Your Website Needs More Than Just a Homepage
Last summer, I was grabbing coffee at a little place off Hope Street in Providence — you know, the one where they spell your name wrong even when it’s just “Tom.”
Anyway, I overheard a local salon owner chatting with her friend about how her nephew “built the website last year, but no one’s really using it.” I almost dropped my latte.
Truth is, that story isn’t rare around here. Whether you’re running a sandwich shop in Cranston, a law firm in Newport, or a wellness studio in Woonsocket, one thing’s clear: a website isn’t just a digital business card anymore.
People expect more.
They’re browsing on their phones while sitting in traffic on I-95, trying to find a plumber who won’t ghost them. They want fast-loading pages, info that makes sense, and buttons that actually work. Oh — and if your hours are outdated? Forget it. They’re already swiping to your competitor.
At Curtis Design, we’ve been helping small businesses in Rhode Island and beyond show up online the right way.
We don’t build fluff. We build websites that work — and we explain everything in plain English. No tech jargon, no pushy sales garbage.
So yeah, if your cousin’s DIY site “kinda works” but you’re not getting any calls?
Let’s fix that.
We’ve Seen DIY Nightmares All Over Rhode Island
You ever land on a website and instantly wonder, “Is this… broken?”
Yeah. We’ve seen that — a lot — and right here in Rhode Island.
Like that landscaping guy from Pawtucket who built his own homepage using some free builder he couldn’t even remember the name of. The text was white on a light background (so… invisible), his logo looked like it was screenshotted off a fax, and the “contact” button led nowhere. Now, the guy’s great with lawns — seriously, five stars — but his website? It scared customers away.
Or the vintage shop in Newport that asked us for help after their site went down again — turns out their entire homepage was built inside a single image. One big, unclickable picture. No text, no SEO, no buttons. Just vibes.
Look, we’re not here to shame anyone. Building your own website sounds like a smart idea at first. Cheap, fast, “I’ll figure it out on YouTube.” But most of the time, people end up frustrated, stuck, and worse — invisible online.
Here’s the thing: your time is better spent running your business, not trying to figure out why your menu won’t load on an iPhone.
When people finally come to us, it’s usually because they’re tired of:\n
- Sites that crash or don’t load right\n
- Google not showing them anywhere near page one\n
- Contact forms that send to an old email no one checks\n
The good news? We’ve rebuilt dozens of these messes — and turned them into smooth, modern sites that actually get results.
So if your site was built “as a favor” by your nephew, your neighbor, or that friend who “knows a little WordPress,” maybe it’s time to let someone local — and experienced — take the wheel.
What Makes a Local Web Design Agency Worth It
Let’s be real — you can hop on any freelance site right now and find someone who swears they’ll “build you a custom website in 48 hours for $199.”
Tempting, right?
But here’s what usually happens:
You get a cookie-cutter site that looks like it was made in 2014, there’s no phone support, and the guy who built it disappears right after you pay. Poof. Gone. Try emailing him and you’ll get a “Mailbox Full” error.
That’s why working with a local agency (like us — hi 👋) makes all the difference.
We’ve worked with small business owners across Rhode Island, from East Greenwich accountants to Narragansett surf shops. And what they all needed — more than just “a site” — was a partner. Someone to pick up the phone. Someone who speaks human, not code. Someone who gets what it’s like to run a business in this state.
Here’s what we bring to the table:
- We’re actually here. You can call us, email us, or meet up at Seven Stars if you want to talk face to face.
- No one-size-fits-all templates. We design everything from scratch. Because your biz isn’t like everyone else’s.
- You get the same people every time. No passing you off to random team members or outsourced help desks.
- We actually care. Like, deeply. Our name’s on the site, too.
We don’t just “hand over a site” and walk away. We make sure it works, you know how to use it, and you feel confident going forward.
So yeah, that $199 website might seem like a deal… until you need help and the guy’s gone AWOL.
