Hiring a traditional web design company often means paying a hefty upfront fee. For small businesses with a limited budget, it’s not always an option.

Pay monthly websites, however, offer an alternative that is more affordable and flexible.

In this article, I’ll break down what pay monthly websites are and how they work so you can decide if it’s the right model for you.

What is a Pay Monthly Website?

A pay monthly website is a web design service in which you pay a recurring fee for a website instead of an upfront payment.

The monthly fee typically includes the design of the website, as well as a domain, hosting, maintenance, and updates.

• Pay a low monthly fee instead of a large upfront cost
• Usually includes a domain, hosting, and management
• Often includes tech support and content or design edits

The pay monthly model is becoming increasingly popular, especially for local businesses and individuals. This is partly due to the rapid growth of subscription-based services across all industries.

What Does a Pay Monthly Website Include?

A pay monthly website package includes the design and development of your website. In most cases, it also includes a domain, hosting, management, tech support, and updates.

• Website design and development: A professional and modern website tailored to your business.
• Hosting and domain: A domain name and hosting to ensure your website is accessible to users 24 hours a day.
• Maintenance and updates: Ongoing updates and maintenance patches so your website remains fast, reliable, safe, and secure.
• Content or design edits: Changes to content, page designs, or the implementation of new features and integrations.
• Tech support: Expert technical support including bug troubleshooting or help and guidance to learn how to manage your site.
• User-friendly platform: Most pay monthly website providers build websites with easy-to-use platforms such as WordPress, Shopify, and Wix.

Some pay monthly website services include extra features such as social media management, reputation monitoring, PPC management, SEO, and content creation.

How Do Pay Monthly Websites Work?

Although the process of getting a pay monthly website will vary depending on the provider, it typically includes an initial consultation, design and development, testing and launch, and tweaking or editing. Let’s take a closer look at each step:

1. Initial Consultation: The process starts with an initial consultation to discuss the details of your website. This is usually done via a phone call, live chat, or email. The consultation will include discussions on the goal of your website, design preferences, target audience, and desired features or pages.
2. Development starts: Once a plan has been established, the website is then designed and developed within an agreed timeframe. The style, layout, content, integrations, and overall foundation of your website will be created.
3. Tweaks and editing: After an initial design is created, you will usually have the opportunity to offer your input and request any changes. This can be design or content edits such as changing images, wording, or menu structure.
4. Testing and launch: Before your website is fully launched, it will be thoroughly tested. This phase includes making sure it functions correctly across all devices and browsers.
5. Ongoing maintenance: Most pay monthly website plans include ongoing maintenance and management. This can be software updates, security, backups, bug fixes, troubleshooting, and content changes.

Who is a Pay Monthly Website Best For?

A pay monthly website is a great choice for a wide range of clients including small businesses, start-ups, professionals, freelancers, and individuals.

From local takeaways to restaurants, hotels, barbers, gyms, personal trainers, and gardeners, anyone who runs a small business and wants more clients can benefit from a pay monthly website.

It’s particularly suitable for those who have a small budget and don’t want to pay a large upfront fee.

• Small businesses: Especially those with a limited budget or time to create their own websites.
• Start-ups: New businesses just starting who need a professional website quickly.
• Professionals: Small local professionals such as barbers, driving instructors, and dog groomers.
• Individuals: Those who need a personal website to showcase their skills, projects, or portfolios.
• Nonprofits: Nonprofit companies that need a cost-effective way to communicate a mission

Why Choose a Pay Monthly Website?

There are many pros and cons of a pay monthly website. One of the biggest advantages is getting your business online without breaking the bank. You also don’t need any technical expertise or knowledge of web design or coding.

Plus, everything is done for you. This will save you a huge amount of time and effort.

Building a website can take weeks or months of tedious work, even when using modern drag-and-drop builders.

• Get a professional website for a low monthly fee
• Typically includes a domain name and hosting
• Maintenance and updates are managed for you
• Often includes content and design changes
• No technical expertise or experience required
• Save time and get your business online quickly

The Disadvantages of a Pay Monthly Website

A pay monthly website is not the best option for everyone. It has some disadvantages that need to be considered. The main disadvantages include paying more fees in the long term, having limited control over the website, and being tied into a contract.

• May cost more in the long-term
• Being tied to a binding contract
• Limited control over the website
• Cancellation fees or hidden fees
• Potential issues over ownership

It’s important to note that finding a reliable pay monthly web design company is the solution to most of these disadvantages. Here at GetPage, we offer one of the most competitively priced pay monthly website services.

Our service includes a professional website, domain, hosting, maintenance, tech support, and content or design edits. We also don’t have any long-term contracts or cancellation fees and you own 100% of the website.

How to Choose a Pay Monthly Website Provider

Choosing the right pay monthly website provider is crucial to ensure the website meets your needs. While many providers offer a similar service, the features and benefits can vary significantly.

Here are some tips to consider when choosing a pay monthly website provider:

• Compare Pricing: It’s important to find a pay monthly plan that is within your budget.
• Review Features: You need to know if the package includes hosting, maintenance, tech support, and content or design updates.
• Study Policies: Find out if the provider has long-term contracts, cancellation fees, and how ownership of the website works.
• Check Portfolios: To get a better idea of a provider’s design style, review their portfolio or examples of websites they have created.
• Research Reputation: Look online for reviews, testimonials, and complaints. Platforms like Trustpilot and Facebook are the best places to start.
• Evaluate Support: With a pay monthly website, fast support is essential. Make sure the provider has viable communication channels like phone, chat, or email support.

Conclusion

A pay monthly website is a practical and accessible solution for those who need a website on a budget. Instead of investing a large amount upfront, you can spread the cost over time.

Plus, you won’t need to worry about a domain and hosting or pay extra costs for maintenance, updates, security, or content changes. Everything is included in the monthly fee which makes it easier to budget.

In most cases, your website will also come with features and integrations for communication, SEO, analytics, performance tracking, and email marketing.