The cheap end of web design has traps that all work the same way: low price up front, gaps left for later. Missing search setup, a template shared with a thousand other shops, no way to edit, and hosting that vanishes when the builder moves on.
The most expensive site we see is the $300 one that has to be replaced a year later, after it quietly cost customers the whole time.
A full Signal build is $2,000, you see it before you pay, and it ships with the search, security, and speed work included. No traps, because we have to live next to it too.
The five classic traps
No search setup. A template shared with everyone. No edit access. Hosting you do not control. And a builder who answers fast before the invoice and never again after.
Each gap is invisible on launch day and expensive within a year.
The $300 site, itemized
$300 up front, then $40 a month for a builder, then $500 for someone to add the search setup, then a rebuild at $2,000 when the template hits its ceiling. Plus a year of customers who bounced off a slow site.
We have retold this exact math for Detroit owners too many times. It never varies.
How to buy once
Ask what ships, who controls the hosting, whether you can edit, and what happens if the builder disappears. Get answers in writing.
Or skip the process: our price is printed, the preview is free, and the answers are on the pricing page.
Quick answers.
Why not just take the cheap deal?
Because the deal is not cheap. It is a down payment on a rebuild.
Can you fix a trapped site?
Usually rebuilding is cheaper than un-trapping it.
What traps does your own build have?
None we know of. The price is flat and the checklist is public.
Do you offer a cheaper tier?
A custom dashboard is $1,000. A full site is $2,000. We do not strip features to hit a number.
Related notes.
Keep reading:
Why we show our prices Why we build a free preview first More about Pricing