Straight answers.
Real numbers, real timelines, and where to go if obx.click is not the right fit. No sales fog.
The investment
What will my website cost?
Most Outer Banks businesses land in the Business range, around $6,000, for a custom site built to win bookings and calls. Simpler Starter builds begin at $3,500; larger Premium and Signature projects run higher. Whatever the size, you get one fixed number up front, tied to a written scope, and it holds unless the project itself changes. No hourly meter, no surprise invoice.
Why does that cost more than a $99 builder or a DIY site?
Because you are not renting a template, you are hiring 25 years of judgment. Custom design, copy that sounds like you, local SEO built for seasonal search, speed that survives beach-road signal, and one person accountable for all of it. A cheap site is cheap right up until it costs you the booking. And if a template honestly is all you need, I will say so and point you to erie.website.
What about hosting and upkeep? What is the real total?
The build is a one-time cost, and year one of hosting is included. After that, hosting is $360 a year on its own, or you fold it into a care plan ($95 to $395 a month) that keeps the site secure, updated, and, on the top tier, working on your local search visibility over time. You will know every number before you commit, and nothing recurring switches on without your say-so.
Do you offer payment plans?
Yes, on Business, Premium, and Signature builds. You put down a deposit to start, then pay the balance in equal monthly amounts, interest-free. The plan is simply the price split up, never a dollar more than paying all at once. One honest note: the site stays on my hosting and becomes fully yours to move once it is paid off. Starter builds stay simple and are paid up front.
How do I actually pay?
No checkout to wrestle with on the site. I send a plain invoice and you pay by card or bank transfer: a deposit to get started, then the balance on the schedule we agree to. Care plans and hosting bill on their own simple cycle. Every number is spelled out before anything is charged.
Will my site actually show up on Google?
Every custom build is made to be found: fast on a phone, structured the way search engines expect, and written around how people search here, by town and by service, not just Outer Banks in general. I will not promise a magic number-one ranking; anyone who does is selling something. What I promise is the right foundation, and if you want it pushed further, the Keep It Growing plan handles ongoing SEO and your Google Business Profile month to month.
Can the site take bookings or sell online?
Yes. Online booking, reservations, a simple store, or a rental inquiry flow all live in the Premium tier and up, wired to tools that fit how you already run things. If bookings are the whole point of your site, tell me early so it is scoped in from day one rather than bolted on later.
Working together
How does a project actually go?
We talk, I scope it and send a fixed quote, we agree on the design before I build, then I build it, test it on real phones, and launch. You get one point of contact the whole way: me. No account managers, no ticket queue, no handoffs to a junior.
Can it be done before the season?
Usually, if we start early enough. Starter and Business builds typically take 3 to 6 weeks when we are not fighting the summer. Tell me your target date and I will tell you the truth about hitting it, not just what you want to hear.
How much of my time will this take?
Less than you fear. I need your photos, your details, and a couple of rounds of feedback. I help write the words so you are not staring at a blank page. Most of the work is mine; your job is just to be reachable for the decisions that matter.
Where are you based, and can I call you?
The whole project runs by email and screen share, so there is no office to visit and no phone line to chase. That is on purpose: email means every detail, quote, and decision is written down where we can both find it later, and you usually hear back the same business day. What matters is that I know the Outer Banks, Corolla down to Hatteras, and I build for how people actually search and book here. If a real conversation helps, we set up a screen share.
What do you need from me to get started?
Less than most people expect. To begin, just a conversation about your business and what you want the site to do. Once we are rolling I will want your logo if you have one, any photos worth using, and the basics: services, hours, service area. No logo or good photos yet? Say so. We work with what you have, and I help write the words so you are never stuck facing a blank page.
After I hand it over
Do you disappear after launch?
No, and that is the whole point of obx.click. Every build ships with 90 days of launch care, and most clients stay on a care plan after that. When you need the rates changed before Memorial Day, you email the person who built the site and it gets done. I have kept sites alive longer than some agencies have been in business.
Do I own it?
Yes. Paid in full, it is yours: design, content, everything. Moving it elsewhere someday is a one-time transfer fee and a handshake. One small thing stays: a "Site by obx.click" credit in the footer, there as long as the site runs on my design and removable for good with a one-time fee.
How fast are edits?
On a Keep It Fresh or Keep It Growing plan, text and image changes go live within 72 hours in most cases. Before a big weekend, tell me early and I will prioritize. No portal, no ticket number, just an email to me.
Where does the site live?
With me for year one, included. After that, hosting renews at $360 a year or rolls into a care plan. Heavier sites with big traffic or a store need an upgraded tier, quoted with your project. You always get a heads-up before renewal, and cancelling is painless.
Is obx.click right for you?
What if my budget is tight right now?
Then this might not be the right door, and that is fine. My sister brand erie.website rents simple, clean sites for $99 a month with edits included. For plenty of small operations that is the smart call, and I would rather point you there than sell you something you do not need.
Do nonprofits get a discount?
Better than a discount: a brand built for you. mission.click does nonprofit sites at pricing designed around how nonprofits actually work, not a marked-up rate with a coupon stuck on top.
What if I only need a small change, or just a one-page site?
If you want a clean one-page site, that is Starter territory at $3,500. If you would rather rent something simple and hands-off, my sister brand erie.website does it for $99 a month with edits included. And if you just need small changes to a site I already built, that is exactly what the care plans are for. Tell me what you actually need and I will point you to the honest option, not the priciest one.
What exactly is the free audit, and what is the catch?
No catch. You send your current website and I record a short, honest walkthrough of what is working, what is costing you bookings, and what I would fix first. It is a real $250 review, yours to keep and act on however you like, even if you never hire me. If it makes sense to go further, we talk. If not, you still walk away with a clear list.
My current site is a mess. Can you still help?
Send me the address. I have untangled worse, and a rebuild is often easier than you think. Or start with a free website audit and I will show you exactly what is going on before you spend a dime.