Havasu Web Studio
Option 3 · Featured- Starting cost
- $2,500
- Monthly
- $179
- 3-year total
- $8,944
- Custom design
- Yes
- Code ownership
- Yours (GitHub)
- Local SEO
- Built in
- Maintenance
- Included
- Who answers
- Derek
- Contract
- 12 mo, then MTM
- Exit portability
- Full
01Why Havasu Web Studio/compare
What are you actually paying for?
Five ways to get a small business website. Here's the honest breakdown — cost, ownership, who picks up the phone when it breaks.
02The money shot · 3-year total cost
The upfront price isn't the price. Year two and three are where the quote stops talking.
HWS · 3-year total
$8,944
Launch + Care
vs full-service agency
2.5× less
~$22,200 over three years
vs smaller studio
1.3× less
~$11,600 over three years
Year 1 · build + planYear 2 · ongoingYear 3 · ongoing
Full-service agency
$17,400 build + $200/mo
~$22,2002.5× HWS
Smaller design studio
$9,200 build + $100/mo
~$11,6001.3× HWS
Havasu Web StudioThat's me
Launch + Care · $2,500 + $179/mo
$8,944Reference
Freelance template* Y2 rebuild risk
$1,500 + rebuild risk
~$4,5000.5× HWS
DIY platform
Wix / Squarespace · ~$33/mo
~$2,2000.25× HWS
* Freelance Y2 spike
The $2,500 is the rebuild cost when the template breaks on a platform update or the freelancer stops answering. Roughly one year in — what the upfront quote hides.
Inside the HWS monthly
Hosting, licenses, security patches, CMS upkeep, Google Business Profile maintenance, and copy changes — not surprise line items later.
03Side by side · twelve rows
The detail, line by line.
No asterisks, no hedging. If I can't answer “yes” on a row, the cell is a dash.
| Feature | Option 1Full-service agency | Option 2Smaller studio | Option 3 · FeaturedHavasu Web Studio | Option 4Freelance template | Option 5DIY platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting cost | $17,400 | $9,200 | $2,500 | $1,500 | ~$200setup + year one |
| Ongoing monthly | $200retainer, à la carte | $100basic maintenance | $179everything included | $0until it breaks | ~$33platform + domain |
| 3-year total | ~$22,200 | ~$11,600 | $8,944 | ~$4,500+ hidden rebuild | ~$2,200 |
| Custom design | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ Not a template | Templatepick from a library | Templatedrag & drop |
| Code ownership | Agency holds itescrow available | Sharedcontract-dependent | Yours ✓in your GitHub | Maybeoften on their server | —platform-locked |
| Core Web Vitals optimized | ✓ | Sometimes | ✓ | — | —bloated builders |
| Built-in local SEO | Add-onseparate line item | Add-on | ✓ GBP from day one | — | — |
| Mobile-first | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Responsivetemplate-dependent | Responsivetheme-dependent |
| Ongoing maintenance included | Billed hourly | Basic only | ✓ In the monthly | — | Self-serve |
| Who picks up the phone | Account managerticket system | Project lead | Derek ✓same person, every time | The freelancerif they answer | A help centerchatbot first |
| Contract length | 12–24 moauto-renewing | 12 mo | 12 mo, then month-to-month | Per project | Month-to-month |
| Exit portability | Possible, painful | Limited | Full ✓code, domain, GBP — yours | Template-locked | Platform-lockedexport ≠ usable |
Full-service agency
Option 1- Starting cost
- $17,400
- Monthly
- $200
- 3-year total
- ~$22,200
- Who answers
- Account mgr
- Exit portability
- Possible, painful
Smaller studio
Option 2- Starting cost
- $9,200
- Monthly
- $100
- 3-year total
- ~$11,600
- Who answers
- Project lead
- Exit portability
- Limited
Freelance template
Option 4- Starting cost
- $1,500
- Monthly
- $0
- 3-year total
- ~$4,500*
- Who answers
- If they reply
- Exit portability
- Template-locked
DIY platform
Option 5 · Wix / Squarespace- Starting cost
- ~$200
- Monthly
- ~$33
- 3-year total
- ~$2,200
- Who answers
- Help center
- Exit portability
- Platform-locked
04Three things worth the detail
What actually changes with Havasu Web Studio.
You own the code.
Code lives in your GitHub. Domain sits in your name. Leave anytime and take everything with you — site included.
Built for local search.
Fast load, real structured data, Google Business Profile wired up from day one. The plumbing that makes Lake Havasu customers find you.
One person, picks up the phone.
No support tickets. No account manager pass-off. Same Derek every time.
05Honest positioning
Who each option is actually for.
Every option on this page is the right answer for someone.
Full-service agency
Enterprise and large-team projects where a five-person agency team is actually needed and budgeted for.
Smaller studio
Mid-size businesses with $10k+ budgets that want team resources without enterprise overhead.
Havasu Web Studio
Small and medium local businesses that want a website that shows up on Google, loads fast, and turns visitors into calls — without paying for agency overhead or being trapped on someone else's platform.
Freelance template
One-off short-term needs — event landing pages, quick launches where ranking doesn't matter.
DIY platform
Bootstrapped businesses with under-$100/mo budgets and no need to compete in local search.
06The three HWS plans
Pick your monthly.
One setup fee, one monthly, everything on the site included. No hourly surprises.
All plans · 12-month initial term · then month-to-month
See full package details Launch + Care
$2,500Setup
+ $179 / month
Launch + Growth
$2,500Setup
+ $349 / month
Best Value
Ongoing Partnership
$649Per month
No setup fee
No pitch. No pressure. If we're not a fit, I'll tell you straight.