Than Custom Quotes

Before we dive into the tiers, let's talk about why packaged pricing makes sense for most small businesses.

Custom quotes sound appealing—"we'll build exactly what you need"—but they often lead to scope creep, surprise costs, and projects that drag on for months. You end up paying for features you don't need because the developer wants to justify their price.

Packages give you clarity upfront. You know exactly what you're getting, what it costs, and how long it takes. No hidden fees, no "oh by the way" moments three weeks into the project.

Our three tiers cover 95% of what local businesses actually need. And if you're in the 5% who need something different, we'll tell you upfront and build a custom solution that makes sense.

Essential Website Package — $1,000

Who This Is For

You need a professional online presence right now. Maybe you're just starting out, or you've been running on a Facebook page and referrals but know you need a real website. You don't need complexity—you need credibility.

The Essential package gets you online fast with a clean, professional site that does exactly what it needs to do: make a great first impression and give potential customers a way to contact you.

What You Get

Up to 5 pages:

• Home
• About
• Services (or Products)
• Contact
• One additional page of your choice

Core features:

• Mobile-responsive design (looks great on any device)
• Contact form that emails you directly
• Click-to-call phone buttons
• Google Maps integration
• Fast, secure hosting included for first year
• SSL certificate (the lock icon in browsers)
• Basic SEO setup (titles, descriptions, proper structure)
• Google Business Profile optimization

Design and development:

• One round of revisions on design
• Two weeks to launch from kickoff
• Training on how to make basic updates yourself

What's NOT included:

• Blog or content management system
• E-commerce or booking systems
• Extensive revisions (we get it right efficiently)
• Ongoing content updates after launch

When Essential Makes Perfect Sense

Choose Essential if:

• You're a new business needing credibility fast
• Your services are straightforward (contractor, consultant, local service)
• Most inquiries come via phone rather than online research
• You don't plan to blog or frequently add new content
• Budget is tight but quality still matters
• You need something better than a template but can't justify $5,000+

Real Essential Website Examples

A Washington NC HVAC contractor used Essential to replace his outdated site. Five clean pages showcasing services, service areas, and a simple contact form. He started getting web leads within the first week and recovered his investment in the first month from two new customers who found him on Google.

A Belhaven insurance agent needed professional credibility without complexity. Essential gave her a clean site that positions her as local and trustworthy. She updates her contact info and adds testimonials herself—no developer needed for simple changes.

Start with Essential

Ready to get online without overthinking it? Essential gets you a professional website in two weeks. View Essential package details or schedule a free consultation.

Growth Website Package — $2,499

Who This Is For

You're past the "just need something online" stage. Your business is active, you plan to create content, and you want a website that can grow with you without needing a complete rebuild in a year.

The Growth package gives you content management power, more flexibility, and room to scale as your marketing gets more sophisticated.

What You Get

Up to 12 pages:

• Everything from Essential
• Additional service pages
• Portfolio or case studies page
• Resources or FAQ section
• Room to expand

Content management system (CMS):

• WordPress or modern headless CMS
• Easy content editor (like Google Docs)
• Add/edit pages yourself
• Blog functionality included
• Media library for organizing images

Enhanced features:

• Blog with category organization
• Service area pages (multiple locations)
• Testimonials section with schema markup
• Newsletter signup integration
• Social media integration
• Advanced SEO structure

More development support:

• Two rounds of design revisions
• More custom functionality options
• Better analytics setup (conversion tracking)
• 30 days post-launch support for tweaks

Timeline:

• 3-4 weeks from kickoff to launch

When Growth Is the Right Choice

Choose Growth if:

• You plan to blog or regularly publish content
• You offer multiple services that each need their own page
• You serve multiple cities and want location-specific pages
• You're actively marketing and need flexibility to add landing pages
• You want to manage content yourself without calling a developer
• You've outgrown templates but don't need enterprise complexity

Why Growth Businesses Love This Package

A Greenville law firm needed separate pages for 8 practice areas plus a blog to establish expertise. Growth gave them the CMS to easily add case studies and legal insights without our help, but professional design and structure they couldn't achieve with DIY tools.

