Most agencies make you sit through a sales call before they'll name a number. We put ours on the page.
What nobody tells you about hiring a web designer
We keep hearing the same stories from business owners across East Tennessee. Before you hire anyone, us included, here's what to watch for.
Your domain should be yours.
Plenty of designers register your domain in their name. Want to leave? Now you're negotiating to get your own web address back. Some agencies around here charge transfer fees. Others just stop returning calls. At DropSites, your domain goes in your name from day one. It's your business name. It should belong to you.
You should see it before you pay for it.
Most designers ask for a deposit before you've seen a single design. You're paying for a promise and hoping it matches what you imagined. We build your prototype first. You see your actual website, working on a real screen, before you spend a dollar.
"Custom design" should mean custom.
Too many agencies install a pre-built template, swap the logo, and call it custom design at custom prices. There's nothing wrong with templates, but you should know what you're paying for. Every DropSites project is designed custom for your business — not a recycled template.
Two paths, one standard
Own it outright, or let us manage it month to month. Either way, you get the same quality build and the same honest terms.
Take Ownership
Starting at $1,800
One-time payment
Your site, your property. We build it, hand you every file, and step back. No monthly fees, nobody standing between you and your website. Priced for a complete 5-page launch with clean ownership — not a template flip.
Custom 5-page website
Mobile-first responsive design
Contact form + click-to-call
Local SEO foundation
Full handoff: source code + deployment guide + owner's guide
Domain stays in your name
30-day post-launch support
Ideal for: Business owners who want full control and have someone to handle future updates.
Same 5-page custom build as Take Ownership, plus we keep it running for you. Updates handled, hosting monitored, security patched. Just tell us what you need.
Built for businesses that run promos often. You get priority speed, 15 edits a month, and a fresh promo page every month. Priority Handoff included so you're never locked in.
Everything in Care Plus, with priority speed
15 edits/month (text, images, hours, links)
Same-day turnaround on changes
1 new promo section or landing page/month (1 revision round)
Proactive site health monitoring + automated alerts
Priority Handoff included
Quarterly strategy check-in
Ideal for: Businesses that run frequent promotions and need updates turned around fast.
Looking for something simpler? Our Care Lite plan starts at $99/mo with hosting, uptime monitoring, client portal access, and 3 edits per month. Same setup, lighter commitment.
Ask us about it.
Commit to 12 months, pay less every month. Annual Care plans save you 10–15%. Care Lite drops to $89/mo, Care Plus to $129/mo, and Care Pro to $169/mo. Same service, lower price, no catch.
What counts as an edit?
One edit = one change request. Text swaps, image swaps, pricing or hours updates, small section adjustments, link changes, and form routing changes all count as one edit each. Related changes submitted together (like updating your phone number and email at the same time) count as one edit. Edits do not include new page builds, redesigns, new features or integrations, e-commerce, or copywriting (unless purchased separately). Need more edits than your plan includes? Additional edits are $35 each on Care Lite and Care Plus, or $25 each on Care Pro.
All Care plans launch with a 5-page site. Additional pages are available as an add-on ($200/page or 3 for $500).
What does Launch Setup cover?
Your $800 Launch Setup covers prototype conversion to production, hosting and monitoring configuration, domain/DNS setup assistance, and your baseline SEO foundation.
What you won't find in the fine print
No vanishing act.
The most common complaint about web designers, locally and nationally, is that they disappear after the invoice clears. We guarantee a response within 4 hours on business days. If you're on a Care plan, you have a direct line to the person who built your site.
No surprise invoices.
The prices on this page are the prices you pay. We don't quote low and charge high. If something falls outside scope, we tell you before we do the work, not after. Scope guardrails are listed below so everyone knows where the lines are.
No platform that can shut you down.
Some website builders ban certain industries in their terms of service. If your business falls outside their comfort zone, they can pull your site with no warning. We deploy on open infrastructure. No content restrictions for lawful businesses. Your site stays up because it runs on systems you control.
Your own client portal.
Every Care plan client gets a private portal where you can see real-time traffic stats, check your site's uptime, submit support tickets, and track every request from open to done. No calling and wondering if anyone got the message. Your dashboard shows exactly what's happening with your site, and our monitoring system watches it around the clock even when you're not looking.
No hostage situation. Ever.
