website design & build
A new website with room for your services, photos, and contact details. Start with one page or choose a site with separate pages for each part of the business.
new websitesindependent web design · charlotte, nc
open for projectssmall business.
lasting impression.
We build websites for small businesses in Charlotte and beyond. Starting from scratch or replacing an old site? We’ll help you get it online.
New websites from $250 founding-client pricing
designed around your businessa closer look
01 / what we do
what does your
website need?
Customers need to know what you offer, where you work, and how to reach you. We build the pages that help them find those answers.
website updates
Have a site you’d like to keep? We can update a page’s layout, tidy up the wording, and make it easier to use on a phone.
existing websitescontent & launch help
We’ll organize the text and photos you provide, add page titles and search descriptions, and help connect your domain.
included with new builds02 / selected work
see what your site
could look like.
Try these three sample websites. Each was built for a fictional business, so you can explore the design and features before discussing your own project.
Stillgrove
A landscaping site with a garden gallery and a form that helps homeowners describe their project.
- garden gallery
- guided inquiry
- downloadable brief
Morrow & Mane
A barbershop site with a service menu and an appointment demo. Visitors can pick a service and try the booking steps.
- service menu
- sample availability
- booking preview
Sunday House
A cleaning business site that explains each service and lets visitors put together a sample quote request.
- clear service options
- inquiry preview
These are fictional design demonstrations, not commissioned client projects. Imagery is illustrative. The sample forms send no messages and make no bookings.
03 / a clear starting point
good design.
straightforward pricing.
Pick the package closest to what you need. We’ll agree on the work, price, and schedule before you pay a deposit.
01 / one page
the one-page
Your services, a short introduction, and a way to contact you, all on one page. A good fit if you don’t need a larger site.
founding-client price · from $250one-time project
Typical project: 1–2 weeks
- One page with up to six sections
- Design tailored to your business
- Services, about, and contact content
- Email, phone, and social links
- Two rounds of revisions
02 / up to five pagesfor a larger site
the business site
Separate pages for your services, about information, and contact form, with room to show examples of your work.
founding-client price · from $600one-time project
Typical project: 2–3 weeks
- Up to five individually designed pages
- A consistent visual style throughout
- Dedicated service and about pages
- A simple inquiry form
- Two rounds of revisions
03 / update one page
the refresh
Keep your current site and improve one page. We’ll check what your platform allows before agreeing on the work.
founding-client price · from $175one-time project
Typical project: 3–5 business days
- A focused refresh of one existing page
- Typography, color, and spacing updates
- Clearer copy and calls to action
- Mobile layout improvements
- One round of revisions
Founding-client starting prices in USD for our first 10 customers. Timing begins once your content and project scope are ready. Refresh pricing depends on access to and compatibility with your existing site.
also included
included in every new website
- Layouts for phones, tablets, and desktops
- Light editing of the copy you provide
- Page titles, descriptions, and a sitemap
- Domain connection and launch guidance
- A walkthrough of your finished website
- 14 days of fixes for launch-related issues
what costs extra?
Domain registration, hosting, business email, and paid third-party tools are separate. We explain the options and costs before you commit. There’s no required studio retainer.
extra pages & later updates
Additional standard pages start at $150. Later content updates are $50/hour, with an estimate agreed first. Stores, custom booking systems, and ongoing marketing are outside these packages.
04 / using the website
easy to read.
easy to use.
People might visit your site between appointments or while looking for a phone number. The important information should be easy to find.
- a design that fits
- Fonts, colors, and photos chosen to suit your business and the customers you want to reach.
- readable on a phone
- Text you can read without zooming, with buttons and menus that are easy to tap.
- contact details you can find
- A visible phone number, inquiry form, or link to your booking service, depending on how you take inquiries.
explore the sunday house concept Try the service options and sample inquiry form in this fictional cleaning-business site.
05 / from an idea to a website
how a project
comes together.
Tell us what you need, even if you’re still figuring it out. We’ll suggest a package and explain what’s involved.
- 01
send a few details
Tell us about your business and send your current website, if you have one. Let us know when you’d like to launch.
- 02
agree on the project
We agree on the pages, content, price, and timeline. A 50% deposit starts the project.
- 03
review the website
You’ll get a private preview to look through. Send your feedback, and we’ll make the changes covered by your revision rounds.
- 04
get it online
Once you approve the site and pay the balance, we connect your domain and walk you through the launch.
06 / about the studio
based in
charlotte, nc.
Web design for businesses getting started or ready for an update.
Dark Hour Designs is an independent studio founded by Matthew Lilly. The studio builds websites for small businesses, from a single page introducing a local service to a larger site with a gallery and contact form.
You’ll work directly with Matthew throughout the project. He handles the design, reviews your feedback, and helps you get the finished site online.
what do you need from me?
Start with what your business does and what you need from the site. Send any logo, photos, or text you already have, plus your current website if there is one. We’ll help organize those materials. Photography, writing all the copy from scratch, and a new brand identity cost extra.
how do pricing and payment work?
The prices above are starting prices for our first 10 customers. Your quote lists the agreed work, final fee, revisions, schedule, and any separate costs. You pay 50% to start and the rest after you approve the site, before launch. For a $250 one-page project, that means $125 to start and $125 before launch. Any extra work needs your agreement on price before it begins.
how do I get the founding-client price?
Send an inquiry and choose the package you have in mind. We’ll confirm whether a place is available before you commit. The offer covers one listed package per customer for our first 10 paying customers, with the inclusions and revision rounds shown above. Your place is reserved once the scope is agreed in writing and your deposit is received. Additional pages, later updates, and third-party costs are separate. After those 10 places are booked, introductory pricing ends; your agreed project fee stays the same.
what counts as a revision?
One revision round means sending your feedback together so we can work through it in one pass. It covers changes to the agreed design and content. New pages, extra features, or a change of direction need a separate quote.
will my site work on a phone?
Every new site is designed for phones, tablets, and desktops, with readable text and clear navigation. Mobile layout improvements are also part of the refresh package.
can you improve an existing website?
Yes. Send the link and tell us what isn’t working for you. We’ll review the platform and available access before recommending a focused refresh or a new build.
what happens after launch?
New website packages include a handoff walkthrough and 14 days of fixes for issues related to the original build. Hosting and domain renewals remain separate. Later content updates are available at $50/hour with an agreed estimate; no ongoing studio plan is required.
will I own my domain and website?
Your domain and hosting accounts should be in your name. After full payment, you receive the agreed files or platform handoff and a walkthrough. We confirm the hosting plan, renewal costs, third-party licenses, and any editing tools in your quote.
do you use AI-assisted tools?
Yes. AI tools help with design, writing, and coding. Matthew makes the design decisions, checks the work, and handles your questions and feedback.
do you handle search and online stores?
New sites include basic search setup: useful page titles and descriptions, a clear heading structure, and a sitemap. Search rankings are not guaranteed. Online stores, custom booking systems, and ongoing search or advertising campaigns are outside the listed packages.
08 / get in touch
something
in mind?
Tell us what you’re looking for and share your current site, if you have one. Not sure which package fits? We can help you choose.
contact@darkhourdesigns.comafter you send the form
- Matthew reads your message and replies with any questions about the project.
- You get a quote with the work, price, and schedule written out.
- If you’d like to go ahead, approve the quote and pay the deposit.