A New Bern vacation rental manager wanted a site where she could add new properties, update availability, and publish local attraction guides. Growth's CMS meant she could manage everything herself while we handled the technical SEO and speed optimization.

The sweet spot for Growth is businesses who are past survival mode and actively marketing but not yet at the scale where they need full-time content teams.

What You Can Do Yourself vs What We Handle

You handle:

• Writing and editing your content
• Adding blog posts
• Uploading images
• Basic page updates

We handle:

• Design and layout
• Technical performance
• SEO structure and schema
• Hosting and security
• Troubleshooting when something breaks

This division means you have control without being overwhelmed by technical complexity.

Scale with Growth

Ready for a website that grows with your business? Growth gives you the flexibility to add content without calling a developer. View Growth package details or request a custom proposal.

Premium Website Package — $4,999

Who This Is For

Your website isn't just an online brochure—it's a primary driver of your business. You get significant traffic, your site has complex needs, and downtime or poor performance directly costs you revenue.

Premium is for businesses who need enterprise-quality infrastructure, extensive content, and ongoing strategic support without enterprise agency prices.

What You Get

Extensive site structure:

• 25+ pages
• Complex service hierarchies
• Multiple user paths and conversion funnels
• Advanced filtering or search functionality

Advanced CMS and integrations:

• Powerful content management
• Integration with CRM, email marketing, scheduling tools
• Custom functionality specific to your business
• Membership areas or gated content (if needed)
• E-commerce capability

Premium features:

• Advanced analytics and conversion tracking
• A/B testing capability
• Custom forms and workflows
• API integrations
• Performance optimization

Ongoing care included:

• 6 months of Premium Care Plan ($149/mo value = $894)
• Immediate support response
• Monthly content updates
• Regular security and performance monitoring
• Strategic consultation on improvements

Development process:

• Multiple design concepts
• Three revision rounds
• Detailed project management
• 6-8 weeks to launch
• Post-launch optimization period

When Premium Is Worth the Investment

Choose Premium if:

• Your website directly generates significant revenue
• You need complex functionality (booking, memberships, e-commerce)
• You have 20+ services or products to showcase
• Site downtime would cost you thousands in lost business
• You need integration with other business systems
• You want strategic partnership, not just development

Premium Success Stories

A Wilmington tourism company needed a site managing 50+ vacation properties with availability calendars, direct booking, integration with their property management system, and dynamic pricing. Premium gave them the custom functionality and ongoing support to compete with Airbnb while keeping more profit.

A regional medical practice required separate service pages for 15 specialties, appointment booking, patient portal integration, HIPAA-compliant forms, and location-specific content for 4 offices. Premium's included care plan meant they had ongoing support as they added providers and services.

Why Care Plans Matter at This Level

At the Premium level, you're not just buying a website—you're getting a long-term partnership. The included 6 months of Premium Care means:

• You have someone who knows your site intimately
• Updates and fixes happen immediately, not "when you get around to it"
• We proactively monitor performance and fix issues before you notice
• Strategic recommendations as your business evolves

This relationship prevents the common scenario where a business invests $10,000 in a great site, then it slowly degrades because no one maintains it.

Invest in Premium

When your website is central to revenue, Premium delivers enterprise quality at local prices. View Premium package details or schedule a strategy call.

How to Choose the Right Package for Your Business

Still not sure which tier fits? Here's a simple decision framework.

Start with Your Current Situation

Choose Essential if:

• New business or first professional website
• Limited budget (under $1,500)
• Simple services, straightforward offering
• Need credibility more than complexity
• Plan to handle marketing mostly offline

Choose Growth if:

• Established business ready to scale
• Budget of $2,000-$3,500
• Multiple services or locations
• Plan to blog and create content
• Want control over updates
• Marketing-active (social, email, local SEO)

Choose Premium if:

• Website is central to revenue
• Budget of $5,000+
• Complex needs (integrations, custom features)
• Significant content (20+ pages)
• Need ongoing support partnership
• Downtime or poor performance costs money

Think About Your Next 12 Months

Don't just consider where you are—think about where you're going.