Every Take Ownership client gets their full source code, deployment instructions, and an owner's guide. Every Care Pro client gets Priority Handoff built in: if you ever move on, we deliver your complete site package within 72 hours. We earn your business every month. We don't trap you into it.
What's included (and what isn't)
Scope confusion is how projects go sideways. Here's what every DropSites package covers, written so there's nothing to misread.
Included
Custom design built for your business
Mobile-first, responsive on every device
Contact form + click-to-call
Local SEO foundation (schema, meta, structure)
Domain registered in your name
30-day post-launch support
2 revision rounds included
Client portal with traffic dashboard, uptime monitoring, and support tickets (Care plans)
Not Included
E-commerce / online ordering
Custom backend development
Ongoing content writing
Photography or videography
Ongoing SEO campaigns or ranking guarantees
Paid advertising or social media management
Domain registration fees (we help you set it up)
Common add-ons
These are the extras our clients ask about most. Everything is optional, everything has a price next to it. No bundles you didn't ask for, no padding the invoice.
$200/page
Additional Pages
About, Services, FAQ, or Contact pages. Bundle 3 for $500.
$300
Google Business Profile Tune-Up
Categories, descriptions, photos, and link cleanup. For many local businesses, this is the most valuable marketing you can do.
$200
Age Verification Gate
A customizable age-check screen for businesses that need one. Clean, fast, and built for your compliance needs.
$150
Review Booster Kit
A "Leave a Review" page, printable QR code, and placement guidance. Simple tools that make it easy for happy customers to say so publicly.
$200
Analytics Setup
GA4 and GTM installed, tracking calls, directions, and form submissions. Know what's working.
$200
Social Media Wiring Kit
We connect your social profiles to your website, configure Open Graph tags so shared links look right, add schema markup, and verify everything funnels traffic back to your site.
$50/mo
Priority Handoff
Available on Care Lite and Care Plus plans. If you move on, we deliver your full site package within 72 hours — source code, deployment guide, assets, everything. The 72-hour countdown starts after cancellation is confirmed and your final invoice is settled. Already included in Care Pro.
From $300/page
Copywriting
Don't have website copy ready? We'll write it for you. Includes headlines, page copy, and calls to action written for your business and your customers.
Common questions
How long does a project take?
Most projects launch within 1-2 weeks after you approve the prototype. Industry-wide, fewer than 3% of web projects finish on time. We keep timelines short by building your prototype before you sign, so most of the work is already done when the clock starts.
How do revisions work?
Every project includes 2 revision rounds. That covers most clients because you've already approved the prototype before work begins. Need more? Additional rounds are available and quoted before work starts. Once you're live on a Care plan, ongoing changes are handled through your monthly edit allowance.
What if I don't like the prototype?
Then you don't pay. The prototype is built before any money changes hands. If it's not what you want, we part ways with no invoices and no hard feelings. That's the whole point.
Do I actually own my website?
Yes. Take Ownership clients get their full source code, deployment guide, and owner's manual at launch. Care plan clients own their domain and content at all times, and Priority Handoff means you can get your complete site package within 72 hours whenever you're ready to move on. We don't hold anything hostage. You own what you pay for.
What about SEO?
Every package includes a local SEO foundation: proper page structure, meta tags, schema markup, and OpenGraph data. We won't promise you'll rank #1 on Google, because anyone making that guarantee is not being honest with you. What we will do is build a technically sound site that search engines can read, index, and surface for relevant local searches.
Can I switch packages later?
Yes. Plenty of clients start with Take Ownership and move to a Care plan later when they want hands-off maintenance. Switching between Care tiers is easy. Just let us know and the change takes effect on your next billing cycle.
Is there a minimum commitment for Care plans?
Six months. After that, cancel anytime with 30 days notice. Priority Handoff clients get their full site package within 72 hours of confirmed cancellation and final invoice settlement.
Do you offer a discount for annual plans?
Yes. Commit to 12 months upfront and you save 10–15% on your monthly rate. Care Lite drops from $99 to $89/mo, Care Plus from $149 to $129/mo, and Care Pro from $199 to $169/mo. The 6-month minimum still applies. The annual option just gets you a better rate for a longer commitment.
Do you work with businesses outside Knoxville?
Yes, we serve all of East Tennessee. While we're based in Knoxville, we work with businesses throughout the region.
Not Sure Which Package Fits?
Book a free walkthrough and we'll help you figure it out. No pressure, no sales pitch. Just a straight conversation about what your business needs.