We’re not the cheapest. But we are the most solid, reliable, and — dare we say — fun to work with in Rhode Island.
We Build Sites That Don’t Just Look Good — They Work
You ever been on a gorgeous site that just… doesn’t do anything?
You scroll, maybe click around, but there’s no direction, no next step. It’s like being inside a really pretty empty store.
Truth is, a lot of designers focus so much on “making it pretty” that they forget what a website’s actually supposed to do:
📞 Get you calls.
📧 Get you leads.
💰 Help you sell.
At Curtis Design, we build sites that are more than just nice to look at. They’re built to work — and built for your real, everyday customer in Rhode Island.
Let’s say someone in Warwick is looking for a dog groomer on their phone at 9:30 PM. Your site better load fast, show your hours, and make it easy to book. If it takes more than five seconds to figure that out? They’re gone.
That’s why every site we build is:
- Mobile-first — because over half your visitors are on their phones
- Search-ready — SEO is baked in from the start, not bolted on later
- Simple to navigate — no mystery menus or “hidden” contact info
- Easy to update — you shouldn’t need a developer every time you change your hours
We even build in smart stuff behind the scenes — like schema markup, lazy-loaded images, and clean code that Google actually likes.
But don’t worry, we won’t bore you with the tech talk. We’ll just make sure your site loads fast, looks good on every screen, and actually helps people do what they came to do.
Because let’s be honest: A pretty site that doesn’t convert?
Might as well be a billboard in the middle of the ocean.
So… What’s a Website Cost in Rhode Island Anyway?
Look, we get this question all the time — usually whispered like it’s a bad word:
“Sooo… how much is this gonna cost me, for real?”
The short answer? It depends.
The honest answer? Most small businesses in Rhode Island spend somewhere between $2,000 and $7,500 for a full website. That range covers everything from a clean one-pager for a local service biz in Bristol, all the way up to a multi-page site with booking features for a yoga studio in Providence.
Here’s a rough idea of what influences the price:
- Do you need just a homepage, or a full site with 10+ pages?
- Will you provide your own content, or do you want us to write it?
- Do you need extra features like eCommerce, appointment booking, or bilingual setup?
Let’s give you some real-world examples:
- A dog trainer in Warwick needed a basic site with a gallery and contact form. Total: ~$2,300
- A bakery in Cranston wanted an online menu, blog, and newsletter signup. Came in at ~$3,900
- A home renovation company in Pawtucket needed a full custom design, SEO copy, and lead capture — that one was about ~$6,800
But here’s what matters most:
These prices are not one-size-fits-all. They’re just examples.
If we built a $7,000 site for someone else, that doesn’t mean we’ll quote you the same.
Why? Because your business is different.
We don’t slap generic pricing on our services.
We start by listening — like, actually listening — to what you need. Maybe your dream site can be done for $2,000, or maybe it needs more functionality and lands closer to $5,000. We don’t know yet. That’s why we offer a free consultation, no strings attached.
We’ll talk through what you’re trying to do, where you’re stuck, what features you need — and then we’ll send you a real, customized quote that makes sense.
No mystery pricing. No pressure. Just honest numbers based on you — not someone else’s project.
Let’s Talk for 15 Minutes
Not sure where to start? Totally fine. Most people aren’t.
Maybe your old site feels clunky. Maybe you never had one. Maybe your nephew built something that, let’s be honest, never really worked.
Either way — let’s talk.
We offer a free 15-minute strategy chat, no pressure, no strings. You tell us where you’re at, what you’re thinking, and we’ll tell you what makes sense next. Even if you don’t work with us, you’ll leave with clarity.
📞 Quick call.
📧 A couple questions.
🚀 And if you’re ready — a real plan.
Because honestly? We’re not here to just “build you a site.”
We’re here to help your business actually grow — one click, one call, one real connection at a time.
👉 Fill out our quick form — and let’s get this thing rolling.