If you're launching a business but plan aggressive content marketing, skip Essential and go straight to Growth. You'll save money versus building Essential now and rebuilding in six months.

If you're currently small but expanding to multiple locations soon, Growth gives you the structure to add location pages easily.

If your business is growing fast and your website needs to keep pace, Premium's included support means you have a partner, not just a vendor.

The Upgrade Path

You're not locked into your choice forever. Many businesses start with Essential, then upgrade to Growth when ready. We design with scalability in mind, so upgrades are smooth transitions, not rebuilds.

We credit your initial investment toward upgrades within the first year. Paid $1,000 for Essential but realize you need Growth? Pay the $1,499 difference and we'll upgrade your site.

What Every Package Includes (Because This Matters)

Regardless of which tier you choose, you get:

Quality design:

• Custom design (not templates)
• Mobile-first approach
• Fast loading speeds
• Professional imagery guidance

Technical excellence:

• Clean, modern code
• Secure hosting
• SSL certificate
• Automatic backups
• Performance optimization

Local SEO basics:

• Proper page titles and meta descriptions
• Schema markup for local business
• Google Business Profile optimization
• Local keyword integration
• XML sitemap

Training and support:

• Screen recording tutorials on making updates
• Documentation on key features
• Launch support to get you started
• 30-day email support on all packages

Peace of mind:

• Fixed pricing (no surprise fees)
• Clear timeline
• Contract that protects both of us
• You own your site (no vendor lock-in)

The difference between packages is scope and scale, not quality. We don't do "cheap" versions—we do appropriately sized versions.

Common Questions About Choosing a Package

"Can I switch packages after we start?"

Yes, though it's easier before we begin development. If you choose Essential and realize mid-project you need Growth, we'll adjust pricing and timeline. Switching after launch involves more work but is still possible.

"What if I need something custom not in any package?"

We'll quote it separately. About 5% of our clients need truly custom solutions—unusual integrations, specialized functionality, or unique design requirements. We're happy to build custom, but most businesses fit comfortably in our packages.

"Do you offer payment plans?"

Yes. Essential is typically paid upfront (it's quick). Growth and Premium can be split into milestones: deposit, design approval, and launch. We're flexible for established businesses.

"What happens after my site launches?"

Essential and Growth include 30 days of post-launch support for minor fixes and questions. After that, you can handle updates yourself, hire us for occasional work, or sign up for a Care Plan if you want ongoing support.

Premium includes 6 months of Premium Care, after which you can continue monthly or go à la carte.

"How long until I see results?"

Your site goes live within 2-8 weeks depending on package. SEO results take 3-6 months. Lead generation depends on your marketing—a great site with zero promotion won't generate leads. A great site plus active local SEO, Google Business Profile optimization, and basic marketing typically shows ROI within 3-6 months.

Ready to Choose Your Package?

Most Eastern NC businesses know which tier makes sense within 5 minutes of reading this. If you're still unsure, let's talk.

We offer a free 20-minute consultation where we'll:

• Review your current situation and goals
• Recommend the best-fit package (or tell you if custom makes more sense)
• Answer specific questions about your needs
• Provide clear next steps with no pressure

We're not here to upsell you into Premium when Essential fits perfectly. We're here to build long-term relationships with local businesses by being honest about what you actually need.

Free Website Package Consultation

Not sure which package fits? Let's talk through your specific situation. Book a free 20-minute call and we'll recommend the right approach for your business. Schedule your free consultation

Next Steps

1. Review package details: Visit our website packages page for full feature lists and pricing
2. Check our portfolio: See real examples of Essential, Growth, and Premium sites we've built
3. Book a consultation: Schedule a free call to discuss your specific needs
4. Start your project: Once you choose a package, we move fast—Essential sites launch in 2 weeks

Your business deserves a website that works as hard as you do. Whether that's a straightforward Essential site or a robust Premium solution, we'll build something you're proud to share.

Ready to get started? Contact us today and let's build your website the right way.