If you run a service business — plumbing, landscaping, cleaning, HVAC, electrical, whatever — and you're trying to figure out the best way to get a professional website, you've probably gotten wildly different advice. Hire an agency. Use Wix. Pay a freelancer. Build it yourself.
The right answer depends on your situation. Here's a clear breakdown of every option, who it's actually right for, and what most service businesses end up choosing.
Option 1: DIY website builders (Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy Website Builder)
- ✓Cost: $0–$45/month plus your time
- ✓What you get: Drag-and-drop editor, pre-made templates, basic hosting
- ✓Who it's right for: Someone with several hours to spend learning the tool, comfort with design decisions, and willingness to maintain it themselves
- ✓The real problem: Most service business owners are busy running their business. They start a Wix site, get frustrated halfway through, and end up with something half-finished that makes them look less professional than having no site at all. Template sites also tend to look like template sites — customers notice.
Option 2: Hire a web agency
- ✓Cost: $2,500–$8,000 upfront, plus $50–$200/month hosting
- ✓What you get: A custom-designed site built by professionals
- ✓Who it's right for: Established businesses with marketing budgets, or businesses where the website is the core of the business model (e-commerce, SaaS)
- ✓The real problem: The upfront cost is a major barrier for solo operators and small crews. Most agencies also hand you the keys after launch and charge separately for any updates — so you end up paying again every time your phone number changes or you add a service.
Option 3: Hire a freelancer
- ✓Cost: $500–$3,000 upfront
- ✓What you get: Variable — depends heavily on the individual freelancer
- ✓Who it's right for: Businesses that have a specific person they already trust, or that want a middle ground between DIY and agency quality
- ✓The real problem: Freelancers are hard to vet. Quality is unpredictable. And like agencies, most hand off the site after launch. If your freelancer is unavailable when you need a change, you're on your own.
Option 4: Managed website services like Lobus Industries
- ✓Cost: $0 upfront, $100/month
- ✓What you get: A custom-designed website built by professionals, plus hosting, SSL, backups, and ongoing content updates — all in one flat monthly fee
- ✓Who it's right for: Service business owners who want a professional website without a large upfront cost and without managing anything themselves
- ✓Why it works: The managed service model aligns incentives. Lobus Industries only earns revenue as long as the site works well for you. That means they're motivated to keep it fast, keep it updated, and keep you as a customer.
Lobus Industries builds custom websites for service businesses — $0 to build, $100/month for everything else. Most sites launch in about a week.
Get started free →How to choose
If you have the time and design confidence to DIY, Squarespace is the best of the template builders. If you have a $3,000+ budget and want total control, hire a reputable local agency.
If you want a professional custom site with no upfront cost, no management overhead, and included updates, a managed service is the right call. For most service businesses — plumbers, electricians, landscapers, cleaners, HVAC, contractors — that's the answer.
The website that gets you customers is the one that actually gets built and stays maintained. Choose the option you'll actually follow through on.
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