Small Business Website Quote Checklist

1. Write the job of the website

Start with one sentence.

"This website needs to help [customer type] do [main action]."

Examples:

• "This website needs to help homeowners request a plumbing estimate."
• "This website needs to help patients book a consultation."
• "This website needs to help parents compare programs and call the studio."
• "This website needs to help local customers check the menu, hours, and location."

That sentence matters because it tells your builder what the site must do first. A site built for appointment booking needs a different layout than a site built for quote requests. A restaurant site needs fast access to menu, hours, address, and online ordering links. A contractor site needs service areas, proof of work, photos, and a clear quote path.

Do not start with design preferences. Start with the business action.

2. List the pages you need

Most small business sites do not need twenty pages. They need the right few pages.

A focused Launch site often fits these five pages:

Grow can fit up to seven pages and adds Sanity CMS for businesses that want to edit services, hours, photos, announcements, or posts after launch.

Custom scope starts to make sense when you need eight or more pages, several CMS content types, blog/news setup, custom forms, or API integrations.

Write your page list before the quote call. If you do not know the final list, write what you have and mark the rest as undecided.

3. Decide who will edit the site after launch

This question changes the package.

If your content will stay stable, a no-CMS site can work. Patchwork can build the site, hand over the GitHub repo, and keep the scope tight. That fits Launch for many local businesses.

If you want to update hours, staff bios, service descriptions, photos, announcements, or blog posts yourself, choose a CMS. Patchwork uses Sanity on Grow and Custom projects because it gives you a real editing setup without locking the site inside a proprietary builder.

Ask yourself:

• Will prices or services change often?
• Will staff need to update hours or photos?
• Will you publish announcements or posts?
• Do you want Patchwork to handle edits through hosting and support instead?

A CMS sounds nice, but you only need it if someone will use it.

4. Gather your copy status

Copy drives the quote because unfinished content slows builds.

Patchwork designs and codes the site. You provide the words. Rough notes are fine, and Patchwork can help structure them, but your business needs to supply the real details.

Before you ask for a quote, sort your content into three buckets:

If you need a copywriter, say that early. Do not hide the gap and hope the designer fills it in during the build. That creates delays and weak pages.

5. Know what photos you have

Photos change the feel of a site fast.

Patchwork includes stock imagery when you do not have custom photos. Stock can help a new site look complete, but real business photos usually build more trust.

Make a quick photo inventory:

• Logo files.
• Team photos.
• Location photos.
• Service or product photos.
• Before and after photos, if allowed in your industry.
• Brand colors or style references.

If you do not have photos, say so. A builder can plan around stock imagery, clean graphics, or a simple visual system. Custom photography sits outside standard Patchwork scope, so schedule that with a photographer if you need it.

6. Choose your main lead path

Your quote should match the action customers need to take.

Pick one primary path:

• Call now.
• Request a quote.
• Book an appointment.
• Fill out a contact form.
• Visit the location.
• Click to an ordering, booking, or payment tool.

Patchwork packages include booking embeds, so you can use a tool like Calendly, Square, Acuity, Vagaro, Jobber, Housecall Pro, Toast, or another platform when it gives you an embed code or booking link.

Custom forms and API integrations need a custom quote. If the form needs to route leads by location, push data into a CRM, take payments, or trigger a private workflow, say that up front.

A simple lead path keeps the site affordable. Hidden workflow requirements make the quote bigger later.

7. Note your technical must-haves

Most small business sites need fewer technical features than owners think.

Write down only the items that matter to the business:

This list protects your budget. You can avoid paying for features you do not need, and you can flag the items that should not be squeezed into a fixed package.

8. Prepare your domain and access details

A builder may not need full access during the first quote, but you should know what you have.

Check these items:

• Domain registrar, such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, Squarespace, or Cloudflare.
• Current website platform, if one exists.
• Google Business Profile access.
• Existing analytics or Search Console access.
• Email provider.
• Booking tool or form tool login owner.
• Logo source files.

Do not send passwords in a contact form. Use a password manager or a secure handoff method after the project starts.

If you do not know where your domain lives, say that. A simple domain mess can delay launch more than design feedback.

9. Decide your budget boundary

A real quote needs a budget boundary.

For Patchwork Sites, the starting points are clear:

Hosting and support for Grow or Custom sites can run $49 to $99 per month depending on what you need.

If your budget points to Launch, do not ask for a CMS, eight pages, and custom integrations in the same scope. If your business needs those features, ask for a Custom quote and make the tradeoff with open eyes.

10. Set a decision date

Small website projects move faster when the owner decides fast.

Patchwork's standard process works best when you can answer questions, send content, review a live preview, and give one clear round of feedback. If three partners need to approve every headline, say that before the timeline starts.

Before you request the quote, write down:

• Who approves the site.
• Who sends copy and photos.
• Who owns the domain.
• Who reviews the preview.
• When you want to launch.

A fast website build still needs a ready client. The checklist makes you ready.

Quick quote checklist

Use this before you contact a website builder:

• One sentence that explains the job of the site.
• Page list.
• CMS decision.
• Copy status.
• Photo and logo inventory.
• Main lead path.
• Booking, form, or integration needs.
• Domain and platform access status.
• Budget boundary.
• Decision maker and launch timing.

Send those details in the first message and you will get a better answer.

Package fit

Choose Launch if you need a clean, affordable small business website with up to 5 pages, a booking embed if needed, stock imagery, one revision round, and no CMS.

Choose Grow if you need up to 7 pages and want Sanity CMS so your team can edit content after launch.

Choose Custom if the site needs more pages, multiple content types, custom forms, API integrations, or a workflow that does not fit a fixed package.

If you are stuck, start with the checklist and ask Patchwork Sites which package fits. You will get a straight answer because the scope will be clear.